The Geek Job by Eve Langlais

Chapter Seven

Lexie groaned as she woke. Her head pounded like she’d downed several bottles of tequila, something she’d sworn never to do after her last hangover when she woke up next to a buck toothed shifter. Along with the pulsing ache in her brain, her limbs felt weighted down.What the hell did I do?

Memory flooded back to her and she gasped.Anthony!Her eyes shot open to discover she lay in her own bed back in her house. And fuck did her chest hurt.

She lifted the covers and noted a bandage covering the area where the Fae bastard shot her. She peeled the tape and looked under. The skin appeared pink and tender, the violence of the wound taking longer to heal due to the use of poison. What a fucking pain, but still better than the alternative. Anthony and his frail human constitution would have never stood a chance. Speaking of whom, had he made it back to his lab safely? She’d never find out lying in bed.

She winced as she sat up, wondering how she’d made it from the hotel back home. A knock preceded a head peeking around the door.

With a sigh, Lexie leaned back onto her pillows as her mother approached with a tray of food. “Hi, Mom.” Just her ill luck, her mother had come to tend her.

“About time you woke, Lexington. You had me a tad worried there.” Her soft spoken mother arranged the tray on her lap and then perched herself on the edge of the bed.

“I’m fine, or I will be. Damned Fae,” Lexie grumbled as she grabbed the piece of toast slathered in jam. “How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

Lexie winced.

“I really wish you’d find a different line of work,” her mother broached.

Lexie rolled her eyes.Here we go.“Mom, not this again. I’ll have you know this last job netted me fifteen thousand in two days. Know of any other jobs that pay that well?”

Her mother’s lips tightened into a flat line. “If you had a mate, then money wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Yes, well, I tried that and it hasn’t worked out so well, has it?” One, she had issues kowtowing, and two, she had yet to meet a wolf she couldn’t take down. If she was going to tie herself down for the rest of her life, then she’d prefer someone who could actually handle her.Although, I didn’t mind handling Anthony.

She snapped out of her sudden daydream of her geeky scientist and realized her mother still spoke. “The only reason it doesn’t work is because you refuse to act as a woman.”

“Mom,” Lexie growled in warning.

“Fine. But who’s going to come and care for you when I’m not here anymore?”

Lexie didn’t have an answer to that, so she kept quiet as her mother bustled around her room tidying up. She ate all the food and drank all the juice knowing anything less would have her mother haranguing her again.What is it about my mother that makes her able to boss me around, no problem, but act like a submissive bitch around dad?To give her dad credit, though, he did treat her mother like gold. What a shame more wolves weren’t like him, or as big and tough. Even though he’d disowned her, Lexie still respected him, most of the time.

“I don’t suppose you know if my target made it back safely?” Lexie tossed that out nonchalantly, but her mother whirled with wide eyes.

“Since when do you care about your targets after a job is done? If you ask me, that little human didn’t deserve what you did for him. Unless…” Her mother’s mouth open and shock spread across her face. “Don’t tell me you care for that-that—”

“His name is Anthony, Mom. And no I don’t care for him, I was just curious if he made it back. No biggie.” Lexie lied with a straight face, but her mother’s lack of information made her heart flutter. She needed to find out if he was okay, but first she’d have to get rid of her mother before she had an apoplectic fit. “Mom, just forget I said anything. You know what I could really use is some ice cream. You know the cookie dough kind like you used to get me when I was little.” Lexie truthfully hadn’t eaten the stuff in about fifteen years, but her request worked like a charm.

“You must have run out because I didn’t see any in your freezer. Why don’t you just lie here, and I’ll run down to the store and get some.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Lexie snuggled down in her blankets and closed her eyes, pretending to go back to sleep. She kept one ear cocked and tracking the movement of her mother as she gathered her purse and keys then went out the front door. Only when she heard the sound of her car driving away did Lexie dive out of her bed and go looking for her phone. With her mother the neat freak around, it took her a few minutes to find it stuffed in a drawer along with her gun.

Lexie grabbed both and returned to her room. She slid the revolver under her pillow and then scrolled through her phone book until she found the number she wanted.

She dialed and stared at the ceiling as she waited for an answer.

“Ah, so the she-wolf survives,” Frederick Thibodeaux’s smooth voice would have been sexy if he weren’t so freaking dead.

“I’m not easy to kill. So listen, I don’t recall anything after that Fae bastard shot me. What happened?” In other words—had Anthony made it back safe and did he miss her?

