Page 31 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lindy

Lindy sat at a table in her bar, staring at the fruit of her labor, doing her best to ignore the not-so-subtle passive aggressive grunts her best friend was making next to her.

Charley, as predicted, was anything but thankful Lindy had put together an impromptu job fair for her. In fact, she was pissed.

Not a total shock.

Sadly the cupcakes had done nothing to take the edge off.

Lindy was going to suggest they talk the applicants into posing for a “Sexy Ranch Hands of the Year” calendar, but she doubted Charley would be on board with that plan either.

Tipping her head, Lindy soaked in the sight of the men, all gathered in a row near the table and chairs as she and Charley sat at a pop-up six-foot table.

The calendar idea had a lot of merit. They were all incredibly good-looking by just about anyone’s standards.

Each had bodies that had been honed by manual labor, and all of them fit the bill for hunky ranch hands.

Objectifying men was morally wrong. But men had been doing it to women for centuries. Besides, she’d donate any money made from the thing to charity or something. She wasn’t totally heartless. After all, she’d put together the job fair to help her best friend. That was pretty damn noble, right?

Too bad Charley didn’t agree. It was moments like this that made Lindy wonder how it is they’d become friends.

They were that different. Thankfully, she wasn’t the type to let something as silly as Charley being a sourpuss stop her from window shopping.

She’d been looking her fill since the men had arrived at her bar earlier, all vying for a chance to work for Charley.

Lindy’s darkness gnawed at her to look toward the blond again—to focus on him and him alone.

It had a major thing for the guy. She couldn’t fault it’s taste.

As her gaze slid toward the man, a rush of need surged through her, and Lindy fumbled with a pile of scorecards on the table before her, trying to mask her raw hunger.

Charley glanced over at her with a question on her face, probably wondering what in the hell was wrong with her.

Going into detail with her friend would mean telling her the truth—that supernaturals were real.

If that didn’t blow her mind enough, confessing to being one—and that she was technically a killer, whose victim just so happened to be immortal—just might.

Sure, Charley was a gifted human and could communicate with animals, but she was still a human, nonetheless.

Telling her the truth about what was really out there could put her at risk.

Between Teresa’s and Robert’s lectures, and her own run in with Cigarette-Man, Lindy was all too aware of what lurked in the dark.

It was better to keep Charley in the dark on certain things.

Lindy nudged the small plate with the cupcake, hoping Charley would take a hint and eat it so she’d be less hangry . Food could fix just about anything, even possibly Charley, who looked to be one grunt away from booting all the hot guys out of the bar.

“I can’t believe you did this,” said Charley, her ire rising off her despite her even expression.

Lindy batted her lashes, trying to play innocent, without much success. She wished Charley would have come dressed in something other than a faded university T-shirt and old jeans. “Did what?”

“You know exactly what you did,” Charley growled as she tapped on one of the scorecards.

It took everything in Lindy to keep from laughing loudly. “Oh yes. You’re referring to how I solved all your problems.” She licked her lower lip. “You’re welcome, by the way. I’m kind of a miracle worker if you think about it.”

“All my problems?” asked Charley, annoyance punctuating her every word

Lindy grinned widely, thankful for the distraction her friend’s irritation provided. “Girl, you are a walking book of issues.”

“You’re a fine one to talk.”

“Hey, I own my issues.” Lindy shrugged, working hard to keep her expression from betraying her true emotions.

Charley didn’t know the truth about Lindy’s darkness.

Originally, it had been because Lindy didn’t even understand it herself.

As time went on, sharing the truth meant risking the friendship.

If Charley looked at her like she was a monster, Lindy didn’t know what she’d do.

At some point, Charley had become more than a friend—she was like a sister.

“You, on the other hand, live in denial. It’s sad, and I’m tired of watching it happen.

Therefore, I’m solving all your problems at once. That’s the kind of friend I am.”

“I have a lot of words for the kind of friend you are right now. Not sure you want me saying any of them. Charley shoved the scorecards toward Lindy.

