by Susan Bliler
Stalking to the curtain, Recker cursed low when he bumped his head on the pitched ceiling. Ducking low, he peeled the curtain back and saw a toilette seated next to a shower that had another clear plastic shower curtain blocking it from the toilette area. No sink, no door, no locks. Just a corner where Alex showered and did her business.
Flinging the curtain back in place, Recker seethed. Not only was the place too small for anyone to live comfortably, but it was cold as hell too. Even now, Recker could see his breath coming out in great puffs.
Partially shifting, he let his cat’s eyes scan the floor and the walls. There was no thermostat anywhere. Worse, there were no vents in the floor or hot water heaters mounted to the wall. Circling the tiny space, he stilled when he saw an electric space heater plugged into an outlet near the tiny cot.
Fuck! Why was Alex living in this ice-cold shit-hole that relied on a damn space heater to keep her warm? No wonder there wasn't a sink in the place. The fucking pipes would probably freeze.
Curious now, Recker made his way to the fridge and opened it up. It was empty except for one bottle of water and a half-eaten sandwich that was wrapped in the same red and white checkered paper he’d seen in Alex’s diner yesterday. Closing the fridge, he growled as he looked for cupboards. There were only two, and when he searched them, he discovered one held dishes and the other cleaning supplies. His eyes snagged on bags by the floor. He recognized them from the grocery store earlier. Stooping, he rifled through the bags and was annoyed to find one held a bottle of Coke and a twelve pack of Ramen noodles. The other bag held a large box of instant rice.
Good and pissed at her shitty situation, his head swiveled around and his angry eyes locked on the door. Shhhhit! He’d only broken the doorknob because he figured her landlord would fix it first thing tomorrow. Now though, after seeing her place, Recker doubted the fucker cared one way or the other if Alex’s locks worked.
“Fuck!”
Exiting her apartment, he closed the door as best he could and then strained to listen, his eyes searching for anybody watching. Because the door to Alex’s apartment was at the back of the large Victorian house and faced a field thick with trees, Recker was satisfied that no one was watching.
He shifted quick and not even bothering to head back to his truck, he flew straight toward the heart of town. Great Falls was the closest city to StoneCrow Estates, so Recker had come to town often. He knew the town pretty well and because some of the Walkers and human staff resided in the city, it was up to Walker Sentries to get as acquainted with the city as they could. Recker knew exactly which buildings downtown had surveillance cameras and which ones didn’t. He knew the darkest and best recesses for shifting. He flew to one close to a hardware shop downtown. He’d be pushing it for time, but he prayed Alex was still at the bookstore cozied up with another hot chocolate and a good book. Guilt bit hard as he realized her choice for her day off made sense now. The bookstore would be warm. She could get something to eat or drink, and no one would bother her about how much time she spent there.
Something about the realization of her situation gave him a hollow feeling right in his middle. It wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed, so after buying a new doorknob, he made his way back to his secret shifting spot and let a shift shuttle through him. His eagle had larger talons than his raven did and his wingspan was much bigger, so that’s the animal he chose as he beat his wings and lifted into the air, heading back to the trees behind Alex’s place.
He’d just shifted back to human form and was stepping out of the tree line when Alex’s pos Pinto pulled up beside the house.
Sonofa…
Chapter 8
Alex parked her clunker and was reluctant to get out. Eyeing the darkened area behind the house, she wondered for the millionth time what was so hard about changing a friggin light bulb. She’d asked her landlord about a dozen times and still, no light. She’d even considered changing it herself except it was high up on the back wall and for her to do it; she’d have to buy a ladder as well as a second pack of light bulbs because her scum landlord hadn’t used the pack she’d already purchased and given him. Knowing waiting wouldn’t make it any brighter or warmer, she hunched her shoulders against the cold and barreled out of her car and up the back stairs.
She was fishing her keys out of her pocket when a voice behind her had her screaming as she spun and instinctively attacked.
“Jesus Christ, Alex! Stop hitting me!”
Breath heaving, Alex pulled her arm back for another punch but held it as she stared in shock at Recker.
“Recker Rhodes?” she breathed.
When he rubbed his chest and nodded with a, “Yeah,” Alex’s brows speared down.
“Why in the hell are you sneaking up on me? Wait!” She shook her head. “How do you know where I live?” She looked down to where her car was parked and noted no other vehicle in the side lot. “Have you been following me?” She knew her tone sounded accusatory, but what the hell? How in the piss did Recker Rhodes know where she lived?
“I wasn’t following you. Well…I was,” he amended looking flustered in the little light that revealed his features. “Actually,” he looked down.
Alex’s eyes rounded as she looked at what was in his hands. Spinning back to her door, she grabbed the handle and noted that it spun uselessly. Oooooh, Recker Rhodes was in trouble!
Slowly, turning back to face him, Alex tried to control the rage that slowly crept up to land with fiery fury in her cheeks. Feigning calm, she knew her tone came out accusatory when she asked, “You broke into my apartment?”
The implications of what it would mean for him to see inside her place were mortifying. She knew how she lived, and she knew how it would look to others. She didn’t want Recker’s pity and she sure as shit didn’t want anyone, let alone his fine ass, seeing the inside of the pathetic room she called home.
