Page 80 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

Chapter Sixty

Lindy

The bar was finally quiet, the last of the patrons gone.

Lindy cashed out the register and checked the time.

Lindy and Waverly were deep in their nightly closing ritual.

Waverly moved through the space with a rag tucked in her back pocket as she flipped chairs, putting them on the tabletops.

Her eyes had finally stopped being red and looking as if she’d been pepper-sprayed.

Lindy went into the kitchen to see what sort of mess had been left for her there.

Much to her shock, Bill had cleaned up after himself.

Tonight’s Wild Bill Special had been pulled pork sandwiches and potato wedges.

That was extra impressive considering he’d had to abandon the kitchen to go with her, Mac, and Car to Charley’s rescue after Lindy had gotten a frantic call from Chaley, who was crying.

Charley hadn’t made a ton of sense at the time.

Something about being upset with the naked guy that she’d found in her barn early in the day.

Lindy hadn’t waited for all the details—she’d dropped everything and gone straight to her.

Since her car was still in the shop, she’d gotten a ride from an unlikely source—Mac and Car.

Bill had tagged along, insisting he was the backup.

Lindy had gone armed with one of Charley’s favorite cupcakes, and once there, had punched the naked guy (who had been in gray sweatpants at the time, much to Lindy’s dismay since she’d really wanted to see Naked Guy being, well, naked) in the face.

Mac and Car had prevented her from causing more bodily harm to the man who was named Ace of all things.

Bill had been all for her taking another swing at Ace.

When it was all said and done, Lindy had managed to cheer up Charley, but it hadn’t felt like the right time to dump everything on her about Jesse.

And it certainly hadn’t felt like the time to drop being a succubus on her.

And there was no way she was going to tell Charley about her father and Uncle Benat when she wasn’t even sure what the details were. Jesse swore he’d tell her soon.

The rest could wait.

“So, is your man coming to pick you up tonight since your car is still in the shop?” asked Waverly.

Lindy grinned. “I’m not sure I’d call him my man.”

“Uh, okay. You two are like joined at the hip the last two nights,” Waverly said. “Is he picking you up tonight?”

Weirdly, she’d still not heard from Jesse all day.

She had gotten a call from Nicholas letting her know that her car was done at the shop and that his buddy had fixed it for free since he’d apparently owed Nicholas a favor. Lindy wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Nicholas is bringing my car by tonight.”

“Wow. I really need to meet this Nicholas guy. He can bake and does car deliveries at ungodly hours,” said Waverly with a grin. “Tell me he’s hot too.”

“Totally.” Lindy nodded, but a strange sensation prickled at the back of her neck. She straightened, rubbing the spot absently. Something felt...off.

”You okay?” Waverly asked, her smile faltering.

”Yeah, just got a weird feeling all of a sudden.” Lindy glanced around the empty bar, searching for anything out of place. Nothing seemed amiss, but the sensation intensified. A cold shiver raced up her spine, making her succubus side stir uneasily.

“That's weird. I just got chills.” Waverly rubbed her arms. “Did the temperature drop in here or something?”

“I don't think so.” Lindy moved toward the thermostat but paused when a sharp knock came from the back door. Three hard raps that echoed through the quiet bar.

Lindy and Waverly came to a dead stop before glancing at each other and laughing. “Nicholas,” they said in unison.

”Want me to get it?” Waverly asked.

”No, I've got it.” Lindy squared her shoulders and headed toward the back. Her darkness stirred more insistently now. It was being odd, acting as if Nicholas was a threat. The man was nothing but nice.

Another knock, more impatient this time.

Lindy unlocked the deadbolt, turned the knob, and pulled the door open.

Her mouth fell open in shock. Irwin stood there, looking tired but otherwise exactly the same as when she'd last seen him. Same faded jeans, same stupid fishing hat, same weathered face. “Irwin?”

He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her, unease pouring off him in waves.

“You okay?” she asked, holding the door open for him. He didn’t enter. “And where have you been? I thought you were dead or something. I was thinking of putting a missing person’s report in on you.”

“I’m good,” he said, clearing his throat. “I, um, went on a fishing trip.”

Lindy stared at him, momentarily speechless. “I'm glad you're not dead, but what the hell, dude? You left me hanging.” She stepped back, gesturing him inside, despite the strange unease still crawling up her spine. “Come on in, Irwin. I have your things and your last check.”

He stepped inside, and the cold feeling intensified. Something was definitely off, but Lindy couldn't put her finger on what exactly. He didn’t meet her gaze.

