Borrowed Souls (Soul Charmer #1)(45)
Callie had agreed to let Derek meet her at her apartment. Each day she spent with him, the more she understood him. He took his job seriously, and that meant protecting her was paramount. He had no idea how much she needed his protection now.
When he’d dropped her off the night before, he’d referred to her aging vehicle as an eyesore and not-so-politely suggested it didn’t fit into the stealthy logistics required for this job. She thought it had less to do with sneaking around—they rumbled up everywhere on a noisy motorcycle—and more to do with control. They’d spent plenty of time talking about that, but hadn’t talked about the kiss, even though when she’d wrapped her legs on either side of him to ride home she swore she heard him groan.
The morning visit from Ford and subsequent Tess revelation had stopped her from obsessing over Derek and her flamethrower hands for the better part of the day. Nothing like an in-person chat with the murderous king of local criminals to send you into a panicky spiral of self-doubt and shame. Family woes plus mob bosses equaled stomachaches. She splurged on two bottles of Tums at the store. The extra cash she had to spend was worth it to keep her insides intact.
Derek’s thunderous knock at the door was a relief. There wouldn’t be dancing and homemade enchiladas that night, but Callie would be one day closer to saving Josh.
“You look nice,” he said when she opened the door.
She hadn’t fancied up for a night of hunting delinquent soul renters, but she did succumb to the need to put on some mascara and swapped out her standard simple studs for red and white polka dot button earrings. Ford had offered her oblivion by way of powder today. She’d rather reach peak distraction through a different, more natural kind of bliss. The heat of her kiss with Derek might have been one sided for all she knew, but she put a little effort into tonight’s look, just in case she was wrong. A few strands had escaped her ponytail, though, and she smoothed them behind her ear. “Thanks.”
Derek sat at the far end of the couch, and immediately sprawled across a cushion and a half. It was her favorite place to read books. She didn’t ask him to move, though. “I asked a couple of the other guys at the Charmer’s about people reneging on their rentals, and then not having souls to retrieve when we get there to collect.”
“It’s happening to everyone?” Callie sank onto the other end of the couch, pulling one leg up and wrapping her arms around her knee. Hugging yourself was underrated.
“Thank God,” he muttered. Derek continued, louder. “Yeah, it’s not just us. Weird thing is, they’ve all been people who have rented from us for a long time.”
“And they have to be tracked down?”
“Most of the time,” he let a little chagrin coat his words. “Some are junkies, others get caught up in the thrill of whatever it is they do while doubling up. A few are just asshole crooks.”
“Couldn’t you just let them keep the souls a little longer and bill them for another round?”
“It’s a cash business, but that kind of a system wouldn’t work for long, regardless. Plus, they get a better fix if we freshen the goods. Rented souls aren’t meant to be permanently bound to another’s body. Fucked up shit can happen.”
Callie wasn’t ready to know what those consequences entailed. “So it’s a safety thing.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. It’s a maintenance thing.” He shrugged, and then continued. “Usually they don’t put up a fight about giving it back. We just have to come to them.”
“You make it sound like you don’t mind.” The familiar way he spoke about them reminded her of the way she talked about Josh. A hassle, but one you loved despite the drama.
“They’re a big part of my job, and I’m not all blood and broken bones, you know.”
“I know,” she whispered, as if the non-violent side of him was their secret.
“Not sure why the ones who come to us the most are the ones bailing.”
His confiding tone made Callie move closer to him on the couch. She rested her hand on his knee, and he sighed.
“We should find out what Tess offers them,” she suggested. Oblivion? It had to be more than her kind demeanor.
“Well, she’s making it a lot harder to make them pay their back rent the next time they come in.” Derek’s sour tone suggested maybe there was lost commission, too. At least the length of her indentured servitude wasn’t predicated on dollars earned.
“Sure, but what are they going to do when they need another soul? You said these people are renting all the time from the Charmer.” The more Callie invested in Derek, the more she was bound to the Charmer. Danger was becoming normal.
“Tess is already stealing from us. It won’t surprise me if she starts selling, too.” Defeatism didn’t suit Derek.
“Bianca didn’t mention selling anything.”
His wry smile should have worried her more, but Callie liked seeing him conniving. “Oh, so you’re ready to talk about your friendly chat with Bianca?” he asked.
Callie sidestepped the opportunity to talk about her burning Tess’s subordinate. “She said the goal is to ‘purify’ everyone in Gem City. Is that woo-woo speak or does it make sense to you?”
“Little of both. We need more information.”