Page 47 of Shades of Silver City

“Ah, Tasia. You are forgetting the small fact that you can see him.” I rub my forehead. “All bets are off. Normally, humans can’t see the Reaper in his death-form. You seeing him puts you at risk.”

He uses a glamour to hide himself, so—considering she’s immune to mine—I’m not exactly surprised he’s visible to her. I can’t imagine that a reaper fae with his notoriety would take kindly to a human watching him siphoning off souls.

“Are you sure that’s not just your excuse to keep kidnapping me?” she asks with a sly smile. This time, her voice holds a teasing tone rather than its earlier animosity.

My heart picks up its pace. Is she flirting with me?

Unsure of how to respond, I simply say, “Quite frankly, no.”

She snorts. “But you think this will make me want to work for you…”

“Not exactly. I think it will, however, keep your stubborn self alive.” I squint at her. “And I think you’ll want to work with me sooner than later.”

I open my mouth to tell her about the wanted photos right as her phone buzzes. She yanks it out, glancing at it.

“Nice,” she says, grinning. “I’ve got service down here. I’m getting the hell out of this place.”

Her eyes skim the screen, and slowly her smile fades. Her face goes dark. She tilts her head up to look at me.

“Please,” she says, “explain to me why my boyfriend thinks I’m cheating on him with, and I quote, ‘some broody, blond asshole with too much ego, leather, and stupid finger tattoos’?”

I’m debating how I want to answer when Tasia bursts out laughing. Slowly, her eyes roam my body, her smile growing. When her gaze meets mine, a charged energy passes between us. Her laughter subsides, but the amusement lingers.

I raise a brow. “You find this humorous?”

Once again, her reaction is surprising.

“It’s the whole all-black leather vibe you have going on.” She gestures toward me. “It’s way too hot.”

My cheeks heat at the unexpected compliment. I glance down at my fitted pants, boots, and leather jacket. My typical uniform.

“Thank you,” I say, biting back a grin.

“No.” She snorts. “I mean, it’s as hot as Satan’s balls, and you’re wearing that.” She cocks a brow. “But yes, it’s also hot in the other way, too.”

This time, I can’t fight the smile that forces its way onto my lips.

We hold eye contact for a beat, neither of us speaking. The intensity in her coy, pale-blue eyes sends heat through my spine, and it’s almost too much. The air between us grows thick and heavy.

She breaks eye contact first, and even in the dim light, I notice the pink dusting her cheeks.

It’s adorable.

I lean back against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest, and try to appear unaffected.

“I went looking for you at home before I stopped at The Rising Star,” I say.

She glances at her phone again, and her brow pinches.

“Reed was with Alisha, wasn’t he?” Her face falls. “The really pretty girl with the big boobs and curly hair?”

My jaw tightens, and I nod.

She sighs, looking back down at her phone and angrily punching out a message. My gut tightens. I expect her to start crying or yelling, to let out some sort of emotion, but she simply shakes her head.

“So, when can I start?” she asks after a beat.

“What?”

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