The Hob (The Gray Court 4)

by Dana Marie Bell

  “Oh.” Michaela looked almost disappointed, but was soon distracted by Moira marching out of the conference room.

  Moira shook her fist through the door. “May the curse of Mary Malone and her nine blind, illegitimate children chase you so far over the Hills of Damnation that the Lord himself can’t find you with a telescope!” She turned and started at the sight of Jaden, Robin, MacSweeney and Michaela. “Oh. Not you guys.”

  Jaden broke down, laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe. MacSweeney shook his head, and Robin grinned.

  Michaela, however, put it best. She patted Moira on the head. She was so tiny she had to reach up to do it. “Is it someone’s Miller time?”

  “She said I wasn’t Irish enough. Me!” Moira flung her hands in the air. “And she said my Gaelic was all wrong.” She stuck her head back in the door. “Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.” She slammed the door shut, nodded firmly and dusted off her hands. “Take that.”

  MacSweeney proved he wasn’t a blithering idiot by backing away from the enraged leprechaun. “I…think I need to go. Michaela, always a pleasure.”

  Michaela waved good-bye, but her attention was mostly on Moira. “What the hell did that mean?”

  MacSweeney took off as if the hounds of hell were on his heels before Moira could respond.

  Moira sniffed. “May the cat eat you, and may the devil eat the cat.”

  Michaela bit her lip, holding back her obvious laughter. “Um. Remind me not to piss you off.”

  Moira, muttering under her breath, stomped away, followed by a giggling Michaela. “Nice to meet you, Robin!”

  “And I, you.” Robin, grinning at Moira’s antics, turned toward Jaden, only to find the vampire studying him with a speculative look in his eye.

  “She’s right, you know.”

  Robin cocked an eyebrow. “About?”

  “You and the Fear Dearc. You do have the same eyes.”

  “Hmph.” They did not. Raven’s eyes were cold as ice, while Robin’s were a warm, sunny blue that made his Michaela smile.

  “We have another problem, by the way.” Jaden gestured for Robin to follow him.

  “Oh?”

  “I overheard two humans talking. One of them had to leave the convention to deal with a body that was pulled out of the river this morning.”

  “And?” Not another one. The each uisge should not have had to feed again so quickly.

  “It was partially eaten. There was mention of sharks.”

  “Damnation. That would be the second in two days.” What was McNeil thinking? Every fae did their best to hide their presence from the humans, even Black Court fae. No one wanted to start a war with the mortals. The price would be far too high. “I’ll have to investigate.” Any possibility that a fae would crack their Seeming and alert the humans to their presence had high priority, on Oberon’s orders. Not even Prince Evan’s safe return was more important. No single fae was.

  “I’ll keep an eye on Michaela and have Duncan let me know if there are any problems with the delegates. So far their biggest complaint is MacSweeney is absent and the Black Court is refusing to start without him.”

  Robin nodded. “In that case, it’s off to the river for me.”

  “Be careful, Robin. This whole thing stinks to high heaven. The Black Queen is up to something more than tweaking Gloriana’s nose.”

  Robin tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Indeed. The question is, what?”

  Robin strolled behind the assistant coroner completely unseen. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the remains, and he’d be able to determine whether or not the each uisge truly was responsible for the death.

  He was betting that the water horse was the culprit. After all, what were the odds that a shark was in the Delaware River during the early parts of spring?

  “Take a look at this, Alvarez. She’s chewed up pretty badly.”

  Robin hovered behind Alvarez as the man squatted beside the body. “Shit. Second female in two days.”

  Robin’s brows rose. Two women? He hadn’t known that. The urge to pull out his phone and contact Jaden to check on Michaela was strong, but he would be returning to the convention shortly. He would see for himself that she was safe.

  “Have the cops done their CSI shit?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Bag and tag her then.” Alvarez shook his head. “The coroner’s gonna have a fit with this one.”

  “Think they’ll find the same thing they did last time?”

  Alvarez shot the young man a look as they bagged the body. “I still think the lab needs to run the results again.”

  “We were lucky to get them back so quickly as it was. With the possibility that there might be a shark in the water the mayor has really put the pressure on.”

  “Yeah, but human saliva found in the wound?”

  Damnation. McNeil had left evidence on the damn body?

  The assistant shook his head. “We were lucky we got anything, what with her being in the river. Odds are good any hair or fiber is gone. They’re going to try and run a DNA match, see if we have a potential serial killer on our hands.”

  A human disease, serial killers, and one Robin had not thought would touch the fae. It appeared he might have been wrong.

  They zipped up the bag and moved the body onto a gurney. Alvarez tapped the edge of the body bag. “This woman wasn’t out boating.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  They lifted the body into the ambulance. “She’s dressed in high heels and a miniskirt, with no jacket to ward off the chill in the air, and a Nightlife club stamp on her wrist.”

