Spooks & Specters: A San DeLain Short Story Collection

Chapter Three

“AND ARE you still willing to come work for me?”

Jamail hesitated for several minutes before finally nodding. Instead of pissing her off that he considered the matter, she appreciated that he took the time to truly think about his answer. That showed a maturity she wasn’t sure he had at his age.

“Good. Then I’ll meet you back here tomorrow night at exactly the same time. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Do whatever you have to do to escape your gang, and bring only what you can’t bear to part with. Believe me when I tell you, if they show up and try to stop me from taking you, I will kill them all. Understood?”

Jamail gulped. “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

“Until tomorrow night, then.”

Isadora opened her vehicle door and got in.

Jamail was still standing where she left him when she drove off. She wondered if he’d be standing there tomorrow when she returned. Something told her he would.

Isadora’s home was an abandoned building next to her restaurant that she’d converted for her own personal use. The bottom level was her parking garage, and the top level was the living space.

Her territory was her restaurant, Beau Monde, and her home. Certain paranormals formed groups and had territory that they claimed as theirs. The daemons were one such group, as well as dragons, gargoyles, and most werewolves.

Isadora and her kind were the oddballs because they did not collect land and people. Well, okay, that wasn’t entirely true. She did have a few people—most of the staff at her restaurant belonged to her, and she did take care of them.

But she didn’t have guards, betas, or right hands. Or whatever the other paranormals called their second-in-command. Frankly, she didn’t need them.

Jamail would be her errand boy and work at the restaurant until she said otherwise. Or he died because of stupidity. Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen. He’d survived living on the streets. If Jamail showed up tomorrow night, she’d get him settled, and then she’d have him take her vehicle and get it repaired.

It’d be his first test. If he ran off with it, she’d hunt the little punk down and drain him.

THE NEXT night Isadora was back, and Jamail was waiting for her. This pleased her. It did not please her that his worldly belongings fit into one duffel bag. She had expected him to pack light, but that was just ridiculous. The boy had absolutely nothing.

He didn’t realize how much his life was about to change.

Isadora pulled next to him, parked, and popped the trunk. Jamail threw his duffel into the back, shut the trunk, and got in the passenger side.

“Hello, Jamail.”

Isadora checked the rearview mirror, then pulled out onto the street.

Since Jamail was from here, she was going to have to find another area to hunt when the time came. At least for a little while. She was certain her vehicle had been made, since it’d been here two nights in a row.

“Ma’am.”

“Buckle up, please.”

She might as well start as she intended to go, and one of the first things Jamail was going to start doing was obeying the human laws. She didn’t need the police mucking around in her business.

The human still stank of fear. She assumed that was going to continue for a while yet. He might not ever get totally over his fear of her, and that was okay.

“Did you have any problems leaving?”

“No ma’am, and no one said nothin’ to me.”

“You didn’t tell anybody?”

“No, ma’am. You told me not to.”

Again, there was no deceit in his scent. “Well done.”

“It won’t take them long to notice I’m missin’.”

“If that becomes a problem, I’ll deal with it then.”

Isadora quickly left that horrible area of San DeLain and merged onto the interstate.

Since the back passenger window was still broken, conversation was impossible. It was better once they were on city streets though. Isadora showed Jamail her restaurant and her home. Then she drove him to the next block, which had a small apartment complex that she owned.

She parked in his reserved parking spot, turned off her vehicle, and faced Jamail. She held up a key ring with two keys on it. “Here you go.”

“What’s this?”

“The keys to your new apartment. You’re on the third floor. It’s a one bedroom, one bath. It comes fully furnished, but you’re welcome to replace whatever’s in there.”

Jamail goggled at her.

“Just let me know if you do want to get rid of whatever is in there. Don’t throw things out. Tomorrow afternoon we’ll go shopping for appropriate clothing.”

Jamail stared at the keys. “For real? They mine?”

“Yes. These are yours. Everything I promised you twenty-four hours ago was true. You’re going to work in my restaurant. You’ll start off as a busboy and work your way up.”

“Work my way into what?”

“That depends on you. It all depends on you. Now, let me show you your new place so you can get settled. Tomorrow we will go shopping, and tomorrow evening we will have dinner at my restaurant in my office. I’ll answer any questions you have, then tell you my rules and expectations. Does that sound good?”

Jamail nodded hesitantly. “Imma gonna get paid?”

Isadora quoted his starting salary and then laughed when his eyes bulged in his head.

“For real?”

“Yes. Also, you don’t have to worry about paying the rent, cable, or utilities. I provide that for my people. But I’m going to provide more for you because on the nights you’re not working at my restaurant? You’ll be with a tutor.”

“Holy shit,”

Jamail whispered.

Isadora popped the trunk and got out. Jamail joined her, grabbing his duffel.

“I’m also going to give you a crash course at dinner tomorrow about the paranormal world. Since you’ll be working at my restaurant, you’re going to meet a huge assortment of nonhumans. Especially on certain Monday nights each month.”

Jamail followed her toward the elevator. “Am I gonna have to talk to them?”

“At least be introduced to them, yes. And you’re also going to have to learn how to address the paranormal leaders of San DeLain.”

There was so much to do. She was actually looking forward to it. It’d been a long time since she’d taken someone under her wing.

“Fuck. Is they all as scary as you?”

Poor, sweet child. He had no idea. “Yes, but you’re under my protection.”

Although, after she got through explaining each paranormal’s ability, he might have nightmares for a solid month.

“You’ll be fine, Jamail, because no one fucks with what’s mine.”

A Picnic Basket Full of Trouble