by R. J. Blain
“I see. The slime bag hasn’t made a miraculous recovery. That’s good.”
“Very few would make a recovery after being shot in the face with a tactical nuke.”
I choked on my own spit. “That was a nuke?”
“I thought the radioactive warning label would have been sufficient to inform you about the nature of the projectile.”
“How the hell would I have known? I’ve never seen the symbol before in my life!” My voice went up in pitch, and I coughed and swallowed to regain control of myself. “I guess that’s why the ship sank.”
“Nuclear projectiles detonated in close proximity to ship hulls tend to make a mess of them. You punched a thirty-foot hole through the keel. The ship didn’t stand a chance.”
My face burned from my embarrassment and horror. I couldn’t believe I had actually shot something as dangerous as a nuke in close quarters. “Oops.”
“At least it had low radiation yield. Even if you were exposed, you shouldn’t start glowing in the dark.”
A pair of hands slid along my shoulders, and warm breath teased the side of my neck. “That’s a pity. I can think of a few things we could try should you start glowing in the dark.”
I sucked in a breath and held it, afraid I was somehow hallucinating Rob’s voice in my ear and the fact I wasn’t itching from the contact of another’s skin pressed to mine.
Sullivan chuckled. “Decided to come out of your hole, have you?”
Rob yawned, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I figured if you were going to be so noisy, I’d at least come in here and enjoy the company. I don’t mean yours, Sullivan.”
“What did I do?”
I lifted my hands so I could tangle my fingers in Rob’s hair, sighing my relief his presence in our bedroom hadn’t been a lie. I closed my eyes and fought the burn of tears. The tension in my muscles eased. “Hello, Rob.”
“Hello, Alexa. Miss me?”
Torn between relief and annoyance over the fact Sullivan was still around, I snorted before replying, “Who’d miss you?”
Rob laughed.
“Why is there an octopus in the sink?”
I stretched on the couch and yawned, rolling over and covering my head with my blanket. I could have kicked Marlene and Analise out of the bedroom, but both of the women had collapsed in an exhausted stupor.
I was grateful for their help taking care of Rob while I contaminated the living room with my germs. I let them sleep on the bed, and Rob and I shared the couch.
I was too warm and sated to want to move, let alone worry about the problem of Oliver’s residence in our sink.
“Alexa? There’s a live octopus in the sink. Why is there an octopus in the sink?”
Apparently Rob didn’t handle creatures living in the sink very well. After a moment of consideration, I filed away the tidbit of knowledge for a later time. “His name is Oliver. Shh. I’m sleepy, Rob. Leave Oliver alone.”
“How am I supposed to cook dinner if there’s an octopus in the sink? Why is Oliver in the sink?”
“He doesn’t like the bucket.”
“Bucket? What bucket?”
“The one Sullivan brought him back here in. If he bangs on the faucet with his ladle, he’s hungry or wants something. Oh, don’t be surprised if you wake up with him attached to your head. He gets lonely.”
I had only shrieked the first two or three times I had woken up with Oliver’s tentacles wrapped around my head.
“He gets out of the sink and wraps himself around your head? Isn’t Colby enough of a handful for you?” Rob sighed. “Oliver does not belong in the sink. What have you been feeding him?”
“There’s fish for him in the fridge.” The conversation woke me enough I couldn’t fall back to sleep, and I already missed Rob’s warmth on the couch. “If you’re hungry, Minangi brought a pot of soup over. It’s in the fridge, too.”
“Why do we have an octopus, anyway?”
“I’m pretty sure Oliver’s the only reason I didn’t drown.”
I sat up in time to watch Rob dip his hands into the sink, grab Oliver, and hold him up. Oliver flailed his tentacles before wrapping them around both of Rob’s hands. The octopus shifted colors to a vibrant blue, a match for Rob’s eyes.
“You have earned your rent for at least a year. And a new house—one that isn’t my sink. Good job, Oliver.”
Oliver squirmed free of Rob’s grip and splashed into the sink, snatching his ladle before banging it against the faucet.
