Page 274 of Castings & Curses

I guess I’ll know in the morning.

* * *

The incessant buzzingof my alarm clock reverberates through my brain, and I groan from the stiffness in my muscles. I’ve never slept in the guest quarters until last night, only opting to give Mercy my bedroom because it had the en suite shower.

I stretch, but it does nothing to relieve the ache in my back. Running my hand over my face, I set my feet on the cold tile just as there is a pounding on my door. I groan, forcing myself from bed. I walk through the dimly lit hallway, glancing into my room as I go to make sure Mercy’s still here, that I didn’t completely imagine the whole thing.

Sure enough, she’s there, tucked in my large bed, snoring away.

The pounding continues and I half worry it will wake her up. I finally get to the door, taking my good, sweet time. When I fling it open, Roche is standing there in a form-fitting red dress that hugs every curve, the fabric tight against her like a second skin. Her dark eyes are rimmed with black liner, smudged out to the edges, making her eyes look like pits of despair. Her hair falls over her shoulders in thick waves, and I feel a stirring in my pajama pants that aggravates me.

This is not what I need right now…

“Can I help you?” I growl.

“Where is she?” Roche asks as she takes a step toward me.

I hold my hand up and it collides with her chest, her ample cleavage brushing against my fingers. Soft, pliable, and… FOCUS!

“Sleeping,” I say as I gently push her back.

“You didn’t…”

“Of course not, Roche! What kind of monster do you think I am? I’m not that sex deprived!” I say angrily.

What the fuck?

“If you would have let me finish instead of fucking interrupting me, you would have heard the rest of what I was trying to say.” She crosses her arms, her steely gaze fixed on me with annoyance.

Oh, this should be good.

“Well then, Boss, by all means, cunt-inue,” I enunciated.

Roche rolls her eyes. “Let me in, Endor,” she demands.

“Only if you ask nicely.”

Roche looks almost as if her head is going to explode, and I have to admit the sight makes me feel more than content.

“May I come in, Endor?” she grits out through her teeth.

I wave her in, smiling graciously, and shut the door after her. I do not bother to offer her anything, instead making my way to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee for myself and my guest—the one who doesn’t annoy me.

Vegetarians drink coffee, right?

Roche continues to follow me. “I saw your search logs,” she says solidly.

“What do my search logs have to do with anything?” I ask as I pour the grounds into the coffee filters.

“Mercedes isn’t in the system here. Nor is she in Heaven’s system,” she continues.

“Yes…”

“Which makes her a lost soul. You know this.”

“I do. And I filled out the proper paperwork to report it,” I say, feeling a wave of guilt at that admission.

“She was assigned to HAD for temporary housing, right?” Roche leans against the wall, continuing her spiel.

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