Page 81 of Underground Prince

“No, I—I just don’t think I can tonight, is all. I need a break.”

“Hmm.” Verily removed her hand and crossed her arms in front of her. “Is this about last night?”

Lila apprised Verily and everyone else about our impromptu smoke run. Jamal and Erin laughed, making fun of our Law & Order reaction to something as benign as restocking bar inventory, and Noah reacted with a sideways smile, commenting on my creativity and that he’d forgotten how far my late night heebie-jeebies could wander. It was Verily who stood aside, listening to every word but remaining straight-faced, but it wasn’t difficult to see the cogs turning in her head. Lila and I demanded we leave the premises immediately. And when we did, we didn’t cross paths with Trace on our way out.

“It’s kind of about last night,” I said, picking at the paint around the doorjamb.

“Understandable,” she said. “You haven’t met the rest of the Saxon breed before.”

“You have?”

“Not exactly. Heard some stuff, though.” She relaxed her arms. “I’m happy to make my money and leave. I don’t need to know the inner workings of their bloodline.”

“Or want to.”

She paused. “Sort of like when you go to a circus, you know? You don’t want to know what happens to those animals behind the scenes so you pretend it’s not a part of the entertainment.” When I didn’t respond, she continued, quieter now, “It’s not right, but it’s what I have to do to continue. But if something happens, if you witness something you can’t unsee, like ‘coffee’ being delivered, then I understand.” A few seconds of silence passed before she said, her hand on my arm, “If you want out, I’ll get you out.”

“I just need a night off,” I said, attempting to make light of it, unprepared for Verily’s willingness to let me walk away. It was an opening I hadn’t considered. “I’ll be back working this week. Promise.”

“Scar…”

“Promise,” I repeated, then said with surprising firmness, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay.” Her surrender came out as more of a sigh than voice. “I’ll take the shift, then. See you at the pub?”

“Yep. I’ll be less of a monster, too.” I dug my fingers into my hair, giving my scalp a scratch.

“No way, I like the hair-tentacles you got goin’ on. Makes you look like some kind of…rainbow mermaid Medusa washed ashore.”

“Your morning compliments are the only reason I can face the day.”

She blew me a kiss, hiking her satchel higher on her shoulder and trotting down the hallway. “See you soon, buddy.”

Scrubbing my face with my hands, I went to shower, pretty sure that a hot spray and clean, citrus scent would help slough off the clinging remnants of the night and I’d be able to approach this day like any other.

I turned the tap on hot and stripped, the water scalding my hands and arms first as I stepped in and eliciting a gasp as it hit my chest. But it had the expected effect once I was fully immersed, and I let the spray do its job, heating me from the outside in, the cobwebs of the dream disintegrating into the steam.

The buzzer sounded through the open bathroom door and I startled. I debated leaving it, figuring it was a delivery man. But I’d been in here, languishing under the spray and away from obligations, for ages. Maybe it was Verily, forgetting her keys. Or Noah, looking for Verily…

I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body, and went to the door.

“Yes?” I said once I’d pushed the call button.

Nothing but static.

“Great,” I mumbled. “Getting me out of my tropical paradise for noth—”

Bam bam bam.

I shrieked, stumbling away from my front door, which was shaking from the force of the pounds. I hovered near the peephole. How many surprises were going to get me today? How many damn lives did I have left?

Once I saw who it was, my shoulders sagged, and I tapped my fingers against the wood as I ran through the scenarios on what I could do to start this day—or no, scratch that, this weekend—all over.

“Shit,” I said, stepping back.

Theo stood on the other side.

* * *

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