Savage was the last to walk out. With a hand on the doorknob, he stopped and said, “You need me?”
Realizing that his input might be a good idea, I nodded.
He pushed the door shut and plopped his large frame down into a seat. “What the fuck is going on, Axel?”
“I met someone.”
No matter how long I hung out with these men, I’d always be a little nervous when asking them for favors. Just like my actual siblings, whom I hadn’t seen in years, I looked up to them. Hell, I idolized them, especially those two. Shit didn’t stop them. When either man wanted something, he claimed it—property or women. It didn’t matter to them.
Before Liam uttered a word, Savage jumped in. “This meeting is about a woman?” He waggled his bushy eyebrows and let out a low whistle. “Somebody’s finally getting some ass.”
The ghost of a smile crossed Liam’s face. “So what’s the damned problem?”
I exhaled loudly. “She’s a Japanese death spirit, and Death wants her for his wife.”
Savage snorted. “That pencil-dick fucker wouldn’t know the first thing to do with one.”
Liam looked at his friend as he rubbed a hand over his jaw. He adjusted his shades and said, “First, you need to stop telling shit to Gunner. That fucker told me about this shit before tonight’s church.”
Duly noted. I’d heard rumors that Oscar was worse than a female, but I was never one to believe random gossip. In the future, I needed to do a better job at listening to the idle chit-chat that surfaced apart from the darknet.
“Second,” started Savage, “what the hell do you think we can do? We don’t work for Death.”
“But there are some demons that know him,” Liam pointed out.
“Maybe,” Savage agreed. “Think they’d help?”
Liam scowled. “Couldn’t hurt to find out.”
My gaze bounced from one end of the table to the other. The back and forth between the two hellhounds gave me a headache. I had the profound feeling that discussing my business—Pandora’s business—with them was a huge mistake. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take shit back.
“If I were you,” Liam said, “I’d be pissed as fuck.”
“Yeah, I am.” Keeping my gaze down, I laid my hand flat on the table and traced the inlaid wooden pattern with my fingers. Glancing up, I said, “I want a goddamned meeting with Death.”
Savage and Liam exchanged a look right before they burst out laughing.
“You’re kidding, right?” said Savage, wiping at his eyes. “Nobody has a meeting with fucking Death and lives to talk about it.”
Liam did a better job at regaining his composure. When our eyes met, he cleared his throat while Savage fought back his laughter.
Pirate said, “Listen, you’re our brother, Axel. We want nothing but your happiness, so I tell you what we’re gonna do. We’ll ask around. See if there’s any way to get word to Death. If it can be done and he agrees, you’ll meet with him here. Understood?”
“Yeah.”
“But tell me this. What do you plan on doing if the asshole won’t give up on your lady? We got enough shit going on in town. We don’t need the Court coming down on us ’bout this situation.” Liam paused for a beat, letting the words sink in.
Savage concurred with a grunt.
“We can’t afford any missteps, Monte. Trust me—if we create havoc, the Court will chew our asses up and possibly kick out the MC,” Liam said. “Ain’t happening. Got it?”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought hard enough about my demand, but there was one thing I was sure of. When it came to Pandora, I’d stand up for her—no matter what. She was important to me.
“I’m prepared to do whatever it takes,” I affirmed.
Savage snorted again. “Aw, man. We’d better take your goddamned measurements while you’re here. Get that pine box ready.”
Despite his demeanor, I knew the hellhound only had my best interests at heart. They both did. Hopefully, nobody was going out in a damned box. I had a lot of living to make up for. Dying didn’t fit into the equation.
I pushed to my feet, bobbed my head, and walked to the exit with the sound of Savage and Liam’s conversation following me down the hall.
Night had fallen by the time I stepped into the parking lot. I pulled my jacket closed and looked up into the dark sky before glancing over at my bike. As expected, Hunter waited for me. I shook my head and strolled over to him with a smile on my face.
“I thought I said I’d call you.”
“You know me.” He grinned. “I don’t wait for shit.” Hunter lightly punched my arm. “What’s going on, man?”
“You in a hurry to get home?” Truthfully, I wanted to get back to Pandora, but wrapping up that business took precedence over my desire.
“Naw. Izzie’s working late tonight. Let’s head over to the Haven.”
* * *
The Haven Saloon, owned by Bent Brent, was the only place in town where you could get drunk and high at the same time, thanks to him smoking weed behind the counter. We entered the bar, and Brent—surrounded by thick smoke—waved to us as he lifted a joint to his lips. For a moment, I wondered how many brain cells he destroyed on a daily basis.
Hunter and I grabbed a corner booth. Within minutes, Brent ambled over to us with a couple of beers. “The usual, right?”
Grateful to be a creature of habit, I reached for the frosty bottle. “Thanks, Brent.”
As soon as he walked away, Hunter asked, “So what happened after I left?”
“Asked Liam and Savage for a favor.” I turned up the beer and stared at my friend.
“No shit?” He took a deep swig. “Anything to do with the female you’ve been keeping time with?”
“Yeah,” I said, lowering the bottle. “Pandora’s in a bad situation with Death.”
Hunter’s eyes bulged. “The head reaper?”