“Not food!” Colby wailed from its bedroom.
I flopped onto the couch, pulled the blanket back over my head, and wondered if I’d ever return to having a normal life.
Probably not.
A week after I killed Kenneth Smith, Sullivan, Analise, and Marlene got the hint I didn’t appreciate having one of them in our home at all times. I delivered the hint in the form of incoherent snarls and poorly aimed kicks, concluding my childish tantrum with a loud slam of the door when I finally managed to herd them out.
“Don’t come back until you’re ready to do something productive,” I snarled, not caring if the dae heard me.
Rob lounged on the couch, his arms stretched along the back with his usual smirk in place. “I was wondering when you’d snap. I’m grateful you didn’t grab Oliver from his tank and throw him at Sullivan again.”
I glanced in the direction of the octopus’s tank, a ten-foot wide monstrosity with an entire coral reef for Oliver’s enjoyment. I couldn’t spot the cephalopod anywhere in the clear waters. “In case you weren’t aware, I have laid exclusive claim to you. That does not mean you get to have two girlfriends and a boyfriend in the wings.”
Snorting his laughter, Rob shook his head. “They’re just worried. Their happy bubble of security was popped, and they don’t like it. They really dislike the fact you, my beautiful unawakened, got the revenge they all wanted. They’ll get over it.”
“I thought you were dead,” I hissed.
He grimaced. “I know. They told me you weren’t exactly being reasonable about the whole thing. Really, Miss Daegberht. You could have used a regular bullet on the likes of Mr. Smith. Externalized bonded are not so different from unawakened humans. Shooting him in the head would have worked. It’s the internalized dae you have to worry about, especially the strong ones.”
“He hurt you.”
Rob smiled, sliding his hand along the couch to pat the cushion beside him. “Come sit. Now that the interlopers have been evicted, we can talk about what happened without you having to sacrifice your pride and dignity in the process. Marlene’s been rather quiet about everything that happened after we left Minangi’s restaurant.”
“They’ve haven’t told you anything?”
“After you snarled at Sullivan—”
“Munkar.”
Rob arched a brow. “He told you his name?”
“No, Analise was talking to Minangi, and she told him I had gone to him—to Munkar—for help. I don’t think Analise likes Sullivan very much.”
“Sullivan—yes, Munkar—makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It’s his nature. I wouldn’t worry about it. I wouldn’t, however, wish for anything within his domain. Munkar’s wishes have a tendency to backfire in spectacular ways. The dae who grant wishes, including Munkar, must keep their word, but they’ll often leave things up to interpretation.”
“Smith kept wishing to know who could give me to him.” A shudder ran through me, and I crossed the living room to sink onto the couch beside Rob. He circled his arm around me and tucked me close to his side.
“He’s not going to bother either one of us again thanks to you. In the next few days, things will get back to normal. You’ll go back to work with the police, you’ll return to college, and instead of dealing with Smith’s operations, you’ll have more time to spend with me.” Rob chuckled, drawing circles on my upper arm with his fingertips. “You’ll be interested to learn Jacob vanished during a shift with the police. He’s been charged w
ith desertion.”
“I haven’t shown up for work, either,” I whimpered.
“You’re not going to be charged with desertion, darling. The police appreciated you not spreading your germs around the general population. Analise has been taking care of all the necessities. If anything, that sergeant fellow seemed relieved you intended to continue your work with them since I’ve been found.”
“Until they find out I was involved in Kenneth Smith’s death.”
“Involved?”
“I didn’t kill him, a nuke did.”
“A nuke you fired, young lady. How the hell did you get hold of that, anyway?”
I swallowed and bit my lip.
“What did you do?”
“Why do you always assume I’ve done something?” I barely resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose. While it was healing, touching it still hurt and the bruises hadn’t quite faded.
“You’re alive,” he replied in a rueful tone. “Just tell me how you got it.”
“I offered Sullivan a vial of my blood to help me find you—or get revenge for your death.”