“Eat it,” said Lindy, pushing the cupcake closer to Charley.

One of them should be able to fix their hunger issue—might as well be Charley.

“You’re nicer when your sweet tooth has been fed, and we both know you love Payne’s cupcakes.

You need help at the rescue, CJ. Strong strapping men to help lift heavy things, and you need a good, hard fu?—”

Charley kicked Lindy’s leg under the table.

“Ouch.” Lindy grabbed one of the scorecards she’d already filled out and smiled as she looked around the room. “For real. I’m not sure it’s safe for you to be at the rescue alone anymore.”

Weird things had been happening for months out at the rescue.

Lindy had heard a series of explosions coming from that direction a few weeks back.

She’d called Charley right away, worried something had happened at the rescue since its property butted against land owned by a freaky cult of all-white-wearing nut jobs who called themselves The Flock.

Teresa had never been a big fan of them and had warned Lindy away from them years ago, telling her the leader of the group was a crazy mother-flocker who was a few feathers short of a full bird.

It wasn’t until last year that Lindy realized how true her words were.

That the man who ran the cult and all its followers were more than human.

No one had seen him or the hippies around town in weeks, and the rumor mill was already in full swing.

Some of her bar regulars were positive the group was a doomsday cult and had opted for a mass exodus, using law enforcement to make that happen, and that the government was being very hush-hush about it.

Lindy had tried to get Robert to give her all the juicy details about what had happened there, but he had yet to confirm or deny anything.

All he’d said was no one would be seeing the leader of the cult ever again.

That was fine by Lindy. They gave her the creeps.

Though, she did wonder why the cult’s fancy lawyers had yet to ease up on Charley if their supreme leader was out of the picture.

The cult wanted Charley to agree to work for them and in exchange they’d fund her rescue. Charley had refused but they’d put a lot of pressure on her. Their attorneys and other interested parties who the legal team had yet to disclose, still wanted Charley’s services.

Lindy had a feeling the cult wasn’t as done as others thought.

Dead animals had been showing up on the rescue property. They hadn’t died of natural causes. The cult hadn’t claimed responsibility for them yet, but deep down Lindy knew they were behind it and she didn’t want to even think about what else they’d try.

It was part of why Lindy didn’t love the idea of Charley being alone at the rescue.

But Charley’s expression said she still wasn’t on board with bringing on help, and the last thing Lindy wanted was to get a call in the middle of the night telling her something bad happened to her best friend.

If that happened, she’d unleash her dark side and watch everyone and everything around her go down in flames.

“Not with what has been going on with those crazy Mother Flockers,” Lindy stressed with a bat of her lashes, hoping Charley would reconsider and accept the help she desperately needed at the rescue.

“I’d offer to come and stay with you, but we both know I’m kind of shit when it comes to helping with animals. ”

Just then, Lindy felt the blond man’s gaze on her again but didn’t dare glance at him. She only had so much willpower, and he was testing her limits.

“Oh, I know. I remember the goldfish fiasco in college,” said Charley with a huff.

Since the notorious goldfish incident, the worst Lindy had ever done to an animal was give the rescue’s resident goat a stern talking-to for trying to hump her leg. It was warranted. The little shit was hornier than Lindy’s succubus side, which was saying something.

“I’m good,” said Charley, clearly willing to dig her heels in on going it alone at the rescue. “I can handle the people next door and their fancy lawyers.”

“I don’t know,” Lindy replied, lowering her voice. “My gut says you shouldn’t be alone. And what if they have something to do with the dead animals on the property?”

Charley’s jaw set in a grim line. “Then you should worry more about what I might do to them.”

“I told you what Robert said, right?” asked Lindy. “He says there were a lot of changes at that wellness place a little over a month ago. That it happened after that night, I told you I heard all the explosions from out there.”

“I didn’t hear any explosions,” said Charley, offering a dubious stare.

