Page 64 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Lindy

Lindy shook her head and glanced at her car’s information touchscreen, watching as it flickered again. She sighed, wondering how much the repair for whatever was wrong would cost her.

"He had me at hello," Teresa said with a throaty laugh, the sound filling the car’s stereo system. "Or maybe it was the way he handled his... equipment ."

When Teresa had called, she’d instantly launched into oversharing about Boat Guy and his bedroom skills.

She’d conveniently avoided discussing anything to do with the numerous voicemails and texts Lindy had left her, still hurt that she’d told Robert the truth about Lindy’s succubus side no longer desiring him.

That should have come from her, not Teresa.

Who are you kidding? You wouldn’t have ever told him.

"Please tell me we’re not talking about Boat Guy's junk again." Lindy groaned, keeping one hand on the steering wheel as she navigated her small hatchback down the road toward the bar.

Today was a late open day, meaning the bar wasn’t open for lunch.

It also meant it was one of the few days Lindy had to get errands done when most businesses were open.

She’d used the extra time to go to the car wash.

It had taken her nearly two hours to get Fluffy’s blood out of the back of her car’s carpeting.

While the vehicle looked clean now, she doubted it would pass an alternate light source test should her vehicle ever be inspected by a police crime scene team.

It would probably light up like a neon rave.

When she’d finished with the car, she’d stopped by the grocery store and then went home and stocked her fridge and pantry.

Pickings had been rather slim. While at the store, she’d grabbed what Bill had told her he needed for another large batch of his chili as well as some things for him to make wings.

Lindy had been skeptical about letting the older man help, but everyone who had dared to try his chili raved about it.

He was odd and eccentric, but he was free labor since he refused to accept payment.

It was hard to say no to free.

“You didn’t share this much about the last guy you were shacking up with,” said Lindy.

“The firefighter?” asked Teresa, her tone lighter. “That was a fun week. Pity he was human. I could have spent another week or two with him.”

Since Teresa didn’t have as much succubus in her as Lindy did, she didn’t drain her sexual partners to the same degree. Lindy had to admit that she was envious.

"Want to hear about Boat Guy’s impressive...nautical skills?"

“No thanks,” returned Lindy with a snort.

“Suit yourself, kitten.” Teresa’s laughter filled the speakers of the car, making Lindy smile. “Before we got on the subject of Boat Guy’s junk, you were telling me that you cleaned your car out this morning.

“Yes. Took forever,” said Lindy, thinking about how much blood Fluffy had left in the back of her vehicle.

“I don’t remember you ever cleaning your car out before.

Maybe if you did it more, it would take less time,” offered Teresa.

“Or, do like I do. I find a nice, hunky man and make him do it for me. Then, scold him the whole time and then tell him that he’s a good boy when he’s all done.

They like that. Positive reinforcement and all.

It’s even more fun when the man is beyond what the young women of today call morally gray. Breaking them is so much fun.”

“I’m not sure what to do with that.” Lindy had yet to tell Teresa about healing Fluffy—or Fluffy at all for that matter—or about how she’d spent the last few days worried Cigarette-Man was back. Lying to Teresa wasn’t something Lindy liked to do.

As much as Lindy wanted to discuss using her darkness to heal, she knew Teresa would have a few choice things to say about not feeding it properly.

Not to mention, approaching an injured wild animal wasn’t exactly smart.

Coaxing it into a car and driving it home to then end up snuggling in bed with it was downright dangerous and stupid.

Teresa would tattle to Robert and Lindy would never hear the end of it.

“Kind of like how I’m still not sure what to do or say about you being married. ”

“ Possibly married. Might not be,” corrected Teresa. “I should reach out to Sweet Cheeks at some point. He may know more about it than me. Doubtful. We had some great weed that weekend. Besides, I’m not sure if I have his number still or not.”

“You married a man and don’t remember his phone number?” questioned Lindy.

Teresa let out a long, annoyed breath. “For the hundredth time, I might not have married him. And until you end up on a bender, with your darkness steering the wheel and your wits not fully about you, you can’t judge me.

With the way you’re refusing to feed your needs, you’ll know sooner rather than later.

” Teresa was quiet for a moment. “You’ll be lucky if you remember anything that happens during that feeding then. ”

Dread filled Lindy. “Really?”

“Yes,” said Teresa. “Happened to me a few times in my life.”

She’d never mentioned this to Lindy before. Intrigued, Lindy sat up more in the seat as she drove. “Did you hurt the person you were with?”

“I left him so drained he slept for three days straight.” Teresa made a clicking noise on her end.

It took Lindy a second to recognize it as a lighter.

“He claims it was a good time, but I don’t really remember a lot about it.

Most of what I do remember feels like a dream.

A damn fun dream, but a dream all the same. ”

Lindy instantly thought of her erotic dream. The one featuring Jesse. Saying the dream she’d had about him was fun would be like saying the sun was warm—it didn’t come close to covering the heat.