Recker looked down at the new doorknob in his hand, still in the package.
She could tell he was debating something, so she ordered, “And don’t you dare lie to me!”
Heaving a weighty sigh, Recker actually had the good sense to back up one step before holding up his hands. “You gotta let me tell it all before you freak out.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed at him. Crossing her arms, she tapped her foot and waited.
“Yeah,” he finally admitted. “I was gonna go into your place, but I broke the doorknob and had to run to town to get a replacement.”
Relief hit so damn hard that she couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her. Slowly lowering her arms, she asked, “So you didn’t go in?” Shit! Why did the question come out sounding all hopeful?
“Nah,” Recker looked down at the doorknob in his hand. “Didn’t go in.”
Thank fuck! “Well good,” she snapped so he would think she was still pissed instead of relieved. “Now, tell me why you’re trying to break into my apartment.”
“You know why.” He lifted his head, and dark brows snapped down over those gorgeous baby blues. “I need to know if you’re hiding anything, Alex.”
“Hiding anything?” She huffed a laugh, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “My place is literally three-hundred and fifty square feet. I couldn’t hide anything even if I wanted to.”
Recker looked from her to the door, and she shook her head hard. “Oh, no. I’m not inviting you in.” Reaching out, she flicked the packaged doorknob. “Especially not after this.” Honestly, she was relieved for the excuse. She didn’t want Recker or anyone seeing where and how she lived.
***
Recker felt like grit for lying to Alex, but he could scent her apprehension. Normally, he’d have been concerned that she was, in fact, hiding something, but the weighty perfume of her embarrassment had recognition firing. She was embarrassed at the prospect of Recker seeing her apartment.
Fuck, I’m so outta my element right now.
Still, he decided he’d better make a show of investigating her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he narrow
ed his eyes at her. “So, where have you been?”
Without hesitation, Alex rolled her eyes and answered honestly. “The bookstore.”
“The bookstore,” he scoffed trying to sound disbelieving. “For this long?”
Alex was back to being all fiery again when she demanded, “How long have you been out here?”
“I drove by a few times, but your car was never here, so…”
“How do you know where I live again, and how do you know what my car looks like.”
Recker gave her a hard look. “It’s all in your application.”
“Oh.” Alex’s forehead relaxed.
“So you were at the bookstore this whole time?” he redirected.
“Yeah. It’s warm and has good books and free coffee.”
Alex dipped her head with the last admission, and it had Recker remembering how bare her cupboards and fridge had been. He wanted to bring it up, but couldn’t since he’d lied and said he hadn’t been in her apartment.
“So,” she prodded.
“So what?” what he asked.
“You gonna stand on my porch all night, Recker Rhodes?”
“Nah,” he shook his head with a grin before holding up the package in his hand. “I’m gonna replace your doorknob, let you get some rest, and show back up tomorrow like a normal person would and knock on this damn door to see if you’ll let me interview you some more.”
He liked the way her eyes lit up when he said that. Maybe he liked it too much because his smile slipped as he reminded himself that she was just a job. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jerking his chin to the door, he ordered, “Go on inside now, it’s cold.” His eyes dipped to her threadbare coat. “And you ain’t dressed right for the weather.”
She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue and he knew that she did. Damn woman didn’t know how to let anything just ride. To her credit though, she snapped her jaw shut and pulled her door open, sliding her body half inside before stopping to say, “No peeking inside either.”
“Woman, I ain’t gonna peek in your place. Besides, if I wanted to see in…”
She cut him off with a haughty, “A, you’d break in while I was at the bookstore, and B, buy a new doorknob to cover it up?”
That earned her a real laugh as he nodded sheepishly, “Touché.”
Alex was smiling at him too and goddamn if it didn’t affect him. She was all perfect teeth and twinkling eyes that said she hadn’t had a reason to be happy in a long time. She sobered a little under his scrutiny. He realized he’d stopped laughing and was staring at her like he wanted to fucking devour her. Swallowing hard, he realized it wasn’t far off the mark.
“Ok,” she dipped her head. “Goodnight, Recker Rhodes.”
Groaning he let his head fall back on his shoulders. “Just Recker,” he breathed up at the sky.
Alex giggled and disappeared into her apartment, and the whole time Recker fixed her doorknob he wondered what she was doing on the other side of the slim plank of wood separating them from each other.
His imagination ran wild, and while he could hear her moving around, he imagined she was inside stripping out of her day clothes and sliding into something to sleep in. In his head, it was a sexy red negligee that was practically see-through. He imagined her lying back on her cot, red-tipped nails pulling the hem of her nightie up her smooth, thick thighs.
He bit his lower lip when his dick went hard but kept right on fantasizing.
Alex peeled the sheer fabric higher and higher until she was just about to expose herself.
Hell, his mouth was watering now, and he was practically panting.
“Recker?”
Alex’s voice had his head whipping up from where he kneeled in front of the door.
“You almost done?”
He looked at the doorknob and then back up, “Uh…yeah. Just about.”
“Good,” she smiled wanly. “Cuz it’s cold.”