“Is everything okay?” she asked before her chest tightened. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Can I help in any way?”

He looked pained before he glanced over his shoulder at the still open door. He looked back at her and mouthed the word “run.”

Her brain didn’t process the word fast enough. She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. She just stared at him, trying to understand what was going on.

The back door was yanked open so hard and fast that it came off its hinges.

Lindy gasped and froze when she found herself standing face-to-face with a man who had haunted her nightmares for years.

Cigarette-Man.

“Little Sweet Thing,” Cigarette-Man said, his voice making Lindy’s skin crawl.

Waverly entered the back hallway. “Lindy, can I meet the baker? Irwin? You’re back?”

Cigarette-Man nodded to Irwin. “Handle the waitress, Peters. No witnesses.”

“Efren, let’s talk about this,” said Peters.

Cigarette-Man snarled, his teeth going from human to animal-like instantly. “There is nothing to talk about. If I’m right, PSI is cutting through our hybrid problem as we speak at Samuel’s ranch.”

Worry slashed through Lindy. Something was happening at Charley’s rescue?

“Culbertson has his hands full with that,” said Cigarette-Man. “This is our chance. I’ve waited twenty-seven years to claim what’s mine.” He stared at Lindy from his one good eye. “Time to come with me, Little Sweet Thing.”

Waverly strolled toward them without a care in the world. She touched Lindy’s arm. “You all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Irwin put his hand on Waverly’s shoulder. “Come on. Don’t get involved in this.”

Waverly glanced at the man’s hand on her shoulder and then up at him. “If you don’t remove that, I will—with a meat cleaver.”

Surprise shone on his face.

Cigarette-Man lunged for Lindy, grabbing her by the hair.

He yanked hard, jerking her toward him. She was instantly taken back to when she was behind the grocery store.

To the terror she’d felt. All the hard work and training she’d put in over the years fell away, and she was reduced to the same scared teen she had been years ago.

Waverly, on the other hand, didn’t seem to suffer the same issue.

Lindy caught movement, and the next she knew, Waverly was kneeing Irwin in the nuts and rushing at Cigarette-Man as if she were a linebacker, not a waitress who topped the scales at a buck fifteen soaking wet. She collided with the man, causing him to stagger and loosen his hold on Lindy’s hair.

Waverly grabbed Lindy’s hand and yanked her in the direction of the door that led into the kitchen. They hurried through it, Waverly dragging her, Lindy fumbling as her brain seemed to be stuck on a frozen setting.

Waverly pushed Lindy toward the sink area and spun around, going toward the knives on the wall near the stove area.

Irwin and Cigarette-Man came bursting through the door.

Waverly twisted around and grabbed for Bill’s squeeze bottle of Outlaw Wing Sauce on the counter.

She held it up and proceeded to spray the men in the face with it.

They swiped their hands over their eyes, pushing away the sauce.

Irwin rubbed both of his eyes. “Fuck! What is that? It burns!”

“I know, asshole!” Waverly shouted.

Cigarette-Man backhanded Waverly, sending her flying up and over the center island. Hissing, he closed his good eye. “Peters, grab Little Sweet Thing!”

Lindy jerked, snapping out of her state of fear.

She grabbed one of the frying pans from the drying rack and twisted around, hitting Irwin with it while he was still busy rubbing his eyes.

He went down hard. She lifted it to hit Cigarette-Man, but he was expecting the move and grabbed her wrist, squeezing to the point Lindy was left no choice but to drop the pan.

It fell to the floor next to Waverly, who wasn’t moving.

Cigarette-Man hit Lindy, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. He grabbed for her, but she darted out of reach.

He snarled. “Bitch.”

She tried to kick him in the nuts, but he deflected the move with ease, laughing wickedly. Realizing she was close to the eyewash station, Lindy twisted and yanked the fire extinguisher off the wall. She used it to hit Cigarette-Man.

He stumbled but didn’t go down. He recovered quickly, and the look he sent her left a tiny trickle of fear racing through her. “You shouldn’t have done that, Little Sweet Thing.”

Irwin pushed to his feet with a groan, his eyes red and swollen.

Cigarette-Man struck Lindy in the upper chest, and she fell backward, against the center island.

Irwin gasped. “Efren, careful! You’ll kill her!”

Efren.

The monster had a name.

Lindy shot a disgusted look his way.

He sneered. “She’s hardy stock. You were there, you saw what the scientists did to her and the other little freaks. She can take a few hits. Hell, I plan on fucking her way rougher than this.”