“When you get your own ultra-secret warehouse full of cool gear, you can organize it however you want, but as long as you’re gonna party with me in my warehouses, we use my filing system.” She wagged her finger. “And no weird cubicle apartments here. This place is just for business, not for you to… Peytonize.”
He laughed and moved down the shelves, setting the equipment down. “I’m glad you’re letting me in more and trusting me.”
“We have an awkward understanding. Besides, my only real choices are to trust you or blow your brains out and moving a headless body by yourself sucks.” Shay glanced up at him with a sly smile. “These are the jokes.”
Peyton blinked and nodded slowly. “I recognize your flirting is kind of edgy… Takes dark humor to a different level. Good news… you’ll get both your warehouses back soon and we can turn Warehouse Two back into a place decorating dreams go to die.”
“Funny. Where are you going?” Shay sat up, her full attention suddenly drawn into the conversation.
“Stand down. I’m moving to an actual apartment soon instead of the warehouse. If we work together to pick a place and we both set it up, we can make sure it’s secure. Then I won’t feel so much like some twisted hermit.”
“Hermits lived in the woods. Not in air-conditioned warehouses abusing Amazon Prime.”
“Might as well be the woods far, far away from any fun.”
“I can see that this is going to be a give and take relationship until death do us part.”
“Look at you with the humor again.”
Shay let out a laugh, even as she grew serious. “I know you’re going to do it whether I help you or not.”
Peyton slapped his hand over his heart. “You get me.”
Shay did a slow roundhouse and kicked him hard enough with the top of her foot to jolt him forward. Peyton stumbled, catching himself. Shay lunged, bending one of his arms behind his back and squeezing him against the shelves.
“If this is foreplay, I’m not into MILFs.” He squeezed out the words, his face pressed so tight, one eye was shut.
“I’m not a mother.”
“You’re a motherfucker…Argghh…you’re squeezing my face!”
Shay let out a whoop of laughter and let him go, her blood finally flowing faster. Almost as good as a workout.
Peyton stepped back from the shelves, rubbing his face. “You’re not getting a key to my place. Yes, I know you can break in faster than most people can turn a key. It’s the principle of the thing.”
“Just for fun, leave a few traps for me.”
“I thought that was a given. Early warning, one of them will involve flames and not the magical kind. Ouch! Too soon? Go play with your buddies who like to get punched by you. Leave me to reorganizing this place.” He looked at the smile on Shay’s face. “If I didn’t know better I’d say that the thought of mutual destruction was actually helping your mood. Little death on the table is your happy place.”
“Doesn’t hurt that we scored our little feathered friend.”
Shay looked at the round metal side table sitting near the shelves. Normally, she used the table to fieldstrip weapons, but the golden owl sat on it now, gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights of the warehouse. Even though the job went smoother than any other raid, the experience left her unsettled. Open questions always bothered her.
“You honestly have no idea what the owl might do?” Shay asked. “I thought I wouldn’t care, but the more I think about some of the other guys who died… Did any of them die after they had the owl?”
Peyton looked over his shoulder. “All the more reason to deliver it sooner rather than later and collect our payday. You’ve already proven it’s magical, but there has to be more to it than weird curses on people going after it.” He rubbed his neck. “But that might not even be from the owl.”
“Tell me your theory.”
“It was stolen, right? It’s possible someone enchanted it later. Stored magic in it, turning it into an artifact.”
“Anything interesting you can find? Any links to Oriceran?”
Peyton shook his head. “Not yet, but I’ll keep digging.”
“I have a feeling I’m gonna be kicking myself when I find out I can make an immortality potion out of it, but a deal’s a deal. The last thing the great Goddess of Truth needs to be known for is stealing artifacts she was hired to collect.”
A smirk appeared on Peyton’s face. Shay resisted the urge to throw something at him.
“You got something to say?”
“It’s just interesting. You have limits. Your own version of ethics.”
“Did you really think I was a soulless bitch?” The smile was gone from her face. Her need to protect was still close at hand.
“Not entirely... I mean one minute you’re threatening to blow a hole through my forehead, and the next you’re worried about people not trusting your word.”
“You gave me good reason and business is business.” Shay could feel her armor coming back over her. This was going to take time. “Just because I used to kill people for a living doesn’t mean I have no code, no standards.
“And we’re back at awkward. Truth is we don’t know each other very well. Not yet, but we may, given time.” Peyton risked a smile, hoping to break the tension.
Shay picked up the owl, letting the moment pass. Don’t push it. “We’ll get that delivered to the client’s contact later tonight.”
“You locked this one down quickly. I’m waiting till after delivery to put the word out. When I do, it’ll be really good for our reputation. It shows you’re not afraid of a few curses or dead bodies. List it under specialties.”
Shay cradled the owl to her chest, impressed with its heft. “I can’t tell if that’s really a thing on the site.”
“It is if you know how to post it. What