Fuck! He’d forgotten all about how cold her apartment had been even though it was early spring. Honestly, in Montana, things didn’t really heat up until mid-June, which guaranteed that Alex wasn’t running around inside in a flimsy negligee. Hell, she probably slept in thermal pants and sweater with thick wool socks on her feet.
Opening his mouth to ask her about her space heater, he just as quickly slammed it shut when he remembered he wasn’t supposed to know about her heating…or rather, lack of heating situation.
“Two more minutes and I’ll be outta your hair.”
“K,” she flashed a reluctant smile. “Thanks.”
When she disappeared this time, he worked quickly to get the doorknob on before pulling the door closed, making sure it was locked, and then scanning the area before letting a raven explode from him. He had to get away from Alex because she was fucking with his head and that’s exactly what an enemy infiltrator would try to do.
Stay focused, he self-admonished beating his wings like hell to get away from the soft sound of Alex’s voice as she pulled her door open and called out to him.
Chapter 9
The next day at work Alex was ready to punch herself in the eye. All day she’d been a mess. Every time the door chimed a customer’s arrival, her head jerked around and hope filled her only to slowly deflate each time the newcomer wasn’t Recker. It didn’t even make sense that he’d come back to the diner. He’d said he’d come back to her apartment, but still, it didn’t stop her from half expecting to see him walk in during her shift. She told herself it was because of the prospect of new employment, but honestly, something about Recker felt different. He felt comfortable, easy, and almost too familiar. That thought had her brows spearing down. He’d been sent to interview her, which meant he’d most likely studied her extensively. Besides, she knew better than to go getting attached to any man. Men were bullies. She knew that better than most because the men in her life who she was supposed to be able to count on most had failed her. All of them, which is why she’d decided to never rely on a man again. Yet, here she was casting furtive glances at the door, expecting and hoping that Recker would make an appearance. It was dumb. She was dumb.
Stomping back to the kitchen, Alex decided she wasn’t going to look at the door not one more time. Nope, she’d bury her head in work and wouldn’t give Recker Rhodes a second thought for the rest of her shift.
***
Recker sat in his truck across the street from where he could see Alex through the diner’s large front window. She was waiting on customers but kept glancing at the door every time someone entered. For a minute, he almost had himself fooled into believing that she was waiting for him. He discarded the foolish notion just as quickly as it came up. A woman like Alex wouldn’t get her hopes up about a guy like him. Hell, no woman would. He as an abomination, an anomaly, so much so, that he’d been abandoned by his parents at birth. They hadn’t wanted a freak like him and a woman like Alex wouldn’t either. No, Recker had resigned himself to a quite loveless existence at StoneCrow, not even bothering to get his hopes up at the prospect of finding his Angel. Shit like that never worked out for him. Ever! And staring through the glass all googly-eyed at Alex was only going to result in another addition to a long list of disappointments. It’s why he never volunteered for shit missions like this!
Slamming his palm into the steering wheel, he started his truck and pulled away from the diner without looking back. He had a few hours before Alex was off shift and he wanted to be back at the diner by then so he could ghost her down to her car in the parking garage. He didn’t put it past those fucks who’d given her a hard time the other night to seek her out and finish what they’d started.
In the meantime though, he’d make a quick trip to StoneCrow and see if he couldn’t get someone else assigned to her. He couldn’t do this. He really couldn’t do this. It was too painful having something like that…someone like her waved under his nose knowing he’d never get to have her.
***
Alex tossed the last bag
of trash from the restaurant in the outside dumpster, and in her typical routine, she plopped bonelessly into the chair that sat just outside the back door for the staff who smoked. The view was horrid, all dark alley and garbage dumpsters. The noise was the unpleasant cacophony of the city as nearby businesses closed up shop and local bars blared to life. The smell was even worse. Nothing stunk like old restaurant grease that always managed to coat the ground around the dumpster turning it into a tarry looking black that beaded when rain splashed on it.
Alex leaned back in the chair and looked up. No rain today. Nope, there was just the faint twinkling of distant stars that reminded her of herself as they fought to outshine the city lights and force their way through the scattered clouds, demanding, Look at me, damn it! See how wondrous I can be!
Exhaling deeply, Alex closed her eyes keeping her face angled toward the sky.
This won’t be your life forever, she reminded herself. You can do this. Stay strong. You are not going to be here forever, you were meant for so much more!
She opened her eyes and lowered her head muttering, “One day at a time, Alex. One day at a time.” Still, she couldn’t help the inner swell of excitement like something big was about to happen for her. She felt like she was on the precipice of something that she’d been waiting for. For the first in a very long time, hope beat so furiously against her chest, that it felt like she had a gorilla caged inside of her.
Taking a calming breath, she warned herself against getting her hopes up. Yet, Recker had come to find her. Stoney had been right. StoneCrow was giving her a shot to prove she was worthy. Pinching her eyes shut, she wished on all the stars overhead that they didn’t find her lacking. She prayed they didn’t discard her as easily as her step-father and brothers had.
Please want me!
Chapter 10
Out in the side yard, Alex shivered hard against the chills that blasted up her arms and had her swallowing hard against the itch at the back of her throat that warned her she was coming down with something.