reports and Banner reports I still needed to work through and I might try to do a little more work in the privacy of my own home, away from this bastard, but for now? I was done.
Checking the time, I thought I should probably go ahead and pop another dose of the anti-inflammatories, so I headed into the small bathroom. I hit the light after I’d shut the door and stared at my reflection.
I don’t look like much. Light blonde hair that I kept short. Pale skin. Dark eyes.
Right now the circles under my eyes made them look bruised…rather matched the line of bruises along the left side of my throat where his forearm had smashed against me, the mottled discoloration on my cheek where my face had a close, personal encounter with the car.
Thanks to my sleepless nights, I was color-coordinated with my bruising.
Grimacing, I opened the cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Motrin, popped the cap and shook out triple the dose a human would take. Bad thing about my bloodline was that although I healed a little quicker than humans, it took more for human meds to affect me. I was hoping that would also mean it would take more for the meds to damage my liver, because at the rate I was going, I’d be tearing the hell out of it, otherwise.
I had to chew the damn things up and damn, were they nasty, but swallowing them whole just wasn’t an option. Swallowing felt like I was chugging down chopped-up razor blades. It would be better in a few days, I knew. Sadly, from experience. Until then, well, things were just going to suck while my body dealt with the damage. That’s all there was to it.
Once I’d dosed myself back up, I slid back out of the bathroom and found Damon standing just outside the doorway.
Those gray eyes dropped to linger on my throat. I turned away.
“I’m calling it a day,” I told him.
“About time.”
It had been five hours since we’d left the rec club. The contrite Damon from outside the club had disappeared, and his asshole side had returned, leaving me to deal with it all afternoon. I’d been able to think more clearly when he was quiet, but I was on more even ground when he was being an asshole. Didn’t know which was the better option yet.
“I’m starving,” he said, trailing after me and watching as I slid my sword into the sheath slung around my hips. “Wherever we go to eat, are they going to let you take that in?”
In the middle of slinging my bag onto my shoulder, I paused. “We?” Then I shook my head. “Sorry. You’re on your own.”
I headed to the door.
A long arm barred my way.
“You seem to forget, kitten…the job and me, we’re a package deal.” He dipped his head and whispered against my hair, “You’re stuck with me, around the clock, until we find the boy.”
No. Hell. No.
Clenching my jaw, I backed away from him. “No. I have to tolerate you at my back during the day, that’s fine. But I’m not putting up with you around the clock.” Each word was like forcing glass out, but there was no way I was doing this.
Damon shrugged. “You don’t have a choice. If you leave without me, I’ll just follow, and I warn you, I’ll be mad enough to do something nasty to that car of yours. If you try to lock me out of the house, I’ll bust the door down.”
While rage sounded an alarm in my ears, I flexed my hand. I didn’t need this job that badly. Did I? Shit. I needed this like I needed a damned hole in the head. “I’ll call the cops. Tell them you’re hassling me,” I said. “What then?”
“You can’t.” He winked at me.
The asshole winked at me.
“You see, you accepted the money. Remember that part where that’s pretty much just like signing a contract? You agreed to the terms…including the part where I’m a package deal. You call the cops, I’ll just explain that I was concerned for your safety and I was doing what I had to do to make sure you stayed under my direct supervision. Face it, kitten. You’re stuck with me.”
“Cyanide sounds so very appealing right now.”
“You can’t poison me with cyanide.” He shrugged. “Would take a tankload.”
“Not for you. For me. Probably the easiest way out of this mess.”
If he thought I was going to actually sit down in a