I got Rosie to cover my shift for the night. After she saw the bruises still on my face from my fight with the Coven she didn’t have a problem helping me out. I went through the back of the restaurant and found Dominic inside the office. “I thought you were cutting back on your hours here.” I said.
“Michael had another matter to cover. What happened darling?” he winced at my appearance, not only did I look like crap but my outfit wasn’t appealing either. I left the house in ripped jeans and one of my over sized worn out t-shirts.
“A disagreement, nothing too major. I ran into Caleb as I was leaving home and he told me to give this to you and only you.” I pulled the envelope free and passed it along. My fingers itched on the ride over to rip the thing open and find out what the wolves and vampires were discussing now, except I couldn’t break the loyalty they had in me to remain neutral. “Is there a problem?”
Dominic laid the envelope on the table and folded his hands, he’d read it when I was gone I’m sure. “I sure hope not. How have you been?” he was a master vampire who’s been alive more than five lifetimes, he didn’t look a day older than fifty but yet he treated everyone as if they were his long lost grandchildren. He could be ruthless when need be but most of the time, he was a marshmallow. Michael was the one harder around the edges.
“The same, I work and when I’m off I spend my days at home.”
“How does Caleb Nikolas fit into your plans?”
That question threw me off guard and I wasn’t able to hide my shock. “What?” my eyes went wide as I shook my head. “He doesn’t. I frequent the house to see Jamie, nothing more.” I couldn’t understand why everyone wanted to assume there was something going on between Caleb and me.
“Michael believes other wise.” It started to make sense, he was asking me these questions because of his son.
I sighed and sat across from Dominic in one of the chairs he had for company. “Michael has reminded me over and over that we’re done and have no say in each other’s lives. I swear, there is nothing happening with Caleb. Even if there was, what say would Michael have?”
“It’d alter your work for us. It wouldn’t simply be you moving on and it bothering him, there’s a bigger picture Evie.”
I ran both my hands through my hair. “There’s nothing going on. For years now Michael wants to believe something that isn’t there. I don’t know any other ways to say it.” I stood from the chair. “Thank you for always hearing me out. I’ll be back on my regular rotation tomorrow evening.”
Dominic stood to walk me out and took my hands in his. “Your face looks like it could use some more time. I don’t want to see you until Friday.” That was in three days.
“Are you sure?” I relied a lot on work to keep me busy, but I wasn’t eager to throw myself back into the long hours on my feet either.
“Yes and I know if we need the help I can call. Go home and rest, forget about this place and the worries leaving you restless.”
Looking at Dominic, I was reminded of all the ways he had helped me in the past. He never supported Michael and me together but nonetheless, he always offered advice to the best of his ability. “Should I be worried about something big happening? Why does Michael want the wolves spied on?” I was scared for Michael and I was scared for Caleb.
Dominic patted my hands. “Go home and rest. We’ll see each other Friday.”
I knew him well enough to spot the dismissal. I smiled and left the office. I should’ve known better than to think he’d tell me anything that’s risk goinh behind Michael’s back.
I was coming back through the restaurant to go out the front entrance when someone stopped me. It was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties with dark brown hair and a pair of green bluish eyes. There was something about her that was far too serious for someone her age. “Can I help you?” I asked.
“Evie Cortez?”
“That’s me.”
“My name is Bess Jane.”
I nodded as a remembered hearing her name before on TV and from Jake’s mouth. “You run the SCF, Jake’s mentioned you and those ads on TV name you as the person to call with a supernatural problem.”
She cringed. “I hate those things. How do you know Jake?”
“A friend of a friend and so on. What do you want from me?”
“Can we talk outside with a little privacy? I won’t take too much of your time.”
I knew she wasn’t going to let me go without agreeing to talk to her, be it now or another time. “Sure.” I had nothing to lose by hearing her out even if I knew whatever she had to say I wouldn’t be interested.
We stepped outside and walked a few steps away from the busy restaurant. “Do you know Jake’s brother?” she asked.
“Not personally.” I knew some facts from Jake himself; his older brother was named Chase who also worked for the SCF and a daughter named Lily.
“He’s a whiz with research and knowing just about everything there is to know about the supernatural. He and Jake are pretty close.”
I saw where she was going and didn’t like it. “He mentioned me and now you think you know something about what I am and what I can do? Let’s save the chit chat and you just get to the point.” I felt my very thin patience fleeting from my grasp. I didn’t like being bombarded.
She smiled; my attitude didn’t seem to bother her. If anything it seemed to impress her. “I want you to come work for me. The SCF could use someone with your power and connections.”
“Connections?”
“You know very important people in town, you interact with the public everyday and they’d trust you. The city needs to know the SCF is capable and they can rely on us for safety.” She was a business woman selling her pitch as perfectly as she could, she was doing a hell of a job too by playing the public safety card.
“Look, Ms. Jane, that’s all fine and dandy and I think what you’re trying to do is good for the city but I can’t help you. I need to get going.” I turned away and headed for my car.
“I get what I want, we’ll be seeing each other again.” She called out as I got farther and farther.
I chuckled and shook my head. “Great, looking forward to it.”