Page 23 of The Reluctant Incubus
Something hard and cold slams into the base of my right foot. It sends a sharp shock up my entire leg. The pain is so sudden and intense that it completely stops what was happening inside me, dead in its tracks.
My eyes spring open, and I see the elf standing there, at the foot of my bed. He’s in his full armor, and his swordis drawn. From the way he’s holding the blade, tilted, it looks like he just smacked me with its flat side.
He then swings the point of the sword to just above my throat, and sneers down at my helpless form with predatory amusement.
“Get up, incubus. I’m here to collect my watch.”
11
Well,fuck.
I’m so totally shook that I just stare back at him, full tunnel vision, my jaw hanging. I huff shaky breath after shaky breath like I’ve just run a marathon.
The elf sheaths his blade. It doesn’t look like he ever had any intention of stabbing me. He was probably just sticking the damn thing in my face to make his statement more dramatic. (God, I’m learning tohatethe fae!)
His sneer slides into pure amusement, and his eyes rake up and down my body.
“It sounded like you were having quite the dream, Alvin. Are you imagining all the things—orexperiences—thirty thousand dollars can finally bring you?”
I follow his gaze and start to come back to myself. I’m on my back on the bed, and it’s only been a few seconds, so my cock is still super hard. Noticeably so. (Ugh!) But I’m surprised to find that it’s not standing at attention in the open air, but instead is tenting up the cheap, thin fabric of my jeans.
In fact, I’m still inallthe clothing I was wearing before! And Collin isn’t on the bed with me. He’s standing against the far wall of the room, completely covered again with his own rustic shepherd-boy attire. He returns my gaze, contrite.
Exactly what the hell just happened between us?!
The elf cocks a derisive eyebrow. “Are you going to need a moment?”
I glare at him. Hell yes, I’m going to need a moment! Or more like the next fullmonthto understand what’s really going on.
But the elf is for sure not going to give me that. I bring my knees to my chest, rolling up, and glance back over at Collin. Whatever it was we did, I have to get my shit together—and fast.
Collin, head down, continues to look over at me through his thick blond lashes, a little sad. But I see something else.Gratitude.
“I know you’re going to have to give me to the elf, and I want you to know that it’s okay. He’s pure lethal, so this is the way it has to be. I’m just glad I had enough time to… well, to get to know you.” He raises his head a little and gives me a shy smile. “I don’t get to make many happy memories of my own. But being with you, like that, will always be one of my best.”
I look back at the elf, who has moved to put a small but expensive-looking burgundy leather case on the bed next to me. He presses a button, which makes the silver latches pop open with a loud snap. He then pulls up the lid.
Inside are three largestacksof hundred-dollar bills.Each one is wrapped with thick mustard-colored paper labeled “$10,000,” fresh from the bank.
“You can see I’m a man of my word, Alvin. Now all that’s left is for you to give me the watch and conclude our pact.”
I carefully slide to my left and drop my legs over the side of the mattress. It’s the side of the bed as far away as I can get from him. The side toward the double-hung window, the plastic shade still up from where I left it before work.
“And what makes you so sure I have it?” I ask, as cranky and sleepy-headed as I can make myself sound, but mostly just to give myself time tothink.
I can feel the watch. It’s still in the back pocket of my jeans.
The elf snorts a superior chuckle. “Besides being a flawless judge of character and ability? My contacts let me know it had been taken from the house.” He then smiles at me, pleased. Like he’s proud of me. “Despite your hesitation, Iknewyou were the right man for the job. And once this exchange is concluded, I will have more paid work for you. It will be quite useful to have an asset who fits so naturally…under the radar.”
I am pretty sure he just insulted me. Again. And I’m curious about who those contacts could be. But he’s not going to answer my questions. The moment I get to my feet, he extends his palm out.
“But enough about the future,” he says, coldly. “Alvin Alonso,giveme what’s mine.”
I feel the skeletal fingers of the Obligation twist around my heart with icicle hardness. It sends a thrum oftension along my arm, making it twitch. My hand nowwantsto reach into my back pocket. Involuntarily, I step forward, meeting him at the foot of my bed. Standing so close to the elf, so close to closing the pact, the Obligation has moved from the brief, anxious, unpleasant discomfort I felt earlier to full-oncompulsion.
I glance again at Collin. He nods back at me, a single head-tilt, eyes filled with gentle acceptance. He’s 100% ready for me to give him up to this fae—a monster who’s going to torture him, ceaselessly, mercilessly, to get whatever little evil thing he wants.
This boy knows me all too well. How my mom always talked me down, every chance she got. How I don’t ever stand up for myself. How I fold under any kind of pressure, and retreat when things get to be too hard or intense. That I recently came up with all these big-ass dreams of being some kind of paranormal white knight, but when push comes to shove, that’s all they will ever be: big dreams. Deep down, he knows I’m not someone who could ever beanyone’shero.