  The man working with Alvarez slammed the ambulance doors shut. “Shit. How the hell did she get here? That club’s over on Market. I don’t think she came to the waterfront because she had an urgent need to shop at IKEA, for fuck’s sake.”

  How indeed. Robin turned his attention to what was in the area. The girl was killed near here, of that he was certain. The taint of death filled the air, and it wasn’t the stench of the river itself. No, the girl’s death was all over the place.

  Across the street was the shopping center that held the aforementioned IKEA, along with several other stores. The scent of fast-food burgers mingled with the scent of the river. Several yards away sat the rusting hulk of the SS United States, imposing and sad at the same time. In one direction he could see one of Philadelphia’s numerous bridges spanning the Delaware, and in the other, the skyscrapers of Center City. If it were not for the police and the ambulance, it would look like any other peaceful day in the city.

  It was obvious to Robin that McNeil needed to be put down. The teeth marks alone were condemnation of the act. Leaving the body near a busy shopping center, unforgiveable. And to add the final nail to his coffin, there were no other each uisges in Philadelphia but the visiting McNeil. It was enough. Robin would get permission from Oberon to take out the trash as soon as he spoke to him.

  But for now, he had a mate to return to.

  Chapter Ten

  Michaela put her purse in her locker and clipped on her badge. She was in so much trouble. Her car wouldn’t start and had to be towed, and since she couldn’t get a hold of any of her friends to help her she’d been forced to wait. Now she was two hours late, and even though she’d called in with plenty of time to spare, she just knew she was going to get chewed out over it. She had run across Jaden, who’d offered her a ride, but she didn’t know him well enough yet to climb into a car with him.

  While her instincts told her he wouldn’t hurt her, there was a first time for everything.

  She yawned. Man, she hated the night shift. As heartbreaking as her job could be sometimes, she preferred the daytime with its drama, its giggles, its happy sighs and quiet cries. There were some who thought Michaela put too much of herself into her kids, but as far as Michaela was concerned you couldn’t put too much in. These kids were fighting for their lives, their tiny bodies wracked by a disease that felled grown m
en and women. They had more courage, more beauty in their little hearts than anyone Michaela had met, and they deserved to get everything she had to give.

  Her devotion to her job had destroyed more than one relationship. She hoped Ringo would understand.

  Gah. Ringo. Her nurse’s shoes squeaked on the newly polished hospital floor. She felt so damn guilty for drooling over that redhead this afternoon, but what could she say? He’d been the embodiment of every fantasy she’d ever had, so close to her fantasy man she’d nearly pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. Hell, even his name appealed to her. The man calling himself Robin Goodfellow was a tall, slender man with the wiry build and the broad shoulders of a swimmer. He had waist-length red hair that danced around him in a fiery halo, and laughing blue eyes in a face that would have made Michelangelo weep. He’d been wearing, of all things, a long, double-breasted black coat with wide lapels that nipped in at his waist and ended just below his knees. Under that was a white silk, button-down shirt opened far enough to expose his throat, and just a hint of a blue silk waistcoat that matched his eyes. His tight black pants had been tucked into knee-high boots with the slightest heel.

  He’d looked like a fairy-tale prince with a modern twist. Just looking at him had almost made her ask, Ringo who?

  Almost.

  There was a special place in hell for women who lusted after two men at the same time. It didn’t help that Robin matched every fantasy she’d ever had of Robin Goodfellow. Ever since she was little girl, she dreamed about a red-haired rogue with laughing eyes that alternated between blue and green depending on his mood. That imaginary man had been her first love, and no one she’d ever dated had stood up to even the thought of him.

  Until Ringo.

  Michaela hissed in pain as she banged her sore wrist. She’d managed to keep the bandage hidden all day, but the short sleeves of her nurse’s scrubs would make it obvious she’d been injured. Without a doubt, she’d wind up called in to see her supervisor, the biggest prick on the planet. Her last supervisor would have suggested she get her wrist looked at, maybe even X-rayed. Her new one would blame her for getting hurt and claim that her work would suffer because of it, thus making the children suffer. Michaela had done everything in her power to prove herself to Mr. Schnyderite, but he had a grudge against her.

  Maybe it was because she’d told him he had a better chance of sucking Ed the ambulance driver’s dong than getting in her pants, but her very married supervisor was a womanizing fucktard of the first order. More than one nurse had gone to HR to complain. Too bad he seemed to have an in with the head of the department. He always managed to get out of any trouble. In some cases, he’d come out even better and a valuable nurse would quit rather than be stuck under his thumb.

  Some days she felt awful for hoping Mr. Schnyderite’s insides were sucked out by a vacuum toilet, but not all days. Not by a long shot.

  “Ms. Exton. In my office. Now.”

