Page 74 of Marked
No matter how many times I tell him my name, it’s still ‘girly’. And I can’t even take offense because he calls Caine‘boy-yo’.
“How could I not be when you’re in here grilling up heaven on a bun after I’ve been on my feet for six hours?”
He chortles. “Flattery, girly, will get you everywhere. What will you have?”
I consider taking him up on that offer as my stomach gives a loud bear-roar of a grumble. My free palm presses to my midsection. “Nothing now, Teddy. I’m eating with Ruin when andifhe ever shows up.”
The old cook huffs. “Boy-yo can’t make what I can,” he mutters. “You come see me if he don’t get here soon.”
I clasp his arm and squeeze. “Thanks, Teddy. I will.”
He waves me off with the spatula as his already ruddy face heats under the bright lights. I smile and take the bucket down the hall to the employee bathrooms.
Pushing open the door for the women’s room, I step inside just as the old bulbs flicker. I peer at them. “Every time I come in here,” I say under my breath. Hauling the bucket across the floor, I dump it in the big sink before rinsing it out and leaving it to dry.
My fingers pump the soap dispenser to wash up. I frown when only a little white foam comes out. Sighing, I open the cabinet to look for more, but there is none.
“Of course not.”
I push back out of the bathroom and continue down the corridor to the supply closet. It’s dark when I enter, and I flip the switch to no avail. “Come on, stupid light.” I flip it a few more times. Nothing happens. “Raina has got to call an electrician.” I sigh and pull my phone from my pocket.
Sliding the screen up, I start the flashlight and pass it over the dark interior of the closet.
“Shit.” The curse is masculine and something darts through the beam.
I try to back up, to run. My boot catches a down mop handle, and my arms windmill as I try to stay upright. Strong hands close over my waist, holding me in place. My phone scatters somewhere under the shelves. The beam of light fractures, barely illuminating a familiar face over me.
“Larry?”
He winces. “Hey.”
I look around. “What the hell? Have you been in here the entire time?”
His expression turns sheepish. “Yeah.”
“Why—” I wrench away, and he lets me. “You slipped a charm in my pocket, didn’t you?” I demand. He remains silent. “Larry? Did you slip me that charm?”
He exhales in one long push. “Yeah.”
I back up again. “Why? Why would you do that?”
He scrubs his face with one hand, but his eyes won’t meet mine. “It’s not what you think. I was gonna do some new material tonight, and I always find someone in the audience to act as an amplifier. A ‘laughter is contagious’ kind of thing, ya know? It gets the club good reviews, and they already like the show ...”
“So, if they already enjoy it, everyone they come in to contact with will too,” I finish for him, thinking about how the lust tracked from me to Ruin as long as we were touching.
“But it’s manipulation magick. Illegal if the person doesn’t know. It packs two years of jail time. Foreachoffense.” His face turns ghost white under his freckles, and I know he has used it quite a few times before. “It wasn’t supposed to leave the club, Lilah. I need you to know that. And I didn’t mean for you to have it so long. But then Ruin showed up, and you guys took off to eat. I figured an hour, tops.”
“Then you guys didn’t come back, so I traced it across town to that old haven, Carnage. I figured I could explain, get it back, and be here in time to work, right? No harm, no foul. But I didn’t see you anywhere. I was fixing to leave when this guy came out of the dressing room in a hood and a mask.”
My stomach lurches. “A hood and mask?”
He nods. “Tall dude, covered in all black.” His head raises and he looks at me. “I took off. It was cowardly and stupid. I know that. But the dude gave me the fucking creeps.” He shudders.
I step closer and grab his hand. His palm is warm against mine, warmer than Ruin’s. He glances at me in surprise. “Look, I can’t say you won’t be in trouble because that charm is illegal, but tell Ruin what you told me.”
His eyes bug. “No. I saw how he looked at you. He’ll fucking kill me.”
“Damn fucking right. And I’m starting now.”
