Slithering into Her DMs (Ours Evermore #7)

1. Chapter 1

Bec

Much to my disappointment, not a single femme fatale, man in an unironic fedora, or older fat guy in a white suit ever walked into the office of Masel Investigations.

I’d applied for the part-time job as front office staff on a whim. I didn’t need the money but I did need to get out of the condo occasionally. I didn’t want to lose my social skills while studying for the California bar.

When I got this job I thought my life would become interesting. However, after working here for three weeks, not even one dangerous man had come in to tell my boss to “back off or else!”

It was absolutely discouraging!

I know, movies, especially film noir, aren’t realistic depictions of private investigators, but still, the only exciting thing that happened was when Jim Masel’s wife visited with the family dog. The dog was friendly and adorable, but nothing compared to anything in all the stories.

I’d resettled in San Diego to find some excitement, determined to leave my old self behind and have some fun and adventures. Working for Jim was part of that, but it was turning out to be boring. Summer school levels of boring.

I’d read spreadsheets more entertaining than this job.

My phone buzzed with a notification from PixUs, my new favorite social media site. It helped me know what was going on back in South Dakota as well as learning about my new friends here in San Diego.

I opened the app expecting to see someone had posted, but it was a direct message from an account named GreenScales1520. I opened the DM even though we didn’t follow each other to see a picture of a baby llama! The image was crooked and a little out of focus, but the llama was still adorable.

Then another picture came through. And another one. Finally, a selfie of a familiar face standing next to the baby.

This had to be Danzig. I couldn’t see his twin, Marduk, doing something like this. Marduk struck me as someone who would meticulously set up the picture, take it, then edit it on his phone to make sure it was aesthetically pleasing before sending it.

The two might look alike, but they had very different personalities!

Text appeared under the last picture.

GreenScales1520

It’s so cute I want to bring it home, but the owner said she can’t be separated from her mama yet.

I couldn’t help but respond.

TheNewMe888

What would you do with a baby llama?

His reply was swift.

GreenScales1520

I would buy a baby camel to keep her company, and raise them together as best friends. When they were trained and ready, we’d all go out on hikes together.

The mental picture of Danzig hiking with a camel and a llama was ridiculous enough to make me snort. Another DM came through.

GreenScales1520

Would you hike with us?

I didn’t answer that. Instead, I asked a question.

TheNewMe888

Where are you that you can hang out with baby llamas?

Another picture of the baby nursing from her mama llama popped up. Then more text.

GreenScales1520

I’m in Peru working on the final stages of building a bridge.

I’d forgotten that the brothers owned a company that built roads and bridges in areas where traditional methods didn’t always work. They were successful due to some interesting skills.

One was language. Between the two of them, they spoke dozens of languages, some of which I didn’t think were in common use anymore. But when you were over five hundred years old, you were bound to learn some languages that eventually went out of use.

Another skill was being nearly impervious to human made weapons. Along with being skilled builders, and having vast language skills, they were unparalleled in building things where others had failed due to difficult terrain, danger, or corruption.

Now I was finding out that Danzig liked to take pictures with baby llamas.

I kinda liked it. I accepted GreenScales1520’s friend request and then scrolled through his posts.

Most of them were food or adorable animals.

Occasionally there would be a bridge or road.

As I scrolled another message popped up.

GreenScales1520

I’ll be home soon. Can we take you out to dinner?

I paused. I’d met Danzig after being kidnapped along with my best friend, Mila. He’d been an important part of the rescue plan and protected us from gunfire by shifting into a giant serpent and wrapping his coils around us.

That was my first introduction to the hidden magical world around me.

After the danger was over, he’d claimed I was his mate. Then I found out that he had a twin and if I was mated to one, I was mated to the other. I was told that was how it worked with twin J?rmungandr.

I’d said no thank you, and demanded to go home with Mila and her men, Gio and Carter.

They’d shown up at Gio’s house the next day and were refused entry. Then I’d moved into a condo with Mila’s sister and they were constantly hanging around until Gio threatened them again.

I don’t think they were scared of Gio, even though he was a powerful vampire. But they knew better than to hurt someone I cared about.

I was torn because I felt drawn to them, but I also knew that if I showed any interest, they would take that as me accepting the relationship.

