Page 9 of From the Shadows
Shay shook his head. “No, thank you. I don’t drink alcohol. I tried once, and I hated the way it made me feel.”
The man patted Shay’s shoulder gently. “That’s a wise choice.” He turned to Ms. Donnelly. “Ma’am, is there anything else I can do before I go help with dinner?”
“No, but thank you, Hal. Please tell Anna to ensure we have enough so that we can show our guest some hospitality. Also, please make her aware of his dietary preferences. His favorite meal is a vegan Alfredo with mushrooms, red peppers, and broccoli florets.”
Shame coursed through Shay. He was no one special and didn’t want to be treated as if he was. “Oh, no. Please, don’t put anyone out on my account.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Trust me on this. If I don’t tell her what you enjoy, she’ll be impossible to live with. It’s much easier to do things her way, rather than hearing her cursing in my head. Hal, if you please?”
Hal bowed slightly. “Of course, ma’am. Mr. Nowak, it was a true pleasure meeting you. I look forward to rousing discussions about werewolves.” He grinned. “I am intrigued by your take on them.”
And before Shay could utter a word, Hal was gone.
“You’ll have to forgive Hal. It’s rare we have visitors, and he does so enjoy… spirited conversation.”
“I like him. He seems nice.”
“He is. Everyone who works with us is, in their own way, nice. Some just have a harder time showing it.”
“Can I ask you to tell me about these people you want me to work for?”
Her eyes widened. “With, Shay. You would be working with them. You’d be the majordomo of the household. There will be a staff, but beyond Hal and Anna, they’re transient. You three would be the only ones who live on property with our group. Hal is our butler, Anna the maid. While waiting for you to arrive, she’s taken over the duties of cook, but she doesn’t like it.” Ms. Connelly leaned forward. “She’s the oldest of eight children, and growing up, she’d had to care for them after their mother passed. Now she never wants to have kids, because she enjoys being free to do what she wants. Still, she’s a good cook, and you’ll like her food.”
“Wait. Back up a minute. I have to live here?”
She stood, brushing a hand down the front of her dress as if smoothing it out. Like a wrinkle would dare detract from her beauty. “Of course. This is a live-in position. Your duties wouldn’t be exhaustive, so you would have time to explore the library, use any of the computers, take classes. Whatever interests you, we can help make it happen.”
Shay chuckled. “It sounds like I should be paying you.”
“Hardly. All that is part of your package. There’s also what we believe is a generous salary, but we can most certainly negotiate if you opt to take the job. For now, though, please come with me. We’ll sit and have a nice meal, and then we can continue talking about you working with us.”
Dutifully, Shay rose and followed behind Ms. Connelly. He had a feeling his life was about to veer off into a direction he never expected.
And surprisingly, he was excited about it.
Chapter 3
Diego smiled down at Jeremy,who lay beside him, his head on Diego’s chest. He hadn’t even made it halfway throughAvengers: Infinity Warbefore he conked out. Jerm had been sleeping a lot in the last three days. Last night Diego had brought it up and Ranna told him that Jerm was probably getting ready for his first molt.
“Hiswhat?”
She’d grinned at him. “You know how snakes shed their skin? Well, snake shifters do the same as they grow. He’ll get cranky and be exhausted quite a bit of the time. He’ll go into his room, where he’ll lay beneath the heat lamps and fall asleep. While he rests, his skin will split and slide off, leaving him with a fresh, healthy glow.”
Diego had shuddered at the thought. “At least he’ll be asleep during it.”
“And you know you’re going to have to put money beneath his pillow for it.”
Diego scowled. “What? Like the fucking tooth fairy?”
“Precisely. Jeremy won’t lose teeth, so he’ll never have that excitement. It’s why his shedding is so important. For snake shifters, it’s a rite of passage. This will be his one and only molt until he’s a teenager, and then they’ll happen two to three timesper year, depending on how he grows.” Her smile softened. “He doesn’t have anyone to help him with this. He’s going to be scared, and how we react will go a long way to calming him. We need to be ready, because this will be a life-altering event for him.”
His thoughts about the rest of the conversation were cut off by the bell. He turned to Ranna, who sat on one of the overstuffed loveseats reading a book. She lifted her head and met his gaze.
“You expecting anyone?”
She shook her head. “No one logged any guests coming.”
Diego reached into his holster and pulled out his Glock. He made his way to the door, not in any hurry. Sloppiness made for dead bounty hunters. He reached the front entrance and peered through the one-way glass. Outside stood a short man clutching a suitcase. Blond hair and light brown, almost coffee-colored eyes. No way was this pipsqueak a threat of any kind.
