To Ash’s credit, he didn’t react to the ramshackle house in any way.
Nick gave a low whistle as he saw a couple of people on the street stop and stare at the car. “Man, my neighbors must be freaking out. First I get picked up by a Lexus and now I’m being dropped off in a Porsche. It’s a wonder they’re not cal ing New Orleans’ finest to report suspicious activity.” Ash scoffed as he turned the car off. “I think the LEOs have more important things to worry about tonight than the cars coming to your house.”
Nick frowned at the word he didn’t understand. “LEOs?”
“Law enforcement officers.”
“Ah … cool anagram.”
“Acronym,” Ash corrected. But this time when he spoke his accent was extremely thick with the first part of the word coming from deep and low in his throat—like a growl. It was a real y cool sound.
“Wait … Say that word again.”
“Acronym.” And poof, Ash now sounded like anyone else on the street.
“That’s so awesome that you can toss out your accent. How do you do that?”
“Lots of practice. Now if you don’t mind, I need to dump you out so I can get down to my business.”
“Which is?”
“Wrangling people … which right now is you. Get out, Nick.” Nick opened the door and rol ed out of the car. Ash grabbed his backpack and fol owed him up the short, crumbling walkway that was overgrown with grass and littered with pebbles.
Not to mention a few cockroaches that scattered out of his way. Some of them ran up under the plant Bubba had sent to him.
Trying not to think about the roaches, Nick barely made it into the door of his house before his mom threw it open and grabbed him into a tight hug. “Arm! Arm! Arm!” he said quickly as she hurt him.
She released him immediately. “I’m so sorry, Boo. I was just so scared and then to see you … I could beat your butt blue, boy. Don’t you ever worry me like that again. You hear me!” Nick rubbed his hand over his injured arm, which was stil stinging from her hug. “You know, I hear they have medication for those kind of vicious mood swings, Ma. Maybe you should consider taking some?”
She scoffed at him. “Don’t you dare get lippy with me after what you’ve put me through today. You’re lucky you’re not grounded over this stunt. If you’d been any place other than work, you would be.” She turned back toward the door to close it and froze as she saw Acheron on the porch. Her face went white as she took in the size of him.
“It’s okay, Mom. He’s a friend of Mr. Hunter’s who brought me home.”
Acheron held up Nick’s backpack for her to see. “I was just carrying this in for him, Mrs. Gautier. Sorry I startled you.” His mom smiled as she caught herself gawking. “It’s okay. I just …”
Ash smiled. “Yeah, I know. It’s a hazard of the height and clothes. I tend to freak out a lot of people.” Not to mention that lethal aura that sizzled in the air around him. But Nick was beginning to get used to that.
“Do you work for Mr. Hunter too?” his mom asked.
Ash set his backpack down by the door. “No, ma’am. We’re just old friends.”
She smiled. “You don’t look old enough to have old friends.” Nick snorted at her making the same assumption he had.
“Trust me, Mom, he’s a lot older than he looks.”
“Wel , thank you for bringing my baby home. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Acheron turned toward Nick. “Keep your nose clean, kid. I’l see you around.”
“Thanks, Ash.”
He inclined his head before he left.
His mom locked the door and moved Nick’s backpack away from the threshold so that they wouldn’t trip over it. “He’s a bit peculiar, isn’t he?”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“So how did your first day with Mr. Hunter go?”
“It was al right.” Aside from the zombies, Rosa’s lunacy, and Acheron, but no need to completely terrify her. Only one of them needed to freak out at a time.
“Good. Now I better get ready for work.” She headed for her room.
Nick pul ed her to a stop. “I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I want you to quit tonight.”
Sighing, she twisted her arm out of his hold. “Stop with the nonsense, Nick. You know I can’t quit. We need the money.”
“No, Ma, real y. Mr. Hunter’s going to pay me four thousand a month to work for him.”
Her jaw went slack as her eyes narrowed in anger. “Doing what?”
“Running errands, like he said.”
“Oh no, no, no. I’m not having any of that. No one pays that kind of money for running legal errands. I want you to quit first thing tomorrow.”
“No, Mom. It’s al legal. I promise.”
Stil she refused to believe him. “Not for that kind of money it’s not. What kind of fool do you take me for? I wasn’t born yesterday. I—”
“Mom, listen. Please. He real y is loaded like you’ve never seen before. Ash told me that Kyrian thinks I’m underpaid. The guy has no concept of how much money he’s paying me.