Lindy smiled. “Because you weren’t home. You were in Denver that night picking up supplies, remember?”

Charley sighed. “Regardless, I don’t need a man around. I’m good on my own.”

Lindy pushed Charley’s foot with her own. “All you do is work. If you’re not driving all over, providing vet care, you’re working to get the rescue going fully. I respect that. I do, but Charley-Jane, you need to stop and have something for you too, or you’re going to burn out.”

“I’m fine,” said Charley.

“Live a little, CJ,” returned Lindy, going with the nickname she called Charley since Charley’s actual name was Charlotte-Jane. “You’re only going to be thirty soon. Not three hundred.”

“Three hundred?” Charley laughed. “Pretty sure I’ll be dust in the wind long before then.”

The need to blurt out the truth regarding supernaturals and immortals was great, but Lindy resisted. It was hard though. “Don’t be too sure.”

“You’ve seen what I eat,” Charley added. “Cake and other crap. No way am I making it to a hundred.”

Lindy snorted. “Never say never.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“Yep, now pick someone to rock your frigging world for a night,” said Lindy. “And do us all a favor and eat the damn cupcake. You’re hangry.”

She nudged Charley with her elbow, pushing the stack of scorecards toward her.

Her friend looked so grumpy that Lindy almost laughed.

“If you don’t pick at least two, I’ll pick them for you.

I know you have a thing for guys with dark hair, so pick, or you’re getting a blond. You know, what I like best.”

Charley’s frown deepened. “You like any guy with a pulse. Doesn’t matter what color hair they have.”

Lindy didn’t even try to deny it. She caught the wink from the blond man across the room and gave him an appreciative once-over.

“So true,” she said with a grin, nudging Charley again.

“And I changed my mind. Pick at least three. Have him be one of those three. I want to be able to ogle him all the time when I’m at your place. ”

Blond-Guy’s gaze collided with Lindy’s and the edges of his lips drew up in a sexy manner, as if he’d heard what she’d said.

Interesting.

Charley leaned and whispered, “You can’t say something like that to a potential employee.”

The temperature in the bar seemed to rise rapidly as Lindy’s succubus side left a pulse of need spiking through her.

Lindy wiped a bit of sweat from her chest in a delicate manner, watching the blond guy still.

He was simply delicious to look at, and she could only guess how good he’d taste.

She bit at her lower lip, imagining what it would be like to sample his sun-kissed skin.

“Since he’s not looking to be my employee, I’m going to go ahead and ogle away. ”

His grin widened, and Lindy was positive he’d heard her this time. Good. He didn’t shy away from her boldness. She liked that in a man.

Blond-Guy tipped his cowboy hat toward them.

Lindy let out a dreamy sigh. “I think I just got pregnant. You?”

Charley exhaled loudly like she was reconsidering their entire friendship. She grabbed one of the pens on the table, muttering darkly.

Lindy bit back a laugh. Charley was adorable when she got worked up.

Charley leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “I swear to God, I will get you back for this.”

“Ohmygod, tell me you’re planning to host a hot-guy-hiring party for my bar!” Lindy said, loud enough for several of the men to hear.

A few chuckled, raising their hands.

Blond-Guy chimed in with, “I volunteer as tribute.”

Lindy couldn’t stop herself from beaming. She rested her shoulder against Charley’s, speaking low enough for only her to hear. “I’m pretty sure his picture is in the dictionary next to ‘wet panty material.’”

Charley groaned loudly, and before Lindy could blink, the pen in her friend’s hand snapped, sending pieces flying.

Lindy plucked the broken parts out of Charley’s hand and tossed them aside, shaking her head. “Your nervous energy is going to put my eye out.”

“Sorry,” Charley muttered.

Lindy shrugged. “Nothing a good hard screw won’t fix. So, pick your poison.”

That earned her another dark look from Charley, who grabbed another pen and waved it in Lindy’s direction like it was a weapon. “On second thought, I’m not sorry.”