8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Sammy

T his guy is an asshole. But unless I want to risk trying to sneak into the red-light district and dodging all the pimps, he is probably the only customer I'm going to get.

"Payment first, darling," I say with my very best flirtatious smile.

He sneers down his nose at me. "No chance. I'm not being robbed again."

I bite back my sigh. My bank balance is getting frightfully low. This man is the only customer I've had all night and I've been here for hours.

"Alright, darling. Since you insist. But that means I'm not getting in your car. You can join me in the lovely alley back here."

His beady eyes flick to the entrance of the alley a few paces to the right. He licks his lips and turns his car's engine off.

It's fine. I'll blow his world so hard he'll be so loved up on hormones and post-orgasmic bliss, he'll be more than happy to pay me.

Mr. Douchebag gets out of his car and follows me into the alley. I need to find the least gross spot to kneel in. Luckily, this is a fairly good alley. Quite clean. And isn't that depressing that I have enough experience with frigging alleys that I can rate them.

"Here looks good," I say with false cheer.

My customer leans against the wall and gets his dick out. I drop to my knees, careful to land on a clean patch of concrete .

Now, I'm eye-level with a hard cock. It's on the small side, which makes my life easier. And it smells clean. Thank heavens for small mercies. This night keeps looking better and better.

I reach for it. Pro tip, do as much of the work with your hand as you can get away with.

My hand freezes a good five inches from my customer's cock. A wave of nausea washes over me. What the hell? Now is so not the time to get sick.

I try to force my hand closer, but it's like this guy has a force-field around his junk. Repulsion is rolling in my stomach. What on earth is going on? It's a perfectly respectable cock.

Goddammit. Maybe just getting on with sucking it is a good idea? Carefully, I lower my head. I'm getting nearer and nearer. So far, so good.

But no. Now my body is freezing. Solid. And I'm a good two inches away from my target.

I stick my tongue out to see if I can reach it that way and suddenly I'm retching. I manage to fall onto my hands and knees, away from him, because vomiting on someone's erection is all sorts of rude.

"What the hell?" he snaps.

I hear the sounds of a zip. I think he is putting himself away, which honestly is fair enough. I'm still dry heaving here and that has to be insulting.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he snarls.

"No! I'm sorry! I must be coming down with a stomach bug!"

He growls, and then a hand twists in my hair, causing a bright spark of pain. I hiss and fight my instinct to grab his hand. That's a stupid move. I need to get my mace out of my pocket.

"Get your hands off of him!"

The voice rings out. Stern. Commanding. Authoritative. It reverberates in the air and causes goosebumps to erupt over my skin .

The stinging pain in my scalp ends. I scuttle away backwards. My customer is standing slack jawed, staring at a hooded figure in the mouth of the alley.

The hooded figure is wearing a cute blue leather jacket over a black hoodie. Deep in their hood, their eyes are glowing neon blue.

"Leave."

Blue? Is that really Blue?

My customer shuffles forward for all the world like a zombie. Blue stands to the side so he can leave. Now it's just me sat on my ass in the alley. With Blue.

This doesn't make any sense at all.

"Are you following me?" I ask numbly.

"Yes."

A surprised laugh bursts out of me. I don't know what to make of Blue's answer, but at least it's honest.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I was worried about you."

Before I've had time to process that, he has strode forward and closed the distance between us. Now he is standing over me, offering his hand. I take it and he pulls me to my feet as if I weigh nothing. He is clearly far stronger than he looks.

He snatches his hand back quickly, but we are still standing awfully close. His eyes are beautiful.

Blue saved me. He chose to rescue me from an asshole customer. This boy who cowered in my room from workmen, fought his terror and his trauma and his angst for me. He was brave. For me.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

I nod. My nausea has vanished. Gone as quickly as it came. And having jerks pull my hair is no biggy. I've dealt with much worse.

"We have to stop rescuing each other," I say and my voice sounds all breathy and strange.

Blue shakes his head. "I needed to help. It's my fault you can't work."

"What?" I hear myself say. What on earth is he on about ?

Blue's eyes widen and his cheeks flush pink. The intense way he was looking at me a heartbeat ago has gone, and I miss it.

"I…er…was feeling sick earlier. I should have stayed away from you."

I stare at him. Oh right. Yeah. Stomach bug. That had to be why I nearly threw up everywhere. It's the only rational explanation.

But I am surprised that sirens can get regular old tummy bugs. I would have thought paranormal, powerful beings were above such things.

Blue coughs. "I brought a car. I can drive you home."

Home. What a lovely word. The most magical word in the English language. I hope I will have a place to call home one day. For now, I'm staying at the house with Blue and I know that's where he means.

And since I'm sick, I guess I might as well call it quits for the night.

I nod and blindly follow him out of the alley. One of the cars the boys share is parked half on the pavement. Dazedly, I climb into the passenger seat.

"Seatbelt," says Blue softly.

I oblige, and we pull away.

"I didn't know you could drive," I say, and it sounds like a nice, normal topic of conversation. One that nice, normal people would have.

Blue shrugs, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. Should have guessed he'd be a careful driver.

"I left the ocean and spent a few years living as a human before I was captured," he says.

That's surprising. And I don't know why. Perhaps because he acted like he had never been in a cheap burger place before. And I can imagine him being happy in the sea.

"Why?" I ask. It's probably nosy, but I can't help myself.

A rueful smile teases at the corner of his lips. "I had this great idea of becoming a popstar and being worshiped by humans. "

I laugh. "How did that work out?"

"I had barely begun the journey, but it was going great. But then Ritchie caught me for his harem."

Silence falls. Lights from the streetlights sweep through the car. Over and over again. I watch his profile fall into light and then shadow, and then light again. I try to imagine him cocky and confident. Strutting around on a stage in front of screaming fans. And actually, it's not hard to picture at all.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. It's awful how much has been taken from him.

He shrugs as if it is no big deal.

"Are you going to go back to the ocean?" I blurt because it is the first thing that pops into my mind as a much needed change of topic.

But now a strange dull ache is spreading through my chest at the thought. Like I'm some sort of Victorian lady and I'm going to pine away if he leaves. What the hell is wrong with me tonight? This is some strange stomach bug.

"I can't," he says quietly.

And damn, does that make me feel happy.

"Why?" I ask, because shouting ‘Goodie!' would be completely unhinged.

Blue sighs wearily. "Sirens can sense each other. They'd sense me as soon as I set foot in the ocean."

He pauses and I wait with bated breath.

"They'd also sense what was done to me in the harem. It would be weakness in their eyes."

My mouth falls open.

"So they'd eat me," finishes Blue, far too calmly.

"What the hell!" I shriek in sheer and utter outrage.

It feels like my actual blood is boiling and I always thought that was just an expression.

"How dare they! Take me to the ocean and I'll kneecap them all! "

Blue chuckles. The sound is like a splash of cold water. I was being deadly serious. But yeah, that's a ridiculous idea. One mortal human with a baseball bat against all the sirens in the world.

But I'd try. I really would. I'd kill them all if I could.

Time to take a deep breath and calm the fuck down. I've always been a bit feisty and bloodthirsty, but this is a whole new level. Just what kind of stomach bug is this?

Or is it because I've never had a friend like Blue before?

It's probably that. I like all the boys, but I feel strangely close to Blue. Closer than I've ever felt to anyone. Even boyfriends.

It's a nice feeling. I like it. I just need to hope that Blue takes a while to get fed up with me. And who knows, maybe being paranormal and over two hundred years old gives him endless patience?

Wouldn't that be wonderful?