Page 7 of Vipers and Vendettas

I stare at him, my heart pounding. If it’s that obvious to him where I just came from, others will quickly realize, too. ‘You want to give me a job? Doing what?’

‘What it looks like you’ve already been doing, girl.’

‘Okay,’ I say, not letting myself second guess.

I have nowhere else to go anyway.

He grins, glad I’ve agreed so quickly. ‘What’s your name, kid?’

‘Victoria.’ I give him the name easily. I’ve been practicing that in my cell at night, too.

‘Cute name,’ he says. ‘How could you tell I was a vamp, Vicki? I take my fake tanning regime very seriously.’

I shrug. ‘Don’t know. But I can always tell a supe.’

He gives a small chuckle. ‘Another useful talent in Supeland.’

He gets up from the chair. ‘Here.’

He throws a jingling pouch across the desk and then turns around to grab a box from the shelf behind him.

He turns back in time to see my dress hiked up again as I stow the bag of money, and this time, he whistles low.

‘Those fae cunts really fucked with you, huh?’ he says quietly, taking in my scars.

I pull my dress down quickly, wilting a little under his scrutiny. I’ve never had anyone staring at them or commenting on them before. Everyone where I’m from was used to seeing them, so no one bothered to say anything about them.

I’ll need to keep my entire body covered, I realize, or having a conjure to keep me hidden from magick isn’t going to do a damn bit of good. Tamadrielle’s people will find me as soon as someone sees the marks and blabs.

Jack opens the box and takes out a golden medallion. I move to take it, but he waves me back.

‘No, sweet Vicki, the object is just a case for the conjure.’

He closes his eyes and says some fae words while he holds the round disk in his hand. When he’s done, he chucks the medallion in the trashcan by the desk.

‘How will I know it works?’ I ask him.

He smirks. ‘The fae fuckers won’t show up at my door looking for you,’ he says. ‘Trust me. I don’t want them turning their heads my way, either. It’s in both our interests for you to be hidden from their tracking spells.’

I frown at him, not trusting him for a second.

He sighs. ‘You’ll start to feel it if you concentrate. Like a buzzing in your body. When the tone changes, the conjure is getting to the end of its life, and you need a new one.’

‘And if it stops completely?’ I ask.

‘Start running.’

I nod. ‘Thank you. Where can I go to get some clothes and clean up? Are there places to rent close by?’

Jack snaps his fingers, and a door opens. ‘My apartment is upstairs. You can stay in my guestroom until you’re on your feet, okay?’

‘I can’t say with you,’ I say, my eyes wide. ‘You’re a stranger.’

‘Stranger danger? What are you, twelve?’ He laughs. ‘But it’s cool. You’re right. We don’t know each other yet. I’m a vamp. You’re a human. I understand. There’s a hotel down the street or some lodging houses across the way.’

‘Thank you.’

He shrugs. ‘They’ll ask questions, though.’