Page 16 of Spooks & Specters

He wasn’t wrong. He had no idea how much danger he was in right that second. She had to give him credit though—he had balls.

“My bros? They dead?”

Apparently, he also had his own fair share of audacity. Brave, brave human. “Do you really want to know?”

“Not really. It don’t matter.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You rich. You got class too. And Jesus fuck, I don’t want to die on the streets. I want to work for you. I can run errands. Get dry cleaning. Clean your vehicle. Go get fuckin’ coffee. Stab someone.”

“Are you serious?” Never in a hundred years did she think she’d be having a conversation like this. The boy had almost been her dinner, and now here he was trying to maneuver his way into a job.

Not only did he have more audacity than any one person should, he had balls the size of coconuts. She approved.

“So, you want to work for me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I like manners. What’s your name?”

“Jamail. Jamail Rodriguez.”

“Well, Jamail, I can do my own stabbing, thank you.” She glanced down at her side. “Although one of your bros got a lucky shot at me.”

Jamail’s eyes widened. “They got you? Yo, you okay? You need the hospital?”

Isadora eyed him, then inhaled subtly. Huh. He actually was a tad bit concerned. Go figure. And scared. The boy was scared down to his toes. Again, smart. The very fact that he was standing here was impressive.

The one scent she didn’t pick up was arousal.

He was in no form or fashion attracted to her. Which, all things considered, made sense. Frankly, she was glad he wasn’t. If he was serious, and she was really going to do this, she didn’t shit where she worked.

“No, I don’t need a hospital. I heal incredibly fast. In fact, the wound is closed and healing. By later on this evening, all that will be left will be a faint pink line and some bruising. Nothing left by morning. It’s damn near impossible to kill my kind.”

Jamail swallowed. “Your kind.”

“Yes. My kind.” Isadora almost felt sorry for him. The poor kid was sweating buckets. Yet, here he stood in front of her.

Jamail closed his eyes and then snapped them open again, almost as if he was afraid to take his eyes off her. Little did he know that if she wanted him dead, no amount of precautions would save him.

“Yes, my kind. Are you going to ask, or do you want to guess? Although I can guarantee you won’t guess what I am in a million years.”

“I… I…. Shit.” Jamail suddenly stood tall. “It don’t matter none. I still wanna work for you.”

Isadora inhaled again. She couldn’t detect any deceit in his scent. It was astonishing. He was actually winning her over.

“Last chance, human. If you turn around and walk out of here, I’ll let you leave. I won’t pursue you, and if you’re lucky, you’ll never see me again. But if I take you into my employment, the only way out will be death.”

Jamail gulped. “Gang life ain’t no different.”

“Oddly enough, working for me would be a lot like being in a gang. I will demand your loyalty. Betray me? You will die hideously. Are you sure you want to be a part of my world?” Look at her giving him yet another way out. Since when was she so sentimental?

“Yes, ma’am. You scare the livin’ shit outta me, but—I don’t know—you don’t seem cruel.”

“Oh, sweetie, I can be to those who deserve it. So, a word of advice? If you’re going to do this, don’t ever deserve my cruelty. It takes time to build trust, and I don’t know you, so I don’t trust you. Yet.”

“I understand.”

“And you don’t trust me.”

Jamail nodded.

---