Page 14 of Soul Food

“Hmm.” I pushed off the counter and moved so I could get a better look at the gremlin. He was an ugly little bastard. Putrid green saggy skin, chartreuse-yellow eyes, jagged beige teeth, and if I didn’t force him to wear a cloth over himself, his tiny green pencil dick would be right there for me to see, and I didn’t want to see it. He already humped everything coming and going. There wasn’t anything he didn’t try to stick it in. Gremlins were nasty little creatures which was why I didn’t like him getting too comfortable aroundher. He would never betray my trust, but it was best to keep up with him than to just let him be.

I stalked toward him, and he nervously clasped his hands together in front of his chest as he looked the other direction. Bending down, I grabbed him by the arm and tossed him onto the counter. “You slept beside her again, didn’t you?”

He scooted back slowly as I pinned him with my icy stare. “Sire, I cannot help it. She gives the best belly rubs. It always puts me to sleep.”

He had no idea how much his honesty pissed me off sometimes. I wanted him to watch her, not have her touching him. I blew out a breath. “Do you realize it’s her dog that she loves, not you? You’repossessingher dog to keep an eye out for her while I’m stuck,” I glanced down at my tie, grabbed it, and yanked it off, “stuck here doing all this unnecessary shit.”

“I agree with you on the unnecessary shit, Sire, but I have to point out that you did this to yourself—all for one soul.”

Did this creature intend to engage my temper? Had he forgotten what I could do to him? “Did I ask for your opinion?”

“Also, Sire,” he continued—seemingly unaware that I was seconds from sailing his ass into the next room with a bruised head. “I’ll have you know that she doesn’t give her dog as much attention as she does when I’m possessing it, so she does actually care when she’s stroking my stomach. I see the difference even if you can’t. She likes him better when I’m the dog.”

I smacked him with the back of my hand, sending him crashing into the wall next to me. He hit the floor with a thud. “I deserved that, Sire. She’s yours.” He scrambled to his feet.

“How is she?” I asked him, my voice more reserved as I did. I hadn’t seen her in a few days. I’d been stuck in my human form with all this tedious company work. In two short months, I’d be glad to let go of it. It kept me from watching her as much as I normally did when I was in my reaping form.

“Restless and uneasy even if she doesn’t acknowledge it.” His putrid-colored eyes blinked up at me, almost as if he were studying me.

“Spit it out,” I hissed, knowing he had something more to say.

“I think it’s best for you to eat her soul now while it’s still vibrant and happy. With each day you draw nearer, she’ll become unhappier and all these years of feeding her soul would have been for nothing.”

He was right. Ruth’s soul had been at its peak for years now, and I’d never smelled and seen a more delectable soul in a creature before. She was losing that peak as her time shortened. She knew I was coming for her. I made it clear the day I let her go she’d only have ten years, but in those ten years she got what she wanted.

“Grab a book,” I barked just as my phone started going off. I pulled it out of my pocket, tempted to chuck it out one of the windows. I had no need of it, but ever since I targeted Ruth Thomas I had stooped to many things I didn’t wish to admit. Seeing who it was, I hit ignore and tossed it on the counter.

“Who was that?” Lars tilted his head at me as he limped around in search of a book.

“KY. They’ve been trying for weeks for us to help them out with contacting Ruth. When Jayne informed me, I told her to send them my way. Apparently, Liz James wants to collaborate with Ruth.” I poured another shot of whiskey and tipped it back. “There’s no way I’m letting anything mess with her soul, not after I’ve spent so much time helping it blossom.”

“Sire, you’re not well. The last ten years have been tedious and pointless even to me. All this trouble to make a soul taste better? Aren’t you exhausted doing all this for one soul?”

I hated when Lars spoke the truth. It rubbed me the wrong way. I was exhausted and strung out and restless. When I first took over the company, I had no fucking clue what I was doing. Luckily, I was an asshole so humans were too frightened to ever realize how clueless I was. I left my work to everyone else every chance I could. Of course, now I knew a lot and could do a lot. I just didn’t want to do it.

Lars was still waiting for my reply when I finally chucked the shot glass at him. He ducked, and it shattered against the wall. “Yes, Lars, parading around as a human doing shit I don’t want to do all just to tear into her vibrant soul is exhausting. I want her soul happy. So I’ll do all this unnecessary shit to sink my teeth into her tasty soul.” Taking a deep breath, I asked, “There? Does that make you happy? Did you find the book?” He slipped it out from behind him and nodded. “Let’s go hunting.”

_______

“This one?” Lars asked as we walked down a street completely unseen to the eyes of humans in broad daylight. I ditched my human form for my truest form—feeling more in tune with myself. I hated how much being a human made you feel human. Soul reapers and human desires were vastly different.

I eyed the blonde female he walked behind and followed the sway of her hips and the ice cream in her hand. She was young, clean, andinnocent.

I shook my shadowy head, and Lars moved onto a different target. This time he pointed to a fat-bellied man in a suit, wheezing as he walked across the street against a red light. His soul reeked of decay, corruption, and greed. If I had a mouth in this form, it would have salivated. Wicked souls were a treat.

Seeing me move toward the man, Lars sprinted ahead and jumped onto a woman’s back. As she passed the target, Lars conveniently tossed the book before the man darted into the street. It was an age-old ploy that always worked to perfection.

I felt my hunger pangs increase tenfold when the old man took the bait and bent down just as the light turned green. “Here, you dropped your book.” The second he touched the book, his soul belonged to me. I moved in, claimed what was mine, and devoured it all. A few seconds later, he was hit by a bus.

Lars jumped down and met me with a grin.

“Good job.” The ugly thing loved it when I praised him. “Go pick up the book underneath his body.”

“I’ll get run over,” he screeched.

“Then you better be careful.”

I couldn’t leave it when I needed it. I only had two, and the other stayed with Ruth all the time like a good little pest. No matter how many times she tried to leave it somewhere, it always followed her. She hadn’t tried to escape it in years now though.

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