A quick sharp pain comes from my scalp and then he pulls his hand back with a piece of my hair in it. The ends of my black hair blend in with the shadows. "There, problem solved. Now I have a piece of the crystal."
No, that can't be true. Is it possible my hair or other pieces of me could be used as the artifact? I hadn't even considered that before right now. And if it's true, we're screwed.
"So, now you better run and figure out a way to get the flame if you want to save Becca in time." He reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a wallet. He grabs a wad of cash and throws it on the table. "With the rate her soul is getting fractured, you probably don't have much time." He stands and saunters out the door, the shadows following him.
What the hell just happened? I reach over and grab the money, counting it.
Holy shit, he left me over four thousand dollars. That's enough to fix the transmission and the water thingy.
Now the only question is why did he show up now? And why take my hair?
3
Five o'clock rolls around and Shirley makes it on time for once. I'm kind of surprised, but she breezes into the kitchen and puts on her apron.
I've been stressing ever since Damien, and it's time just to put all this to bed. Him showing up here changes everything. He's not going to leave me alone, and he's gearing up to play me again. I've been down this road several times and it never ends well. I've tried handling this alone, and it never ends in my favor. I need to go back home since staying away isn't protecting them. I need people on my side and ones I can count on.
This is going to be fun telling Jeb I quit. He's going to flip his lid, but the faster I get home, the better. I walk to his office and find the door already open so I knock on it.
He startles at the sound I make and turns toward me. "What the hell? You're going to give me a heart attack."
If only he was so lucky. "Hey, sorry. I was about to head out and wanted to talk to you first."
"Oh, yeah." He clears his throat and turns his chair towards me so he's facing my direction. "You're coming right back so you'll be back in like thirty minutes?"
"Uh... about that." Shit, why do I hate telling him this? It's not like I've been here long or anything. But damn, I hate disappointing him or putting him in a bind. "Something came up, and I need to go home."
"Oh, are you feeling okay?" His eyebrows furrow together, and he leans forward.
"Yeah, I feel fine." Shit he thinks I mean the hotel. I lean against the door and bite my bottom lip. "I mean my real home."
His face drops, and he clears his throat. "Dammit. I knew this would happen. All the good workers don't hang around too long."
My heart drops. I expected anger not this. "I'm sorry. Something came up at home and I need to get back there as fast as possible."
"Yeah, well if you walk out, I won't be able to pay you for your hours until payday." He crosses his arms and lifts his chin.
"That's fine. Don't worry about paying me at all. Think of it as an I'm sorry." I don’t want to drag this out any longer than it has to be. I’ve got the money I need to get out of here. Granted I hate that it came from the demon, but at this point I'm not going to be choosy.
"Well, I...." His hands drop into his lap and his mouth opens. "Okay then." He blinks a couple of times and seems to be at a loss for words.
"Thank you for taking a chance on me." I turn around and head to the front. I need to get out of here and back home.
Shirley is at the drink station when I turn the corner. The diner is pretty full, but I can't help that. She's worked here for years, so she'll be able to manage it. "Hey, umm... I hate to do this to you, but I got a call from home and need to go back."
"Oh no. Is everything okay?" She takes a step towards me and touches her neck.
That's the question of the hour. "I don't know, that's why I have to go." I glance around the diner taking in the people. "I'm sorry to leave you like this, I wouldn't if it weren't urgent."
"Girl, don't worry about that at all. Family comes first." She gives me a small grin and touches my arm.
Well at least she took that better than I expected. "Thanks." Not sure what else to say, I head to the door and walk outside. It's now a little after five so I need to haul ass before the jerk closes shop.
I rush down the street passing by a few small shops; down at the end of the road is his car shop. I walk into the the storefront. The smell of oil and grease hit me hard.
There is a section of chairs to my right that appears to be a little waiting area and a desk with a little bell on it. I step up and hit the bell which causes a loud ringing sound to echo through the small office.
A few moments later, Alex walks out the back wiping off his hands with what once was a white towel. He frowns when his eyes meet mine. "Oh, hey. You made it."
Well this is a big change from earlier today. "I told you I'd be here. I
