Page 14 of Grave Mistakes
I’m either about to learn first-hand about their sexual harassment policies or get fired. Dread pools in my stomach. I need this job, dammit. I really, really do.
Nerves skitter through my stomach. “Oh no, that’s okay,” I assure the surfer-dude, Crux, as I try and fail to maintain a nonchalant demeanor. “This is only my first day, after all. You guys just do...whatever it was you were doing in here, and I can go back to securing the graveyard.” I start to slowly back toward the door with a smile plastered on my face. “I really do like this cemetery, by the way. Very pretty. Lots of...headstones.”Really, Delta?I shoot them an awkward smile, even as I mentally shove my foot into my mouth. “It was nice meeting you guys. Enjoy your party, and I’m sure we’ll catch up some other time. Good day!”
Good fucking day?Who the hell talks like that? And it’s fucking nighttime!
I spin to hurry out the door, but in my haste, I smack into the doorframe. My face burns with humiliation as I stumble, and I hear one of them snicker behind me, but I don’t look back to see who. I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one night.
I ignore the taunting moon as I hurry outside and make my way to the path. I feel their eyes burning into my back, but I just toss them an awkwardsee ya laterwave and quickly pull out my flashlight so I can start securing the shit out of this place like a good little security guard and hope that my recent rejection doesn’t put me on the kidnap, kill, or fire list. I do not want to be murdered and buried in this outfit, dammit, and I seriously want to keep this job.
When I get far enough away that I can’t see them anymore, I snap up the radio and turn the dial to channel five. “What the fuck, Iceman? You could’ve warned me!” I hiss into it. Then I quickly press the button again. “Over.”
There’s a static pause before he answers. “Ah, Maverick. Lovely to speak to you again so soon,” he says, and I can hear the sarcasm dripping like honey from his voice.
“Why didn’t you tell me the bosses were going to be here? A little heads up would’ve been nice. I thought you were pranking me!”
“Pranking you?” he drawls. “I don’t have time to prank Diluted.”
“I have no idea what that means!” I snap. “I almost scythed their asses, Iceman. I need to be informed if people are going to be in the cemetery and if they’re permitted to be there. I looked like an idiot.”Leather pants notwithstanding.
“Scythed them? Wait. Who did you see? Quinque?” he asks, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Even you should’ve been able to handle that.”
That fucking word again. “What the hell is a Kink-ay?” I ask in a huff. Is this a weird way of saying kinky? I shake my head before pressing the button again. “Listen, I saw the bosses, like I already told you, and they had weird names, Iceman. Weird. Names.”
“Says the girl who wanted to call me Goose.”
“It was merely a suggestion,” I staunchly defend.
“Who was it? No one should have been able to breach the gate tonight. We had it covered.”
“Their names were Echo, Jerif, and Crux.” I bite my lip in thought. “Shit, maybe they tricked me. They aren’t the bosses, are they? They totally made that up so I wouldn’t kick them out.” I slap a palm to my forehead. “Dammit, I think I got played. You’d better send some backup down here so we can chase them out of here. I left them in the mausoleum like a fucking rookie.”
There’s a long pause. So long, in fact, that I snap back on. “Iceman? You there?”
“Maverick, I need you to come to the main house.”
I frown at the radio warily. “Why?”
“Just come. Now...please.”
“Iceman?” I radio back, but all I get is static. “Shit.”
I blow out a breath, my eyes bouncing around the dark cemetery, the moonlight casting mocking shadows all around me. With nothing else to do, I drag myself up the path, making the very long trek back to the main house, as questions swirl in my head. I’m so confused about all of this, and it looks like the main house discussion is happening tonight whether I want to or not.
Well, if this all goes horribly wrong, at least they gave me a weapon.
Somehow, on day one, I’ve already fucked this up. I’m not even sure how much yet. It all went so wrong so fast. I sigh and try not to stomp my way back to the estate like some whiny kid being forced to do something they don’t want to. At least if Iceman fires me in person, I’ll be able to put a face to his sexy ass voice. Silver lining.
5
“Shit on a stick,” I grumble to myself as I approach the large, dimly lit mansion.
There are about a million doors and windows in this place, and I have no idea which one I’m supposed to knock on. I’ll probably get my ass handed to me by the butler again.
I debate for two seconds whether I should try for the back or the front of the house, but since I’m failing to see anything that’s markedservants’ entrance,I decide the front is probably my best bet.
I pass the fountain, the gardens, and the patio, and find myself climbing back up the stairs to the front door. I knock, cringing at the booming echo that it creates on the other side of the door. I look at my hand like it’s betrayed me. I swear I didn’t even knock that hard, and now it sounds like I’m demanding entrance. I step back and try to adopt some kind of mien that will convince Grumpy Lurch that I’m not actually trying to break the door down. I go with a half smile and some innocent blinks.
The door slowly opens with an ominous creak that I swear didn’t happen before, and the butler looks down at me with a sigh. “Yes?”