I wanted to explore my life right now, I didn’t want to be boxed in by a couple of overprotective serpent shifters.

GreenScales1520

Did I upset you with the request? We could do ice cream instead.

Guilt at ignoring them on almost every front made me want to agree. But no, I needed to stay firm. I’d let social expectations and fear of ridicule dictate my adult life. I was determined to break those shackles. I refused to ever be emotionally manipulated again.

TheNewMe888

I’ll think about it.

As a refusal, it was weak, but it wasn’t a flat out no.

The office door opened, and I quickly flipped my phone face down on the desk then I looked up. I gave the woman walking in a big smile.

“Hello! Welcome to Masel Investigations.”

She hesitated in the doorway, probably because of my overly enthusiastic greeting. I toned down my smile and assumed a more professional voice.

“Do you have an appointment or are you a walk-in?”

“Um, I’m a walk-in,” she said, stepping further into the room. She was wearing a light gray pants suit with a cream-colored blouse under it. Several delicate designer gold necklaces were layered over the blouse and teardrop gold earrings shimmered in her ears.

Then I noticed her purse. I’d seen it in a boutique and was determined to buy it until I saw the price tag. Even the new me couldn’t justify paying that much for a single item that didn’t have an engine.

This woman had money, or she did a good impression of it.

“What kind of service are you looking for?” I asked.

I’d learned that it wasn’t uncommon for people to search out Jim to steal something or harass someone. That fit in with my image of PIs, but Jim’s response didn’t. He always refused those requests.

He was a sweet guy in his early fifties with a little beer gut and a fondness for bear claws. He wasn’t about to go around assaulting people for money. He had a gun, but I’d only ever seen him take it out of the safe once.

Jim wasn’t the Punisher.

“I need you to find my dog,” she said.

I gave her a sympathetic look. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. Let me see if Mr. Masel’s free.”

Instead of picking up the phone and testing Jim’s patience with the intercom, I got up and stepped into his office. “Are you busy? I’ve got a woman with a missing dog.”

Jim was on the phone but still responded to my inquiry with a shake of his head. “No pets,” he whispered.

“But it’s her dog,” I said, disappointed in him.

He gave me a look that I’d learned meant he wasn’t going to discuss it further. Feeling mildly upset, I returned to my desk.

“I’m sorry, we don’t…” my voice trailed off as an idea popped into my brain.

If I suggested it and Jim found out, I’d be fired. Was that thought upsetting? Only a little because I’d never been fired from any job.

Did I need this job? No, I had enough savings to last me another year or more. This job was supposed to be fun, but it hadn’t been much fun yet. Interesting, but not entertaining.

I decided to be reckless. That was the reason I was in San Diego anyway. I was shedding the old Bec like a snake's skin. I was the new Bec, a woman who wasn’t afraid of insecurity, instability, or adventure

Well, to a degree. I wasn't going to go around jumping out of planes or off cliffs. I wanted reasonable adventures.

Decision made, I stood up and held out my hand. “Actually, I can help you. My name is Bec Stanhope.”

Stepping up to my desk, she shook my hand with a delicate grip. “Gale. Thank you so much.”

“Pull up a seat," I said, pointing to a chair against the wall. She grabbed it and pulled it up close to my desk as I sat back down. I grabbed a pen and a sticky-note pad. Not super professional but I didn’t want to get up to go to the printer to pull out paper.

“Tell me what happened.”

“A man named Leif Johanson stole my precious dog, Hugo,” she said.

I hadn’t expected her to know where the dog was. “What?”

“He’s my ex, and he bought Hugo for me,” she explained. “When Hugo disappeared yesterday, I knew it was Leif.”

Wow, that was what we in the biz called “a clue.” I almost snorted, I needed to be more serious about this. A doggo’s life was at stake.

Gale continued talking as she pulled her phone out of her purse. “You have to get him back. Leif doesn’t know how to take care of him.”

She showed me a picture of a nice-looking guy holding a French bulldog. They were wearing matching shirts. I refrained from pointing out how cute that was.

“I don’t know if you need me,” I said. “If you know Leif took him, why don’t you go to his house and steal Hugo back?”

For a brief moment, Gale’s expression turned enraged. Then she smoothed her face out and shook her head. “That’s the problem, he’s not at his place. I don’t know where he’s gone, but his roommate won’t give me any information.”