me. Worms in me.” She began rocking back and forth, one hand still held in Asa’s grasp, the other lying limply at her side. “Worms in me . . . worms in me . . . worms in me . . .”
“Oh, my,” Shawna said from behind him, as Asa closed the tweezers around a second earthworm and pulled it from the wound. She opened the specimen container, but Asa shook his head and dropped the worm in the metal pan.
“I think we can easily identify the organism with a visual confirmation, Shawna.” He masked his annoyance at her quick return. He wanted Louise all to himself. Delightful, succulent Louise, who had no husband, no children, no known family, no one to notice when she simply . . . disappeared. And if her friends who lived with her in cardboard boxes beneath the Bathurst Street Bridge happened to report her absence, who would listen? “It seems we have no need of specimen bottles after all.”
“Louise, how did this happen?” Shawna asked. “Did you put these worms in your arm?”
“Yep. To carry ’em. Like a mama kangaroo carries her babies in a pouch.” Louise kept rocking. “Worms in me. My friends. They keep the other worms away. The ones that are eating me.”
Rising, Asa guided Shawna a few steps away. “She has no family? You are quite certain?”
Shawna shook her head. “I double- and triple-checked last time she was in, just like you asked me. Called social services. She has no one.” She tipped her head, her eyes shimmering as she looked at him with adoration. “You are so great, worrying about a poor homeless woman, all upset last time when she left while you were called to a different room. But you were right. She came back. Just like you said she would.” She ran the tips of her fingers along his sleeve, watching him from beneath lowered lashes, then dropped her arm with a little laugh. “I’m glad it was you she saw tonight.”
Oh, so was he. So very glad.
“Thanks. I’ve got this now, Shawna.” Asa smiled, that practiced, perfect smile that made him so damned attractive to these human females. The irony was a small secret pleasure. If they could see him as he truly was . . . He caught her gaze, held it, pouring the smallest glimmer of his will into her.
“I’ll . . . I’ll just go,” she said, her expression puzzled. “I . . . I’ll go.” She walked slowly from the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
He turned back toward Louise, who was humming quietly to herself, or perhaps to her worms.
Damn, he loved this job. The smell of blood. The mayhem. The suffering—
Louise looked up, met his gaze, and her eyes widened as he dropped his façade.
—the food supply.
Chapter 6
A S SHE FOLLOWED CIARRAN OUT OF THE BLUE BAY Motel, Clea noticed that the day’s drizzle had cleared, leaving the night sky dark and star-speckled. Pretty. Gram would have pointed out the Big Dipper. Clea’s breath hitched at the thought.
Turning, she locked the door behind her, then held out her hand for her backpack. With a half smile, Ciarran slung it over his shoulder and walked on. The air was sharp, and Clea wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the October chill, her cotton-and-lycra sweater doing a poor job of it. She stared at Ciarran’s broad back, let her gaze drop to his long-legged stride. Strong. Purposeful.
Sexy.
She exhaled sharply.
It seemed he had places to go, people to see, and he had every intention of taking her with him. He hadn’t given her a great deal of choice, and even if he had, she’d have chosen to go with him.
Because the guy had just saved her from a demon.
A demon, for frig’s sake.
Someone needed to explain that, and for lack of a more cooperative candidate, she nominated Ciarran.
Which meant they weren’t exactly at cross-purposes. He wanted her with him, and for now, the idea had merit. It was the best way for her to get the information she wanted.
Back in the motel, she’d asked him, and he’d stared at her for an infinite moment, his
“Oh, my,” Shawna said from behind him, as Asa closed the tweezers around a second earthworm and pulled it from the wound. She opened the specimen container, but Asa shook his head and dropped the worm in the metal pan.
“I think we can easily identify the organism with a visual confirmation, Shawna.” He masked his annoyance at her quick return. He wanted Louise all to himself. Delightful, succulent Louise, who had no husband, no children, no known family, no one to notice when she simply . . . disappeared. And if her friends who lived with her in cardboard boxes beneath the Bathurst Street Bridge happened to report her absence, who would listen? “It seems we have no need of specimen bottles after all.”
“Louise, how did this happen?” Shawna asked. “Did you put these worms in your arm?”
“Yep. To carry ’em. Like a mama kangaroo carries her babies in a pouch.” Louise kept rocking. “Worms in me. My friends. They keep the other worms away. The ones that are eating me.”
Rising, Asa guided Shawna a few steps away. “She has no family? You are quite certain?”
Shawna shook her head. “I double- and triple-checked last time she was in, just like you asked me. Called social services. She has no one.” She tipped her head, her eyes shimmering as she looked at him with adoration. “You are so great, worrying about a poor homeless woman, all upset last time when she left while you were called to a different room. But you were right. She came back. Just like you said she would.” She ran the tips of her fingers along his sleeve, watching him from beneath lowered lashes, then dropped her arm with a little laugh. “I’m glad it was you she saw tonight.”
Oh, so was he. So very glad.
“Thanks. I’ve got this now, Shawna.” Asa smiled, that practiced, perfect smile that made him so damned attractive to these human females. The irony was a small secret pleasure. If they could see him as he truly was . . . He caught her gaze, held it, pouring the smallest glimmer of his will into her.
“I’ll . . . I’ll just go,” she said, her expression puzzled. “I . . . I’ll go.” She walked slowly from the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
He turned back toward Louise, who was humming quietly to herself, or perhaps to her worms.
Damn, he loved this job. The smell of blood. The mayhem. The suffering—
Louise looked up, met his gaze, and her eyes widened as he dropped his façade.
—the food supply.
Chapter 6
A S SHE FOLLOWED CIARRAN OUT OF THE BLUE BAY Motel, Clea noticed that the day’s drizzle had cleared, leaving the night sky dark and star-speckled. Pretty. Gram would have pointed out the Big Dipper. Clea’s breath hitched at the thought.
Turning, she locked the door behind her, then held out her hand for her backpack. With a half smile, Ciarran slung it over his shoulder and walked on. The air was sharp, and Clea wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the October chill, her cotton-and-lycra sweater doing a poor job of it. She stared at Ciarran’s broad back, let her gaze drop to his long-legged stride. Strong. Purposeful.
Sexy.
She exhaled sharply.
It seemed he had places to go, people to see, and he had every intention of taking her with him. He hadn’t given her a great deal of choice, and even if he had, she’d have chosen to go with him.
Because the guy had just saved her from a demon.
A demon, for frig’s sake.
Someone needed to explain that, and for lack of a more cooperative candidate, she nominated Ciarran.
Which meant they weren’t exactly at cross-purposes. He wanted her with him, and for now, the idea had merit. It was the best way for her to get the information she wanted.
Back in the motel, she’d asked him, and he’d stared at her for an infinite moment, his
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