“My incompetent guards let that Fae bastard slip through their fingers. They didn’t live to regret it. Lucky for us, after you used your body as a shield, no further attempts were made on my scientist, and he’s now back to work under my watchful eye.”

“Oh. That’s good.” Relief infused her at the knowledge Anthony was safe. Now if only it would take care of her longing to see him again.

“Not really. You made quite the impression on Anthony. Since he thinks you died—”

“What!” Lexie yelled. “What do you mean he thinks I died?”

“What else would he think when he saw a hole blown in your chest? A human would have succumbed in minutes.” Frederick replied matter-of-factly.

“You have a point,” she grudgingly conceded. “And it’s not like we’ll see each other again.”

“Don’t be so sure. My enemies have grown bolder, and with my daytime guards executed for dereliction of duty, I find myself somewhat shorthanded.”

Lexie wanted to scream,I’ll be there in half an hour,but sanity prevailed. Much as she wanted to see him again—and her wolf paced in her mind eagerly at the thought—it was a bad idea on several levels. First, even if he got over the fact that she survived a deadly wound, he’d end up discovering their weekend tryst was nothing but a sham. Lexie wasn’t sure she could handle his anger and condemnation. Although, on the other hand, perhaps it would help her to stop thinking of him. But then again, what if he forgave her and wanted to resume, did she have the will power to say no and even worse, how would she ever keep her wolf leashed? Even now, just knowing he missed her made her beast push at her control. What if she slipped and accidentally hurt him?

“Sorry, but I’m kind of busy.” She blurted the words out quickly before she changed her mind.

“A shame. You would have been well compensated.”

Lexie closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “Well, thanks for the offer. Let me know if I can be of service again in the future.” She hung up her phone and flopped back on her bed.

Anthony’s okay. The geek job is over and I’m home. Time to forget him and his sexy blue eyes and get on with my life.

Thankfully her mother arrived with a huge container of ice cream to help with the healing process.

* * * *

One week later…

Frederick Thibodeaux watched with irritation as his once brilliant scientist sat with slumped shoulders in his lab, staring off into space, something he’d done in equal measures with moping since he’d returned from the conference. Had the self-pity resulted in work getting done, Frederick wouldn’t have cared. However, his resident geek had not managed more than a few minutes of work, so intent was he on his misery.

Unacceptable, especially with summer fast approaching. Frederick had walked in darkness for nigh on three hundred years and he’d grown damned tired of it. Anthony and his brilliant mind offered the first ray of non-burning light and hope since Frederick had succumbed to his curse. Frederick could handle the teeth, the pale skin, the hunger for blood, and even the hunt to feed, but he damned well missed the hot kiss of sunlight on his face.And now, because that damned she-wolf blew him better than a practiced whore, my chance to day walk is shriveling faster than a cock in ice cold water.

He’d tried to reassure Anthony that Lexie indeed lived, but his geek just turned disbelieving eyes to him and said no human body could have born what she did. It occurred to Frederick to tell him that Lexie was as human as him, but somehow he expected that to meet with even more disbelief from his fact loving scientist.

It galled Frederick that he couldn’t just mesmerize his pet geek, but playing with human minds was a dangerous endeavor, and a chance he just couldn’t take.

Frederick growled and cursed—killed a few trespassers to blow off steam—but ultimately, he recognized there was only one solution to his dilemma and it arrived wearing skin tight leather on her sport bike. Frederick had to grudgingly admit her appeal. If he didn’t treasure his life, or unlife as it was, he would have attempted to seduce her. However, life as a eunuch didn’t appeal and wouldn’t resolve his moping geek problem.

He’d chomped down on his pride and called Lexington for help. Initially she’d just hung up on him. Her brazenness made him see red and gave him a massive hard on. Defiant women were his weakness. Eventually, he got her on the phone and managed to spit out the terms for a new job. She agreed for a high price, higher than her previous demands because, as she’d told him on the phone, “Anthony’s going to be pissed, and I’m really not into the drama.” But at ten thousand a day, even she couldn’t refuse.

Frederick drummed his fingers as he waited for his manservant to bring her to him. She arrived in his office, filling his space with the rich scent of her blood and a musky perfume. A lovely she-wolf indeed, and such a shame she’d probably rip his balls off if he told her. Haughty as she acted, Frederick had to restrain a snicker because regardless of her thoughts on him, she’d actually made him cum quite a few times. While she’d covered the camera in the hotel room, thus denying him a view of her naked body, he’d enjoyed himself grandly listening to the sounds of her fucking Anthony. He’d never expected her to be a screamer and he’d shafted his cock numerous times to the exquisite music of her orgasms.