Rob remained silent for a long moment before sighing. “You used a weapon I had given him. Of course. I should have known. I’ll go with you when it’s time to pay up, just to make sure nothing goes amiss.”
“It’s not the first time we’ve made a deal. He’s fair.”
With his cheek twitching, Rob leveled a narrow-eyed stare in my direction. “Stop that. That’s not fair, giving him your blood when you won’t give any to me.”
“Next time I get a paper cut I’ll let you steal a lick, you shameless dae.”
“I will make sure to assign you as much paperwork as possible in the next few weeks.”
“Not funny.”
“A man has to do what a man has to do.”
“Are you sure you’re not a vampire?”
“I solemnly swear I am not a vampire.”
I fell silent, leaning as close to Rob as I could without sprawling over his lap.
“Tell me everything that happened,” Rob coaxed. “I’ll fill in what blanks I can, though I’m afraid it won’t be much. Mr. Smith didn’t want to risk losing control of me, not even for a minute.”
One day, I’d ask Rob what would have happened if my dead boss had lost control of him. Instead of voicing my curiosity, I told him everything that had occurred after I had woken up in an elite hospital.
26
“I’m sorry you had to eat parts of a ship, Colby.”
Gurgles, squeals, chitters, and snorts yanked me from a sound sleep. Wiggling, slimy tentacles slid across my skin, and my scream lodged in my throat. The sickening sensation of falling I usually associated with being jerked awake was accompanied by terrifying, smothering pressure on my chest.
Colby and Oliver were waging war, and my body was their battleground. The octopus used my shoulder, neck and head as its platform to launch a flurry of strikes at his macaroni and cheese opponent, who bounced on my breasts, squealing its delight.
When I had gone to sleep, I had been stretched out beside Rob, sharing our bed for the first time in a week and basking in the warmth of his presence.
Rob lounged near the edge of the bed, giving the two combatants space, his chin propped in the palm of his hand. The snorting came from him, emerging each time he aborted his laughter.
More squeals came from Colby, who bumped against Oliver while jiggling under the octopus’s paddling blows.
A tentacle brushed against my healing nose, and my shriek cut over their noises. Moments later, Analise and Marlene burst into the bedroom, both clutching handguns. They swept their weapons in search of a target.
Rob snorted again before his mirth got the better of him, and he dissolved into a fit of breathless giggles.
As she holstered her gun, Marlene sighed and shook her head. “Should I even ask?”
“It might be better if you don’t.” Rob snickered before clearing his throat in an attempt to restore his dignity. “Oliver’s hungry, Alexa.”
I struggled to extricate myself from the blankets without displaying my naked breasts to everyone. “Get off, both of you. Off!” I jammed my elbow beneath Colby and shoved, dislodging the dae and depositing it on Rob.
Oliver’s tentacles gripped my head while avoiding my eyes, nose and mouth, ensuring I’d need a crowbar to peel him off.
“We’ll be out in a moment,” Rob murmured, his smile bright and vibrant. “Give us a chance to get dressed.”
Both of the women sighed and left, closing the door behind them.
Rob leaned over and kissed my cheek, one of the few places my octopus wasn’t covering. “You’ll be glad to know Colby’s feeling better.”
“Good. I’m sorry you had to eat parts of a ship, Colby.”
“Not food.”
“Definitely not,” I agreed. “Have you had anything to eat?”
“Food, Mommy!”
“He devoured every scrap of food in the place, including Oliver’s breakfast. I asked Sullivan to appease the ravenous beasts by getting Oliver some breakfast and Colby a bag of apples.”
I groaned and debated between curling back up and going back to sleep or dealing with the reality of a hungry octopus waging war with my sentient macaroni and cheese.
Before I had a chance to decide, Rob got out of bed and headed for the closet, tossing a pair of jeans and a blouse in my general direction, along with a lingerie box. “Marlene brought the stuff she liberated from Mr. Smith’s property. I thought you’d like to see it. Get dressed, and I’ll see if Colby left us anything to drink.”
