I roll my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I barely know the guy.”
“Yes, of course,” Bailey waves a hand through the air dismissively. “I really am sure that Pontius didn’t mean any harm. Not that it negates you being hurt. Just that, he would never hurt you on purpose. You just need to get to know him better. Give him a chance to make it up to you.”
“Beast,” Sacha starts, there’s a warning tone in his deep voice.
“Just go on another date with my stalker?” I grumble.
“No, no. You don’t have to date him! I don’t care who you date. I’ll take you out if you like. To prove it. We can go to a bar. I’ll take you to a bar myself and we can find you someone new! I want to be your friend, Piper. I like you! I want to stay friends, please!”
“Alright!” I laugh as her ramble stops. “Obviously, I don’t want to quit my job. And yeah, I like you too.” I wipe a hand across my face. Bailey has actually been really helpful this whole time. I have been enjoying her friendship, and she got me my cat. Disappointing her sweet face feels like kicking a puppy. I like her. I like Cryptech. I like my job there. I don’t want things to change. I don’t want more people to abandon me.
“Then let’s go out! Like real friends do! I even know a couple really good cryptid bars. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
“That does sounds like fun.” I admit. I believe that Sacha or Bailey didn’t fully know what was going on, I don’t think either of them is capable of pulling someOcean’s Elevenlevel heist on me. I can give it some time, let Sacha sort it out. Maybe finding someone else to replace Ant would help get him off my mind. I cleared Colin out with Ant after all. Maybe I just need someone new to replace my obsession with the Mothman.
1 The other two nod. Everyone in the room knows I wanted to say ‘bitch’ but held back.
20
PONTIUS
“He’s on a conference call,” Ness’s assistant mentions as I walk directly past her and into his office.
“Don’t worry, Teresa. He’ll have time for what I need to discuss.”
Ness’s office is pristine and modern. With sleek furniture and expensive glass finishes.
The Lake Monster twists his long neck toward me. He nods a silent hello and smiles.
I don’t smile back, even as he presses a button on his desk that automatically closes the blackout curtains to block the windows lining one long wall of his office. I’m still furious at him, but grateful that he’s so considerate. The dim room is much easier on my eyes. The only lighting left is the blue glow of the fish tank embedded in one wall. Ness once told me it reminds him of home.
“We need to talk.”
He holds up one finger.
I cross to his desk and press the speaker button on his phone. “I’m afraid Mr. Loch has something more pressing to attend to. He’s going to have to leave the call.”
Ness’s smile falters as he bats my hand away. “Sorry for the interruption. Can we reschedule next week? Great, thanks,” he says to his phone while he glares at me. He doesn’t wait for a response before he hangs up.
“The hell, Pontius? First day back from vacation, and you’re already barging into my office?”
“Don’t try that crap with me, Ness.” My wings buzzing with nervous energy. “You hired her!”
“Hired who?” he asks, one smooth eyebrow raising.
“Her! Her! Piper! My mate! The woman who told me she never wanted to see me again.”
“Oh, her. Yeah, she's a hottie, got those nerd glasses. Excellent luck there, laddie,” Ness says with an irritating smirk.
“You are not to look at her ever again.” I hold back a growl in my chest, but I can’t stop my wings from flaring. I wouldn’t kill him, but I might maim him.
“I didn’t hire her.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I just ran into her in the elevator!”
“She’s not an employee. We just signed a three-year contract to sponsor her non-profit. Penpoint. It’s a good company, an excellent investment. You aren’t technically her boss, so everything should be totally fine.” He makes a wiggly motion with his hand, indicating it’s actually a gray area. “Fully on the up-and-up.”
“You did what?”