Lexington paid him no mind and strode over to his screens, staring down with a tight expression at Anthony, slumped on a stool. “This is such a bad idea,” she murmured.

“Well, maybe next time I ask you to play the part of temporary girlfriend you could do so a little less enthusiastically,” Frederick replied dryly. “The man is crushed by your loss.” And if he wasn’t mistaken, the she-wolf appeared affected as well. How unexpected.

“Let’s get a few things straight about this new job. I am here to protect Anthony this time, not fuck him. So you can forget about the naked entertainment. With the full moon fast approaching, be reminded that I will require red meat for both lunch and dinner, or I might start chewing on your staff. Also, you’ll need to have Anthony put under lockdown starting at six p.m. the day of the full moon as I won’t be of any use until the following morning.”

“I’ve already spoken with the chef and he’s put in an order for a few cows, so feeding you won’t be an issue. As for the full moon, I’ve got a special code already in place that will automatically shut the place down tighter than a nun’s thighs.”

“Do you ever take anything seriously?” she asked in an exasperated tone.

“Very, but I’ve lived a long time and find humor helps pass the time. Now, please follow me, if you will, so we can get you started. After all, there’s no time like the present to reunite lovers and watch the fireworks.”

Lexie growled and Frederick chuckled. Emotions would definitely run high in the next few moments, but it beat the depressing pallor of the past week.

Frederick led the way through his chateaux and underground tunnels to the building housing the lab and Anthony’s apartments. He didn’t warn his scientist of their impending arrival preferring instead to surprise him. The human had a strong, healthy heart. He could stand the shock of seeing his dead lover come back to life.

Lexington strode alongside him, her body tense. Frederick could sense both anticipation and trepidation rolling off her. What a pity his feeding involved blood and not emotions like the psychic vampires who fed off extreme feelings. But even if it wouldn’t feed his dark hunger, he’d greatly enjoy the live action drama.

He pressed his hand against console after console, each allowing them access deeper into the building.

“Quite the setup you’ve got,” she remarked.

“Worth every penny if Anthony manages to reverse the curse of sunlight.”

“Funny, I would have thought that not having to eat people for lunch and dinner would have been a higher priority.” She threw him a questioning glance.

Frederick shrugged. “While eating from the source is more satisfying and fresh, blood is easily obtained, both the real and synthetic version. How much of a monster I choose to be is completely up to me. The sunlight factor, however, is deadly. Even the tiniest sliver of skin exposed to that brilliant beauty is enough to turn me into a puddle of steaming goo.”

Lexington shuddered. “Okay, I see your point. I still say, though, that Anthony knowing what you are, a real vampire, would help him. How can he fully understand what he’s curing otherwise?”

Frederick clasped his hands behind his back as he walked the length of the last corridor before the lab. “I’m beginning to believe you might be correct. However, it is not something I can just dump on him. His fragile human psyche couldn’t handle it.”

“I think he’s stronger than you give him credit for.”

“And that is why you are going to tell him you are a werewolf?” Frederick stopped in front of the door and faced her with an arched brow.

The she-wolf, who feared nothing, actually fidgeted and dropped her gaze. “Yeah, well, no. I hadn’t actually planned to do that.” At Frederick’s chuckle, her chin shot up and she attempted to defend her position. “I mean, it’s not like he needs to know what I am to fix me.”

“But he will need to know if you are to become a couple.”

Lexington scowled at him. “We are not going to be a couple. Humans and wolves, while they can play, do not stay together.”

Frederick shrugged. “If you say so. But just so you know, if you do break him by accident, I could always turn him. He wouldn’t be wolf, but he’d be strong and able to heal.”

“Don’t you dare,” she growled.

Frederick flashed her a grin replete with fangs, then smacked his hand on the console which slid the door open and forestalled her rebuttal.

Anthony didn’t even turn to see who’d arrived. He sat hunched on a stool, staring at a screen full of squiggly lines.

“How’s the work coming?” Frederick asked moving to stand beside him while Lexington hovered by the door.

Anthony shrugged.

Frederick peered at the screen and pretended he didn’t know what he saw. “Whose DNA is that?”

“It was supposed to be Lexie’s, but I must have contaminated the sample somehow because it keeps coming up twined with a secondary strand.”

“Forget staring at a screen. Try turning around and saying hello to the real thing instead.”

“What?” Anthony lifted his head as Frederick spun the stool.

Then he had to catch his resident geek as he fell off it in a dead faint.