While Oliver refused to budge even when I insisted, he went with Rob willingly enough. Colby bounced on the bed while I dressed. I ached from head to toe in all the right ways, and sighing my contentment, I buttoned my shirt, straightened my sleeves, and wandered in the direction of the kitchen.
Sullivan was at the kitchen counter cutting a large fish into pieces. Rob lowered Oliver into his tank. The octopus adhered to the glass, the tips of its tentacles curling over the lip of the aquarium.
“You look like you’re wearing a mask,” the vampire said, grinning at me. “At least your nose isn’t crooked, right? Does it still hurt?”
“Unfortunately.”
“You don’t sound like you swallowed a bag of glass shards and rusty nails anymore, either.”
“That fish won’t poison Oliver, will it?”
“I wouldn’t poison him despite his enjoyment of spraying ink in my face.” Sullivan still had lingering dark splotches on his skin, but the vampire’s unsuccessful attempt to hide his smile reassured me he didn’t mean the octopus harm.
“Thanks for getting him breakfast.” I grabbed one of the chunks of fish, which was almost as large as Oliver, and carried it to his tank. The octopus gurgled and darted for the sandy bottom.
While I could have dumped the fish in, I lowered my hand into the water so the large chunk wouldn’t damage any of the colorful corals and seaweeds swaying in the artificial currents. Oliver snatched my offering and bolted to the other side of the aquarium.
“That octopus is going to kill himself if he keeps escaping from his tank. Don’t those things need to stay in the water?” Sullivan sighed, thunking his knife through the fish and into the cutting board. “You could have just kept him in a bucket. Did he really need such an outrageous house? I think it’s bigger than your bed, Rob.”
“Not quite. I’m okay with his aquarium being larger than my bed. That just means I have to get close and personal with Alexa every night. Maybe I should get us a smaller bed.”
“No.”
Oliver retreated with his breakfast into the coral-covered cave Rob had built for him. Bright blue movement drew my attention to the center of the tank, and my eyes widened when I realized there was something else in the water, which was coiled around a spike of pink coral.
“Rob, what’s in the tank with Oliver?” I pointed at the blue creature, which had a long muzzle like a hor
se and a mane of finned spines.
“She’s a seahorse.”
“She?”
“Her boyfriend is in there somewhere. He’s pretty shy, but I saw him last night for a few minutes. If they work out and you like them, I’ll find some new friends to add.” Rob crouched in front of the tank, his grin growing wider the longer he stared into the water.
“Can’t you teach your man to be a bit more moderate, Alexa? He’s obsessed with your octopus.”
“He saved her life.”
“So did you. Maybe Oliver kept her from breathing water, but you’re the one who got her back to shore. You weren’t exactly coherent, though.”
“I already told you I don’t remember much about it.” Rob rocked back on his heels, resting his hands on his knees.
A chorus of frustrated sighs answered the dae’s words. Marlene ran her hands through her hair, clacking her teeth together before saying, “Alexa, please tell him he’s being unreasonable. He’s feeling guilty you were left on your own despite him using every possible precaution to keep you safe.”
“She could have died.” The anger and dismay in Rob’s voice both worried and pleased me.
“I didn’t, Rob. It wasn’t your fault. If anything, the one at fault here is me for blowing up the boat.”
I was also at fault for refusing to harbor hope Rob hadn’t been killed, but I couldn’t force myself to tell him.
Marlene snorted. “The one to blame for everything is Kenneth Smith. He was the one who drugged you, Miss Daegberht. He was the one who attacked you and kidnapped Rob. He was also the one who was behind everything.”
“Not everything,” I corrected. “Don’t forget Arthur Hasling. Dean Lewis may be a culprit, too.”
Rob’s hands balled into fists. “As if I’d forget either one of them.”
“You might change your opinion when you see the information we found at Smith’s estate.” Marlene thumped her hand on the stack of papers on the kitchen counter. “He had become quite sloppy in recent days. I took the liberty of making copies before returning most of the originals to his estate so they could be found by the police. Some incriminating documents I kept to protect our interests.”