“Yeah. I asked Liam to set up a meeting with him.”
Hunter spat out his beer. “What the fuck? Have you lost your damned mind?”
“Not hardly, but I’m not ready to give up Pandora just because a couple of beings with splinters shoved up their asses are using her like a game piece.”
Hunter coughed, still trying to clear his voice, but it came out husky. “Okay. When is this meeting? I’m going with you.”
“It’s not like you—”
His green eyes darkened. “I’m not letting you do this alone. We’re brothers. We’ve been through a lot of shit together, and I’m not bowing out now.”
Truth be told, if it weren’t for Hunter, I would have never survived Lianne’s death. Before that tragic event, he helped me find myself in a town full of strangers. Without Hunter in my life, I’d probably be a fucking geek working a nine to five. Deep down, I was glad for his support.
“Okay, we’ll do it together, but I have to wait on Liam. He’s going to ask around and try to set something up.”
My friend’s mouth opened and closed but nothing came forth. Instead, he shook his head and returned to his drink.
“You think I’m crazy?” I pulled at the gold label on the bottle. Honestly, if Hunter wasn’t questioning my sanity, I was. No sane person volunteered to meet with Death.
“Not exactly the word I’d use.” He took another pull from the bottle, then said, “This woman makes you happy.”
It wasn’t a question. Just a statement of fact. Something I wouldn’t deny.
“Monte, if she’s really important to you, then you need to do whatever it takes to hang onto her. You can’t afford to go fucking backward. Know what I mean?”
I nodded, but my friend had more to say.
“Before Pandora, you were as predictable as a fucking clock. Now, nobody knows what you’re doing or when you’ll show up.” He glanced at me with a crooked grin. “Don’t get me wrong. That’s a good thing. Only fuckers without lives are that reliable.”
A nervous flutter hit my gut. “What are you saying?”
“Only
that you deserve Pandora, even if I don’t approve of what you’re willing to do for her.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You’re in for a serious battle. I don’t know what I’ll do if you lose.”
“That makes two of us.”
Hunter’s words stayed with me on the ride home. Getting into an altercation with a supreme entity wasn’t the wisest thing I’d ever done. After hacking into the FBI’s computers, I swore I’d make better choices. Lianne’s death made keeping that vow possible. But with Pandora . . . I guess when it came to matters of the heart, wisdom took a back seat.
Chapter 12
Pandora
After spilling all that I knew to Addie, she seemed to be at a loss for words, like she didn’t believe me, but I hadn’t lied about the risk. At any minute, Death could enter Havenwood Falls and claim me. Provided Izanami didn’t break her own vow never to leave Yomi. I could very well hasten a supernatural apocalypse in the quaint town.
“Maybe Death can be reasoned with? You know, maybe if your employer sees that you’re happy . . .” Addie’s voice trailed off.
Was she kidding? Reason with Death and Izanami? “Have you ever dealt with an immortal entity?”
Addie lifted an eyebrow.
Unsure whether I’d offended her, I blurted out, “I’m sorry. I assumed you—”
She lifted her palm. “It’s nothing I’m at liberty to discuss. Just trust me when I say that I’m experienced in that department.”
I held my tongue. News of the Collector had reached the shadow realm. The details of that event were sketchy, and it wasn’t my place to ask about them. Besides, it was best not to divulge what I knew to Addie. The supes in Havenwood Falls probably thought no one else knew what had happened. Sadly, entities in high and low places were well aware of the Collector.
Addie pushed to her feet. “I’m trusting that it will all work out, but should there be any problems . . .”
I didn’t share her optimism. “I’ll be sure to reach out to you. Thanks for listening.”
“Any time.”
I watched her leave before making my own exit. Instead of returning to Monte’s house, I went up to my room, determined to get some answers for myself. Toshi, the death spirit dying to get into my panties, picked up on the first ring.
“I was wondering how long it would take you to call, Takara,” he uttered.
A hint of sensuousness slipped into his voice, and I had to choke back the bile. “You know I go by Pandora. Please refrain from—”
He laughed heartily.
“I fail to see what’s so damned funny.” Did I mention how much I disliked him?
“Takara-chan, you’re far too serious. I suspect that’s why you’re in a world of trouble.”
Kicking off my shoes, I plopped down on the bed. I hated how Toshi took the liberty of using my given name, but to use it affectionately was even worse. I had a choice—get the information I needed or dwell on how he referred to me.
“What do you know?”
“That our boss is very disappointed with you. And Death is beyond upset. He expected to be married to you by now.”
Not news. I needed more. “Never mind that, Toshi. What did Izanami tell you about shinigami?”
“Be specific, Takara-chan. Our boss has told me many, many things.”
I tapped my fingers against my thigh as the words rushed from my mouth. “Our rules, Toshi. What do you know about them?”
“They’re different, depending on what group you belong to. The escorts who were created on the day you were formed must remain pure outside of their assignments.”
Pure? Perhaps that was what Madame Death meant when she said that emotions distracted us.
My neck stiffened. “What about those not created with me? What rules do they follow?”
“We’re free to do whatever we please as long as we remain loyal to Madame. Remember, I’m not an escort.”