Teresa laughed softly. “I’d tell you to organize another one of those man-meat markets and take every man that shows to bed with you—all at the same time—but I don’t think that will work now.”

“It wouldn’t?” asked Lindy, not that she was actually entertaining hosting another event. The burning urge she’d had to do so for Charley was gone. Lindy’s darkness wasn’t interested in having a bunch of random men fill its needs. Nope. It was still totally and completely obsessed with one guy.

Jesse.

Thoughts of the hunky male faded fast when a light on the dash of the car popped on accompanied by a loud ding.

“What was that?” asked Teresa.

Lindy peered down at the red light. “No idea. But I think my car is going its version of yelling at me. Some light just came on. It’s red. Doubtful that means anything good. Some other ones came on about a week ago. And I’ve been having some electrical issues. Been meaning to get it into the shop.”

“Hang up with me and call Robert,” said Teresa.

Lindy wondered if Robert had told her about what happened between them. About how he’d walked off her porch almost a week ago and hadn’t been back to her place since then. “I’ll take it over to the shop in the morning. I’m nearly to the bar.”

“There a reason you’re avoiding my nephew?” questioned Teresa.

Lindy tapped the steering wheel as she drove, debating on how much to confess.

It had been five days since she’d last seen Robert.

Aside from not coming to her house, he’d stopped coming by the bar for his nightly coffee while on duty.

He was also ignoring the texts she’d sent him to check in.

Had Charley not mentioned seeing him driving by the rescue a few times, Lindy would have thought something happened to the man. “It’s not me doing the avoiding.”

“Really? What happened?” asked Teresa, surprise in her voice.

The dinging started again, repeating itself as the light remained on.

A message popped up on the dash area, covering the digital speedometer and gas gauge, as yet another light came on.

This one was yellow. Lindy bumped the buttons on the steering wheel without meaning to, missing what the message said.

“The car really is yelling at me in its version of emojis.”

The car began to sputter and decelerate on its own. “Crap. This can’t be good.”

“What can’t?” asked Teresa.

Lindy pulled off to the side of the road.

She put the car in park and tried to bring up the message again.

It didn’t work. But she did manage to go through every view option the car had as far as digital choices, none of which were helpful—not unless she wanted to stare at a representation of her tires and their pressure at all times.

Her car picked then to sputter and die. She tried to start it, but nothing happened.

“Shit,” whispered Lindy.

“Kitten, start using full sentences. What is happening?” asked Teresa.

“Car troubles.”

“Where are you?” demanded Teresa.

“About three miles from the bar.” Lindy glanced in her rearview mirror at the bags of groceries in the back. All of them were for Bill. Walking with it all would prove problematic. “I’ll call you back. I think I need to try Robert again. Wish me luck that he even takes my call.”

Lindy hung up and was about to dial Robert when a large black van pulled up behind her. She tensed, visions of Cigarette-Man attacking her rushed through her head. She didn’t relax until she saw Nicholas from Doughing Payne Bakery exiting it.

He approached on the driver’s side.

Lindy opened the door and exited the vehicle, so relieved it was him and not the psychotic coyote-shifter from her past, she nearly hugged the man.

“Everything all right?” he asked with a wide smile.

She frowned. “My car died, and I have a bunch of groceries in the back for the bar.”

He glanced back at his van. “Come on. We can put them in my van, and I’ll drop you by the bar.”

“What about my car?” she asked.

“Lock it up and I can call for someone to come take a look at it,” he said.

She launched herself at him, hugging him.

With a chuckle he returned the hug but stiffened, squeezing her tightly before doing something that seemed a lot like sniffing her. He moved back fast, his eyes wide. “You’re mated?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Lindy blinked in surprise.

Had he just said something about mating?

Her time with Robert and Teresa had given her a fairly good grasp on supernatural lingo.

Mating wasn’t a term humans used often. She stared harder at him, trying to figure out if he was a supernatural and she’d just missed all the signs.

He watched her with a curious expression on his face. “Are you all right?”

She eyed him closer. “Yes. Why?”

“You’re looking at me really oddly,” he said, swaying to the left and then to the right in a dramatic fashion as if he was trying to evade her gaze. “It’s freaking me out.”

His movements left her laughing and took doubts from her head.

“I’m good. Sorry,” she said.

“Are you seeing someone new?” he asked.

A partial laugh, which sounded like a bark, came from her. “Uh, no. My dating life is non-existent. Why? Are you asking me out?”

His eyes widened. “No! Um, not that you’re not very attractive. You are, it’s just…are you sure you’re not seeing someone?”

“Are we counting dream men? Because if we are, I did totally have the world’s hottest dream nearly a week ago.”

His jaw set. “How about we get your groceries moved to my van, and then you can tell me all about the dream guy.”

“Thank you!”