Page 3 of Run From Me

I really shouldn’t give this whole Calliope thing any more thought. It was her request, not mine. I just wanted the deets on a dead guy.

Hot as she was, I wasn’t even sure I wanted that brand of crazy. I wasn’t sure her brand was the kind I’d be walking away from unscathed.

“Xander? Slow down a bit, dear. You’ve been awfully quiet. Whatever is going on in that head of yours, you better always stop by and keep me updated. Without Rylee next door, I’m afraid no one will be stalking me for a bit.”

I laughed.

“Ah, come on, Winnie. You know we always stalk you for food. Fuck, if I have to cook breakfast—” She slapped me. “Ouch. I swear you never grow old. That was quite the punch.”

“You watch your mouth. I didn’t raise you three with words like that. Go kill someone, but don’t you dare swear in front of me,” she said and chuckled.

I came to a stop outside her building and got out. Cas would kill me if I let her walk herself to her door. The security around here had been increased and improved. There were two guards placed inside the shop now too, just in case. Maybe Winnie wasn’t exactly in danger anymore, but it would still break us if we lost her.

“Well, I hope whoever you are waiting for gets back to you soon. Enjoy your night, Xander. I love you like a grandson. Don’t ever forget that,” Winnie said before, hugging me like no one had ever done except her. I suppose if I didn’t get a good family, at least I got her and the Spectors.

“Thanks, Miss Winnie. Love you too.”

Once her door was securely locked, and I knew it was because I yanked on it myself, I headed back to my car. All this shit with Rylee was really starting to dig up some shit memories from back then, and I didn’t like it. I needed to focus on the here and now.

Problem was, the Spectors weren’t really the only shadows in my present or my past. I had demons, and I’d spent years trying to drown them.

My phone beeped.

Zeid.

I needed to get to the reception before he started to think I’d been picked off. But first? I had a rainbow-haired coroner to go check in on. I always kept my promises.

TWO

calliope

The music blaringin my headphones helped me ignore the quiet of the morgue. I spent more time here alone than I was legally supposed to, I’m sure. Oh well. What else did I have to do?

This was just another double shift. Anything to keep me distracted from my own life by seeing how others ended.

I shook my head and tried to focus. Poor asshole on the table had a heart attack. Really, nothing exciting. But at least he didn’t have to worry about how much worse life could get. And it could get so much worse. Maybe that was the allure to this job? Someone else was having a much worse day than I was having. Which really said something.

My lungs ached for a deep breath, but I’d have to wait when the scent of bleach overpowered the scent of death.

“Alright.” I looked down at his paperwork. “Mr. Johnson. I rule you a natural death. I’m not sure that’s how you wanted to go out.”

The last stitch was in place, so now I could just push his ass back into the fridge and wait for the mortuary to come get him.

“At least it was peaceful. Bye, Mr. Johnson, see you on the other side.”

The door clicked shut with a small coax of my hand.

Now I had to send a damn text. What the hell made me think asking Xander would be a good idea? I’d been to several Spector run clubs and nothing had ever happened. Rylee wouldn’t allow it. It was all the damn fumes going straight to my last few brain cells.

First things first. I needed to wash my hands. Latex gloves were fine, but it was the only other smell that could make me vomit anymore. I hated the odor they left on my skin, even if it was supposed to be better than dead guy smell.

The water splashed in the metal sink, sprinkling over my lab coat as I poured on the soap and scrubbed like I could rid myself of the smell any more than I could rid myself of the Vipers that stalked my every move.

There. That was why I’d asked Xander. I wanted to be free to make at least one damn choice they couldn’t do a damn thing about.

My heart jumped at the squeak of the morgue door. Xander. It had to be. I threw on a smile, but actually, it wasn’t all that hard to smile for him. Big, scary man with the most unreal green eyes. I’d tried not to notice over the trash and dead bodies a few weeks back, but he was impossible to ignore.

“Hey—”

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