Chapter 1 #2
By the time I was a teenager, my uncle had been banned from showing up at our house, though my dad still kept tabs on him.
I thought the regular mafia was scary enough, but the supernatural mafia is just terrifying.
“Hey. What’s going on? You’re not in trouble, are you?” His tone of voice is sharp with concern, and I shake my head.
“No. Nothing like that. Just family drama, is all.” I finally look up at him, and he’s watching me with a look that has me squirming. I’m not used to that much concern from someone. Especially someone I don’t know all that well.
“Alright. But if anything changes, you let me know. And Martha.” I grimace at his mention of our boss and owner of the shop. She’s an amazing boss, but also just a little bit scary. She’s petite enough that I feel like a giant when she hugs me, and I’m a few inches shy of six feet.
While she hasn’t come right out and told us, I’m pretty certain she’s not human.
I have my theories on what she might actually be, but they are just guesses.
Uneducated ones at that. My original degree would have required at least one semester of Preternatural Biology, but I never started back to college when I moved out here.
That said, I’ve seen her make legit giants quake with fear and beg for forgiveness, so I know she can hold her own. Doesn’t mean I want to involve her in my drama.
Besides, it’s just stress-related insomnia and nightmares. At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.
“Have you talked to a doctor or anything?”
I shake my head, tuning back into the conversation. “No. Don’t really have insurance.”
Oliver shifts in his seat and brings out his wallet. After shuffling through a bunch of business cards, he finally hands me one. It’s a simple cream card with the name and contact info on it.
“This guy is good. He does sliding scale payments and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for consults. My sister used him when she was having sleep issues. Give him a call and see if he can help.”
“And he’s a doctor? That prescribes human meds? I don’t know if I want to try some sort of magic concoction.”
Oliver laughs and shakes his head. “No, he’s a human doctor. I mean, he treats humans with human meds. I have no clue if he’s actually human.”
I stare at the card before sticking it in my pocket and give him a small smile. “Oh, well, thanks for that distinction. I’ll call him on my way home.”
We change the conversation after that, and I realize that Oliver is actually pretty cool. The number of things we have in common is mind-boggling, and I find that I actually really like the guy. He’s smart, kind, funny, and has a lot of really thought-provoking opinions on things.
And that frustrates the hell out of me.
Because he is one hundred percent straight.
Not that my dick cares. Ugh, why does it insist on taking notice of a hot guy at the most inopportune time? Such as when I’m trying to say goodbye to my co-worker and head home.
Oliver doesn’t seem to notice my discomfort or the fact that I’m trying to hide my semi as we leave the coffee shop. He’s still talking away about a rom-com novel his fiancé convinced him to read with her.
Yeah, you heard that right.
Fiancée.
So, the chance of me tapping that is firmly in the ‘not happening’ category.
We finally part ways in front of our work, Oliver jumping into his little Toyota with a wave. I return the wave, watching as he pulls away and trying to unobtrusively rearrange myself.
You’d think with as exhausted as I am, my dick would calm down. But it didn’t get that memo, apparently.
I’m about to head home when I catch sight of a man on the other side of the street, leaning against the brick wall of some clothing store. He’s older, from what I can tell. His close-cropped hair is dark, but there’s gray in the trimmed beard that graces his cheeks.
He looks solid, around my height, and dressed in dark jeans and a nice jacket that’s open over a black button-down.
He’s one of those silver foxes. And he has my hackles rising immediately as a shiver runs down my spine.
He’s looking right at me.
Swallowing, I turn and book it down the street, speeding up when I look over my shoulder and see him cross the street after me.
Shit.
Guess there might be some truth to Uncle Cody’s claims.
I take the first cross street, darting across the road so that I can slip into a narrow alley before Mr. Silver Fox can round the corner. I’m only two blocks from my street, two blocks from safety, so I push myself into a jog, praying he doesn’t hear my panting.
Barreling out of the alley, I dash down the street, taking a convoluted route back to my apartment.
I have no idea if the guy already knows where I live or not, but if I’m lucky, he doesn’t.
Stumbling through the back entrance on shaky legs, I launch myself up the two flights of stairs to my apartment, locking the deadbolt as soon as I’m inside.
I collapse onto the closest chair, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath. I stare at the door, my mind making up and then dispelling a half dozen situations that could happen before my panic subsides enough for me to think rationally.
The adrenaline leaving my system has me even more exhausted than before, and I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of my mouth.
I’m more stressed about my uncle’s incarceration than I first realized, if I slip into a panic this easily. Thinking back, there was absolutely no indication that guy was coming after me. For all I know, he was just going shopping.
I was standing in front of where I work after all.
Now I feel like a total idiot. An absolutely exhausted and sweaty idiot.
Groaning, I drag myself to my feet. A hot shower and a masturbation session should be enough to convince my sorry ass to go to sleep.
Yeah, that sounds like an amazing idea. Especially if I get to dream about Oliver.