Calling my godmother hadn’t been easy either. She’s hard to get a hold of. She ended up raising me as her own when my mother and father passed away. My godmother offered to bring them back for me, though it wouldn’t be right. It would change the course of the world, not just for me, but for others who would have been affected. It’s one of the many things Hel had taught me at an early age.
Being the goddaughter of a Goddess of Death, is quite something. I learned from an early age that everything you do comes with a price. You have to think of what you do before doing it. Actions have consequences.
Hel raised me from the time I was twelve until I turned eighteen. It was strange because she lived in my childhood home, making sure that I grew up with a normal life. Even stranger is the fact my mother was friends with a goddess in the first place.
One thing Hel did do was on my eighteenth birthday, she ensured I’d live an immortal life. “I will not lose you, child, as I’ve lost your mother.” I didn’t have powers or anything cool like that, but I wouldn’t die as my parents did. She knew I feared death, though I knew there was nothing to fear.
Being immortal, I shouldn’t fear my place having been broken into, but I didn’t know who did it. What really freaked me out was the fact that it came after I’d been getting notes left on my car. One had even been left in the dressing room at Leon’s Essence.
None of this I’d shared until I told Hel after the break in. She told me to take time off work and disappear for a little while. She offered to let me come stay with her, but I didn’t want to do that. I can be stubborn in a lot of ways. To make it go away on my own, I needed to take a vacation and hope when I came back, it would be over with.
So, here I am hours later, having not slept since the day before, driving into Windsor, Virginia. I’ve been here before with my parents as a little kid. We stopped through on our way down to the beach. Dad always liked taking the scenic route everywhere we went together.
Hel was the one who suggested I stay with Freyja’s son, who I didn’t even know, though I did know that he lived in the area. I wasn’t about to do that. I was going to the town and staying in an Airbnb for a few weeks.
I rented a place in the middle of nowhere, and I was first heading to a store to get some provisions I’ll need. I was also going to stop and get myself something to eat. I’m starving.
My thoughts turn to food when I come to a light, at the same time, my car makes a pinging sound. I look down at the dashboard and groan at the sight of my gas light on.
“Damn.”
I’m not good at remembering to fill my car up. Good thing there’s a gas station right up ahead after the light. I suck when it comes to car maintenance things. It’s why I’m thankful for Rashon at the club. He’s one of the bouncers who works for Leon and makes sure to walk me out to my car every night he’s on shift with me. On his days off, he helps out where he can, including mechanical things like oil changes or rotating tires. He’s even come through in a pinch and helped me when I forgot to put gas in my car and ran out on the way home.
This has happened to me a time or two.
If Leon knew I was doing this, he’d probably strangle me because he knows I shouldn’t forget like this, but what can I say, I’m only human.
Well, not anymore, but I live like I am so . . .
The light turns green, and I press the gas, turn on my turn signal, and ease into the parking lot, careful to avoid other cars. I find an open spot and pull in, making sure it’s on the same side as I need it. I’ve done that a few times as well, pulling up to the wrong side and having to move.
Putting my car in park, I shut the engine off and get out with my wallet. After a few minutes of fighting with the machine, I get the nozzle out and start pumping gas.
The loud sound of a bike rumbling catches my attention. I watch as a biker rides in and pulls into a spot across from me.
Looking at the man on the bike, my attention is caught by him. Enjoying the sight of how good he looks in a pair of extremely faded jeans with a white tee and cut over it. I read enough books to know what the vest bikers wear was called. Or I like to think I did at least. I didn’t have real-life experience with bikers or any man outside of the nightclub I work in.
When growing up, Hel had one rule for me to follow, and I did. It was that I never lay with a man unless wedded to him. I’ve spent a lot of time with men, but never intimately. Hell, Leondidn’t even allow me to do lap dances. Not that I wanted to, but no man was allowed to touch me. Which, in truth, I didn’t mind.
I enjoyed dancing. I loved showing off my body and being on stage. It was a head rush that I definitely enjoyed.
I smile at the biker as he adjusts his sunglasses. He’s hot and I would love nothing more than to see what his eyes look like. I don’t know what it is about a man’s eyes, but I’ve always thought when I found the man for me, that’s the one thing that would attract me the most. Not the muscles or the height, though this biker had both.
Whoa. Don’t go there. Red alert.
Turning back to my task, I finish pumping my gas and hang the nozzle up, pushing thoughts of the biker out of my head.
“Now to get food, provisions, and find this place,” I mutter to myself. “Maybe I should find the house first, then go get everything I need.” I nod to myself as I get in the driver’s seat. “Food first.”
Luckily, there’s a fast-food joint connected to the gas station. Maybe I should get something from there. It’s not something I would typically eat, but hey, it’ll do for now.
Driving away from the pump, I glance back at the guy still pumping gas, and sigh. I don’t think I’ll ever see a man so beautiful again in my life.
THREE
MCKENNA
Finding the house wasn’t an easy feat. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere, just as I figured it was, but it was the only Airbnb available. I pull into the driveway and text the owners that I’m here. It was something they requested I do upon arrival. They didn’t have a key code thing, so I needed a key. They said they’d bring it right over.
