Page 47 of One for the Money

“There’s no reason to be so hostile, Wolf,” Stefen groused. “You know I got my orders, and since I like being able to wake up each and every day, I follow them.”

“I need the keys,” I stated as my second wind started to dissipate. My ability to deal with men was growing smaller and smaller by the minute.

Stefen shrugged and shuffled off to get what I asked for. As I waited, I wandered around the workspace, poking at the lump Stefen was working on. My gaze flicked up to find Erik watching me, his eyes wide even though he tried to appear calm.

“Have you ever wondered how you can tell if something is animal or human?” I asked. “Who’s to say this isn’t some poor bastard’s torso or thigh? Some of the best tricks I’ve learned over the years and use all the time came from butchers. They know their way around a knife, that's for sure.”

Erik’s gaze dropped to the meat, and I could see the color draining from his face. He was doing better than most I’d seen when forced to face this question. I’d had others pass out, puke, or run screaming out of the room and never saw them again. Well, alive, I never saw them again alive.

“Here you go,” Stefen said as he returned and handed me a set of keys. “Cleaner was there a week ago, so the place shouldn’t be too bad. There’s no food, though… you told us to stop stocking the fridge four months back.”

“I’m aware.” I deadpanned.

He let out a nervous laugh as he offered me something wrapped in white butcher paper. “Sausages, the ones you like so much.”

Taking the package, I patted the man’s shoulder so he knew I wasn’t pissed at him. “Thanks.”

Keys in hand, I led my little group back into the alley and straight across to the other side. I typed in the door code, allowing us into the building and the elevator waiting just inside. Once we were all in, I used the key to power up the panel and hit the button for the sixth floor. Without this particular key, the only place this elevator would take you was down to the exit. It was a security feature that I rather liked about this place.

When the elevator doors opened, it revealed the apartment I’d created in this retired meat-packing warehouse. Stefen and his older brother, Leo, now owned Wurst Butchers and Sons, but it had been in their family for generations. This building belonged to them as well until they hit hard times when Papa Wurst got sick and business wasn’t good. So I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse once I knew I’d be doing a lot more business in Hasnad. No one knew the building had been sold, and I preferred to keep it that way.

“Holy shit,” Erik swore as Bear flipped on the lights while I turned off the alarm code. “This is fucking amazing.”

He wandered around the industrial-style apartment, gawking at the massive windows that took up one whole wall. They were original to the building, but I had them coated on the inside so light could come in, yet nothing would be seen from the outside. To use the space best, I’d turned into a loft with the bedrooms upstairs. I made sure to put the sausages in the refrigerator, knowing I wanted to feast on them for breakfast after I passed out for a few solid hours.

“Hold on, you purposely gave Mamba the wrong address, didn’t you? Oh shit, what is he gonna do when his driver shows up on Thursday to pick you up for dinner?” Erik asked as he made himself comfortable on the leather sectional.

“Funny thing about that, I don’t ever remember him asking me if I lived there or if I wanted to go to dinner,” I pointed out. “Either way, it won’t be the first time he’s made assumptions and come up empty-handed. All right, you two do what you want, but I’m going to get some sleep. There are only two rooms, so you’ll have to arm wrestle for it.”

Erik and Bear exchanged a look before they took off running for the stairs. I followed behind, laughing as they tried to trip each other up the steps, but Erik made the mistake of celebrating the fact he’d gained the lead and looked back. Bear threw himself up the last few steps and tackled Erik. They both crashed to the floor, and I had to dodge thrashing limbs as they wrestled.

“Goodnight, boys. I’ll see you in the afternoon,” I called over my shoulder as I entered the first room and locked the door. Taking a second, I leaned against it and laughed, hearing Erik swear, followed by a growl from Bear. These idiots thought they could claim a spot in my bed if they got there first.

Silly boys, those tricks are for kids.

Sleep was fitful, filled with monsters lurking in the shadows. They didn’t try to come after or try to hurt me. Instead, they whispered all the horrible things my Master used to say. It didn’t matter how fast I ran or if I covered my ears, their words seemed to slither into my ears, echoing in my head until it was all I could hear.

I remembered waking up, gasping for air, and drenched in sweat. The room was pitch black since there were no windows, allowing me to sleep at any point during the day. My stomach was balled up in knots, and I knew I was going to puke. Scrambling out of bed, I stumbled around in the direction of the bathroom. Knowing I wouldn’t have time to find the toilet, I clung to the sink as my stomach heaved.

Why was it when you already felt like shit, your body decided to do something to make your situation ten times worse? There is nothing pleasant or gentle about your body forcing whatever it could back out the way it came in. My legs started to shake, but I refused to let them fail me and wind up covered in my own vomit. Just when I thought I might pass out, an arm wrapped around my hips and another gathered my hair, ensuring it wouldn’t get dirty as another wave took over.

“We got you, little siren,” Erik soothed, rubbing a hand up and down my spine. “Bear’s got you. He won’t let you fall.”

Wait… what the hell were they even doing in here? There’s no way I wouldn’t notice them coming into the room.

The sound of water running in the second sink had me cracking open my eyes. A soft blue glow filled the bathroom, making it possible to see but not ruin my night vision. Glancing up at the mirror, I found Bear behind me, giving me something to rest against as he held my weight. At the touch of a cold cloth, I jerked back.

“Sorry, I know it’s freezing, but trust me, it will help,” Erik murmured, wiping my mouth, neck, and chest. He then rinsed off the cloth before folding it and putting it on the back of my neck.

A moan slipped out before I could stop it. There was no reason something so simple should feel that good on my skin. It was as if my skin had been burning up, but this magical cool cloth was dousing the flames, providing relief.

“Do you think it’s safe to get you back in bed?” Erik asked.

“Yeah,” I rasped. My throat was on fire, and my mouth tasted like shit. “Water first.”

Erik handed me a cup to wash away the taste but stopped me when I grabbed the toothbrush. “Trust me, I get it, but you do that, and you’ll be back to puking out your guts.”

I had no strength to argue, and one thing I hated most in the world was throwing up. Not wanting to revisit that happy, fun time, I released the toothbrush and let Bear scoop me up. He deposited me back in the middle of the bed where I’d been sleeping, and before I could protest, they both climbed in as well. Bear pulled me close so my head was tucked under his chin, and the rest of my body was close but not touching. Erik pulled up the sheet I’d kicked off at some point and let it settle over my hips before laying down behind me. I could feel him there, and I tensed, waiting for him to slide closer, but he didn’t. Realizing Erik was letting me have my space, I let out a sigh, finally able to relax.