Styx & Stoned (The Grim Reality Series Book 2) (23 page)

Pick stood in the doorway, plucking
invisible lint from his suit until Leroy’s voice faded. I stumbled backward and
out of Nate’s hold, hitting the door. My fingers fumbled for the handle, but
Nate flicked the deadbolt to lock.

“Let me out.” My hands shook so
badly I couldn’t maneuver the latch back. I had no idea who or what Pick was,
or where Leroy Badder had disappeared to. What I did know was that I wanted to
be as far away from these guys as possible. I pointed. “I’m not going in
there.”

“Calm down.” Nate grabbed my
shoulders and spun me to face him. “You don’t have to but we need to talk
before the police get here.”

I stared at him, not sure I trusted
anything he said. My fingers curled around the handle of the door. No way was I
dropping my defenses so this guy could toss me through the fiery Gates of Hell.
Nate released me but kept his hands raised, gesturing for me to stay put. I
didn’t move—was unable to move.

He faced the elevator. “Our
transaction is complete.”

Pick tipped his head in
acknowledgment and straightened. “Until next time.”

With that, the door slid shut and
compressed into a thin line of light, shrinking until it vanished completely.
Nate walked to the other end of the bathroom. “It’s over.”

I didn’t release my death-grip.
“What was that? Who are you? Where did Leroy go?” My questions flowed like
verbal diarrhea. “Am I dead?”

“You aren’t dead, but Leroy is.
That doorway was a portal, and Pick is what’s called a
porter
. He
escorts souls to their appointed destination.”

“Appointed destination? You mean
Hell?”

Nate shrugged. “Not necessarily,
but in most cases, yes.”

“What do you mean,
in most cases
?”

He stared at me, his blue eyes
never wavering from my face, but didn’t answer.

“What are you?”

Nate took a deep breath and
exhaled. “I’m a grim reaper. It’s my job to get souls to the porters.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or
run screaming from the restroom. There wasn’t enough liquor in the world to
drown the images of the things I witnessed. Not enough soap to scrub away the
feel of Leroy sticking to me. And there was no denying I might have completely
lost my mind.

Nate cleared his throat. “And
you’re a grim reaper too.”

Okay, I’d definitely lost my mind.

Boone Brux is a bestselling author in both fantasy and series
romance genres. She began writing in an attempt to ward off the slow
decomposition of her mental state while caring for her twin toddlers. It soon
became clear that storytelling was her true calling. Her books range from
medieval fantasy, filled with demons and hot heroes, to humorous paranormal,
and spicy contemporary romances.

Though she loves writing romance, Boone much prefers crafting
stories where she gets to kill somebody or blow something up.

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