“I don’t follow,” I admitted.
“Very well, Takara-chan, I shall educate you.”
Toshi, a traditional spirit who had retired from active duty, spent the next minutes explaining to me that Madame created shinigami in clusters. Most were made to fulfill the traditional purpose—inviting humans to death. They were scary spirits who claimed lives on a daily basis. The escorts were meant to gently guide souls. But it was all an experiment. Madame was pitting the two classes against each other. If escorts did a better—more efficient—job of guiding humans to the afterlife, she’d cease creating the traditional shinigami. It was why the latter type worked harder and harder these days.
Hearing the truth behind my existence angered me. I held my phone tightly until I heard a slight crack and then eased up on my grip. “What about the pact between Izanami and Death?”
There was a great chance that Madame didn’t share everything with a lowly assistant.
“Ahhh . . . that . . .” I thought Toshi wasn’t going to tell me what he knew, but then he said, “Every hundred years, she creates the perfect escort.”
“Perfect how?” I folded my legs beneath me.
“An escort that would appeal to Death. One formed with a heart but no soul.”
Good thing I wasn’t standing. My vision blurred as I drew in a deep breath. Panic swelled inside of me as my breath snagged on something within my chest. I couldn’t speak.
“Takara? Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m here.” I pushed down the growing anxiety. “Wouldn’t this escort know if he or she had a heart?”
“Under everyday circumstances? No.”
He meant while in service. As long as that escort did his or her duties as instructed, nothing unusual would be noticed.
“Takara-chan, I think you already know the answer you seek. I know for a fact that you discovered your heart years ago with the dream.”
The anxiety became a ball in my gut. “How?”
“It’s why Izanami was so upset. The more you mentioned it, the angrier she became. I walked in on her one day during a rant. She let it slip that you were never supposed to have that dream. It irked her that some goddess—or god—intervened in her plans.”
A deity intervened on my behalf?
Toshi’s revelation didn’t sit well with me, but I had to know more. “Tell me about my heart.”
“I can’t tell you what you want to know. I can tell you that the closer you came to discovering the man from your dream, the stronger your heartbeat grew. It’s why you left Yomi. I realized the truth as soon as I heard you were gone. Madame knows too.”
It explained why she wanted me to ignore my dream. She didn’t want me to learn any of what Toshi said. “Was I supposed to find out these things?”
“Your heart would have been revealed when you met the one meant for you. Despite the arrangement, Death isn’t the one for you.”
“Stop speaking in riddles!”
“I’m surprised you don’t know this. Death was there on the day of your creation. He told Izanami she had failed to fulfill their bargain and demanded that the next shinigami pulled from the ether would belong to him.”
“Me.”
“Give the death spirit her prize,” Toshi said smugly before he paused for a moment. “Takara-chan, you should return to Yomi. Apologize to Izanami, and then take your place beside Death.”
“No,” I protested. “You said he wasn’t meant—”
Toshi chuckled. “What I say does not matter. We all exist according to Izanami’s dictates. If you don’t honor the pact, someone else will be chosen. Madame will return you to the shadows.”
Thank you, but no thanks. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Suit yourself.”
After disconnecting, I tossed my phone on the bed and lay back, trying to wrap my head around Toshi’s words. Death and Izanami had no business creating death spirits for their own twisted purposes. Since they didn’t serve the same world, I didn’t understand their motivation. Death overstepped his bou
ndaries by crossing over into the shadow realm. Why couldn’t he choose a paramour from the many souls who were escorted into the afterlife? Why me?
Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text message.
Death: Hello, Takara. I wanted you to know that I’ll be in Havenwood Falls midnight tomorrow. I’ve been exceedingly patient with you, but I will wait no more. I will not leave without you by my side.
I stared at the screen, wondering if I should reply. Honestly, what would be the point? If anything, he might show up sooner. Instead, I tucked the phone into my pocket and put on my shoes. There was someplace else I desperately needed to be.
* * *
It was a crisp night, but the breeze was refreshing. I pulled up the collar on my jacket and sank my hands into my pockets as I sat on Monte’s front steps. It was the first time that I really noticed the chill, but my mind was too occupied to care.
I had a heart.
That was why I always felt a strange tug when I got to know my marks. Hope often teased that I was overthinking my job.
I had a heart.
It was the reason why I sometimes felt sadness after an assignment. Unlike other death spirits, I lingered between realms and watched a departing soul. Because . . .
I had a heart.
Its presence clarified the chemistry between Monte and me. It was more than a physical attraction. When we first kissed, I felt the spark—like I’d found something I didn’t know was lost.
I. Had. A. Heart.
And it beat for him.
Having a heart meant I had something else—something more relevant. It was a theory worth testing.
Monte wore a jade jaguar’s head on a strip of leather around his neck. I assumed it represented his inner beast. He never explained what else it symbolized, but I had an idea. Closing my eyes, I held out my palm and imagined a similar piece of jewelry in the form of a skull. I wrapped my hand around the pendant briefly before slipping it into my pocket. Deep down, I suspected that Toshi may have lied about one thing. If he did, I’d soon have proof.
“Hey,” Monte said, snagging my attention.
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