Page 17 of Nexus
“Who’s this?” Pierre asked, eyeing me like I was a tasty treat.
I’d expected him to have a French accent, but he was a local. It wasn’t easy to tear my gaze away from his genitals and up to his face. In his forties, he was slender, had scraggly brown hair, squinty eyes and a pointed nose. He might be a wereweasel, but he was hung like a werehorse. “I’m Saige Sterling,” I said as he propped his head on his hand, making no move to get up. “I’m Lord Gilden’s newest bounty hunter.”
“Ahh, another brave huntress has been brought into the fold,” he said with a smirk. “I suppose the bloodsucker has brought you here to exchange the dragon’s precious gold coins for cash?”
“Yep,” I said, eyes drawn back to his hardening member.
“Either put pants on, or I’ll put them on you myself,” Ruen said threateningly.
Pierre rolled his eyes, then sat up. He hopped off the counter to pull on the clothes he’d left on the floor. “He has no sense of humor,” the weasel told me when he turned around again.
“I’ve noticed,” I replied with a bland expression, trying to pretend he wasn’t sporting a huge woody. Clearly, the shifter was an exhibitionist and liked showing off his manhood. “What if we’d been humans?” I asked. “They would have freaked out if they’d seen you in your weasel form.”
“I would have smelled their scents as they’d entered and ducked into the back room to change,” he said, hiking his thumb at the door behind him. “May I see the coins?” he asked, holding his hand out.
Glad I’d brought them with me, I took my wallet out and dug around for the heavy gold pieces. “That’s all of them,” I said, dropping them onto his palm.
“You’ve already completed several jobs for Lord Gilden?” he asked as he examined them.
“Nope. They’re all from the same job last night,” I boasted.
The weasel looked at the vamp for confirmation. He whistled, impressed when Ruen nodded. “You killed seven rogues in one night? What species were they?”
“His kind,” I replied, pointing at my partner.
“I thought your master wouldn’t allow you to kill anything,” Pierre said with a frown.
“My restrictions are still in place,” Ruen told him.
Pierre looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Looking past my outfit, hair and tattoos, he stared into my eyes as if searching my very soul. “I have a feeling you’re going to be an interesting addition to the team.”
“I aim to be the best bounty hunter in Nexus,” I declared. Instead of snorting in amusement, both men exchanged glances. I’d taken down seven vampires on my own without sustaining any injuries. I’d only been on the team for one night and I was already becoming a legend.
Chapter Fourteen
PIERRE SHOOK OFF HIS surprise that I was more than just a pretty face with a voluptuous body. “I pay the bounty hunters electronically, since they’re regular customers with specialized items to trade,” he said, turning professional. “You’ll need to give me your account details the next time you come in.”
“Get with the times, grandpa,” I said, holding up my phone. “Everyone does internet banking on these newfangled devices now.”
He smirked at my sarcasm. “Not all supernatural beings trust modern technology. Most wouldn’t trust me with their bank account details.”
“Why should I trust you with them?” I asked, realizing it was stupid to hand my account numbers over without knowing more about him.
“Pierre has been working with Lord Gilden for two decades,” Ruen said. “He knows better than to cross any of our employer’s people.”
“I like my head where it is,” the wereweasel shrugged, implying he’d lose it if he screwed up. “Give me your details and I’ll transfer the payment to you.”
I didn’t know the numbers off the top of my head, so I brought them up on my phone and rattled them off. He used his own phone to transfer me the funds. I goggled when five thousand dollars appeared in my account. “Ruen said the coins were rare and expensive, but I didn’t know they were worth that much!” I exclaimed.
“Hunting rogues is dangerous work,” he said. “Just wait until your boss sends you after something truly perilous. You’ll faint when he rewards you.” He grinned widely, showing me slightly turned in teeth that needed a good scrubbing.
“I can’t wait,” I said in anticipation.
“May I suggest purchasing a safe to store your valuables in until you can bring them here and exchange them for money?” Pierre said.
“Is that really necessary?” I asked skeptically.
“Most bounty hunters have safes,” Ruen told me. “Everyone who knows them is aware of what they do for a living. Some idiots are tempted to steal from them.”
