Completely exhausted mentally and physically, I give up on being awake and decide to go to sleep early. Having locked up my apartment for the night, I remain where I am, and fall into a restless sleep filled with dreams of motorcycles and warehouses that make no sense.
338
Hacker
“What now?” I growl at the knock on my office door. I’m at the strip club, Banshee’s Babes, going over the books for the second time, just to be safe, after receiving the bank statement showing a late deposit and loan payment. That shit’s not right, and I’ll prove it.
The door opens and a grinning X walks in and takes a seat in front of my desk, his foot propped on its corner like he owns the place. Cocky asshole.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” he snickers, knowing how much all this ‘numbers crap’ means to me. It’s just who I am and I’ll be damned if I let something slip by me.
“I’ve come up with nothing out of the ordinary,” I reply, filling him in on everything I’ve done to make sure the books are legit.
“So it has to be on the bank’s end,” he correctly concludes, brows scrunched and frowning just like I am. “Because you’re scarily good with money, man. No way you’d screw up something like a deposit or a payment. Hell, you even made money for the battalion when we were in boot camp,” he chuckles lightly. That’s where we met and have been friends since. Good times.
“Damn straight.” My leopard agrees and I have to fight back the hiss he wants to release. He’s as grumpy as I am. “I’m looking at all the bank employees at the moment. With any luck, that’ll turn up something.”
“You really think that’ll lead somewhere?”
Taking a deep breath, I release it and lean back in my chair and steeple my fingers, elbows on the armrest. “Never leave a stone unturned,” I reply. “What brings you here anyway, other than to piss me off?”
“Got a date tonight with a set of twins. Thought you might want to join us.” He wiggles his eyebrows mischievously, as if it would further entice me to join him. Them.
“Look, I don’t,” I begin to be cut off by his continued talking.
“Nothing but a little fun,” he elaborates. “They’re not expecting anything you’re not offering,” he raises his hands in the air for emphasis.
“How’d you manage that? Girls always see the cut and expect more than a good time.” It’s happened more than once to me, and I have no desire to deal with a stage ten clinger again.
“New in town. These are good girls,” he smirks devilishly and I sigh. There’s no telling what those two women were told.
“X,” I shake my head. “What have you done now?”
“Nothing.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Beats me. I never get into any trouble." He laughs loudly and I can’t help it and chuckle along. X always knows how to loosen me up when I’m stressed like this. He’s the only one who can prevent me from losing my head.
“Liar,” I reply and reign in my laughter. “Fine. What time?”
“We’ll leave here about seven. That work?” He swings his feet to the floor and stands.
“Yup.”
“Bet,” he nods and exits my office, the door slamming behind him.
What is it with everyone abusing my door?
“They seem to be hitting it off really well,” the twin I’m left with says as she watches her sister and X bump and grind to the club mix the bar has blasting through the speakers. Thankfully, they aren’t identical because the image of us being with the same person comes to mind and I want to vomit. Never been one to share, and I’m not going there now, no matter if it’s accurate or not.
“Looks that way,” I agree and take another sip of my beer. The beast within is pacing in half irritation and half boredom as I continue to sit with what’s her name out of politeness. X may be my best friend, but he seriously owes me big time for this shit.
Twin number two sidles closer to me and the stench from her oversprayed perfume has my stomach rolling and my leopard pissed off. This is bullshit. I’m outta here.
“I’ve got to take this,” I hold up a finger and pull my cell from my cut. Yeah, I’m the asshole faking a call from Pres. Pretty shitty move. Don’t care.
“Okay,” she smiles, the bright red lipstick she’s wearing turning me off even more.
“Yo,” I say into the silent receiver. Pretending to be irritated at my date being interrupted, I agree and ‘hang up’.
“Problem?” she frowns when I’m done.
“Yeah, club business calls. You good to stay or would you rather me find you a ride home?” She’s not riding on the back of my bike. Twin looks at her sister and X then back to me.
“I’ll be fine,” she smiles weakly.
“See ya,” I nod and in a dick move, then throw some bills on the table to cover my part of the tab, and never once look back as I leave.
339
Larken
"You know how to stop all of this," She, me feline half, reminds me as we finish putting on our makeup. "Staying in this town where everyone knows all your business is only going to end badly.”
She's absolutely right, more than aware of what my mother can be like when she's determined to accomplish something. Don't get me wrong, though. I know Mother loves each one of us kits, but when I hit puberty her maternal need to care for me went into overdrive. It's smothering how she's constantly worrying about every single little thing I say or do. If someone didn't know me better, they'd think I was
