Page 33 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

“That sounds exhausting,” I tease him. I can see the parking lot from where we are on the sidewalk, which means I’ll actually be a couple of minutes early as long as traffic cooperates.

“Eh, not really,” he says, his fingers lacing with mine. “I will happily worry about you, check on you, and work to ensure your happiness.”

“It’s hard to believe you’re real,” I murmur.

“I am, and I have the pitfalls that follow it,” he says with a smirk. A dark look moves over his face before it disappears. “I’m feeling a little hungry, maybe I’ll be able to grab a snack while you’re working.”

“Oh?” I ask, wondering who he’ll be scaring. I meant it when I said I didn’t mind being his food source. I just don’t know if he believed me.

No one likes a stage four clinger, so I hold my peace as we get into my car. It makes a terrible sound as I crank the engine. Wincing, I groan.

“Come on,” I sigh. “You’re becoming a really expensive artifact, Bertie.”

“That’s an interesting name for your car,” he says. “Have you had a lot of trouble with it?”

Blowing out a breath, I whisper a prayer in my mind before I try once more to start my car.

“Fuck yes, that’s a good girl, Bertie,” I rasp as the engine turns over.

I can feel Samael’s amusement before I glance over at him with my brow raised.

“Bertie has a praise kink,” he says, grinning as I huff out a laugh.

“She’s not the only one,” I say under my breath, smirking as he chuckles.

Thankfully, Bertie behaves as I put her in reverse and back out of the space.

“To answer your question, yes, she does misbehave often,” I tell him. “I got stuck in a tiny town on the way to the school for three days while they fixed her up. She just refused to start. I was worried I wasn’t going to make it here. She ate up a good chunk of my savings, and I’m attached to the bitch.”

“Well, maybe we can get the starter fixed at least,” he says.

“I plan to,” I say, ignoring the ‘we’ in his statement. I don’t want anyone to call me a gold digger. “I just need to have a few good nights of tips before I can think about finding a mechanic in town.”

“You know, while it doesn’t snow in this part of the state, it’s still important to know Bertie isn’t going to break down on the road on your way home and strand you somewhere,” Samael says. “The school is a fair haul from town. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Nodding, I know he’s right. I’m just not in a position to be able to buy a new car yet. A whisper and a prayer is the best I can do.

The trip to the club is uneventful, allowing me to find a parking spot in a well lit area behind the building. As I bail out of the car, Samael disappears, simply going translucent as I close the door behind me. He makes it look so easy, and I’m sure that it is for him.

Turning the key to ensure the car is locked, I walk quickly toward the back door of the club. I can feel a tendril of something cool around me, and my body relaxes, knowing that Samael is with me.

I’ve spent so much of my life alone, I’m still unused to having anyone around that I can lean on. It’s a difficult adjustment, and sometimes I can feel myself going on the defensive before I remind myself that there’s no need for it.

Knocking on the back door, I wait for someone to open it.

“Yeah?” he grunts. The monster is built like a brick shithouse, his skin a light green, his hands reminding me of sledgehammers. God, he’s huge and scary, perfect for the job of bouncer he’s currently occupying.

“I’m the new bartender,” I say, proud that my voice doesn’t crack.

Nodding, he twists to allow me entrance.

“Hailee mentioned you were coming in,” he rumbles. “Head down to the bar, she’ll meet you there. All the way down this hallway. Ya can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” I say, beginning the long walk down the hall. The overhead lights are dim, making it even creepier as I walk quickly.

As I walk into the main club, I see that the walls are black, the lighting blue and white, and make a beeline for the long bar in front of me.

Hailee is there, her long blonde hair up in a pair of space buns. She’s wearing a crop top, a suit jacket and black pants, and somehow appears to fit in perfectly. She told me she’s ashifter, appearing human for the most part. Hailee said that looking personable helps her be able to work with clients, but that if someone steps out of line, she is ready to bash some heads together.

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