  Speaking of Dick McGrabbyhands. “Coming, sir.” She entered her boss’s office and closed the door. “You wanted to see me?”

  He tapped his pencil on his desk in an annoying rhythm. “You were late today.”

  “My car broke down—”

  “I don’t want excuses. I want nurses who know their place and arrive on time.”

  Michaela gritted her teeth and smiled sweetly. “Yes, sir.”

  “You’re lucky I haven’t fired you.”

  Considering this was the first time she’d been late in over a year, he hardly had cause. “There’s been no complaint about my work.”

  “Oh? What about the nurses who had to cover for you while you dawdled?”

  Penny and Trish were the last people who would complain. They’d all covered for each other, and Penny had been far more sympathetic than Mr. Schnyderite when she’d called in. “They’ve assured me it was not a problem, sir. If they’ve complained, I’d like to hear it.”

  She wasn’t surprised when he opened a file rather than answer her question. “Your performance has been below average.” He made a mark on the piece of paper before she could protest. “Just so you know, there will be no promotion in your future, immediate or otherwise. However, I am calling for a peer review.” He closed the folder without looking at her. “Dismissed.”

  “Yes, sir.” Michaela marched out of the office and very carefully did not slam the door.

  “Sorry, Mick.” Trish shrugged at her from behind the nurses’ station. “I tried to tell him, but you know how he is.”

  “Yeah.” Michaela shook her head. “I just wish I could get him to lay off me.” If he didn’t she’d be forced to transfer to another hospital, and if she had to do that… She shuddered. She would be low man on the totem pole again. Odds were good she’d get the worst shifts, the worst hours and the absolute worst parents to deal with. She’d been at PGH for five years now. She didn’t want to leave if she didn’t have to, but if the situation with her boss didn’t change she might not have a choice.

  Michaela sighed. She had more important things to worry about, starting with the guy whose life she’d saved yesterday. “Listen, there was a guy who was brought in by emergency yesterday. He was hit by a car right in front of me and I worked on him. I want to check on him. Think you can cover for me?”

  Trish glanced down the hallway. “Go. I’ll tell McGrabby you’re in the little nurse’s room.”

  “Thanks.” Michaela scuttled away, eager to get out from under her boss’s evil eye. Ugh. Maybe she did need to change jobs. Not even the kids made that man worth it.

  She got to the elevator without being seen and managed to make her way down to emergency. Ed and Will were there, filling out paperwork. “Hey, guys. That guy you brought in yesterday. Any idea where they’ve put him?”

  Will grinned and waved his bottle of water at her in greeting. “Michaela. How’s McGrabby?”

  “My life would be so much better if he didn’t have a penis.”

  Will bent over and clutched his manhood in protest. “Man. That’s just wrong. Not even McGrabby deserves a Bobbitt.” He shuddered, his hands still cupped protectively over his privates.

  Ed laughed. “Your vic’s in ICU with internal injuries. His name is Samuel something-or-other.”

  “Samuel Snodgrass.” Will straightened up and shot his partner an astonished look. “Dude, how could you forget that? The man sounds like he belongs in Hogwarts.” He picked up his bottle of water and took a drink, handing the bottle to his partner when Ed held his hand out.

  Michaela bit back a laugh. “Seriously? His name is Sammy Snodgrass?”

  Will snickered. “That’s what I said.”

  “Sounds like a gangster name in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, doesn’t it? Like he’s BFFs with Rocky and Mugsy.” Ed gave in and laughed. “His parents must have hated him.”

  “Poor guy. I’m going to go check on him, see how he is. You two stay out of trouble, okay?”

  “You too.” Will frowned, his expression turning serious. “Listen, if you ever need a reference, I know some docs over at Lincoln who would love to have you.”

  “Yeah. Give us the word and we’ll have your resume on their desks so fast Dick’s head will spin.”

  Michaela smiled. She had the best friends. “Thanks, guys.”

  “No problem.”

  “See ya later.”

  Michaela made her way to ICU and asked for Samuel Snodgrass. When she explained to the on-duty nurse why she was there, the older woman let her in. Since Candace used to work on Michaela’s floor, they’d known each other for a while. She was another nurse who’d bailed when Dick had taken over, but she’d had enough seniority to get a transfer rather than having to leave. “Just don’t wake him. He’s been restless all day. Keeps muttering something about the press, but he sounds scared as hell.” Candace grimaced. “That boy’s been through something bad, I just know it.”

  Michaela nodded. Candace’s instincts when it came to the abused were pretty good. If Candace was saying he’
d been through something pretty bad, it was probably really bad. “Will do. You know me, Candace. I check on kids all night long. I’ll be quiet.”

  “Yeah, but this guy’s been restless. He woke up screaming. Twice. I’ve never heard anything like it. It was like he was being tortured.”

  “Could it be sleep paralysis?” The vivid, nightmarish hallucinations that accompany sleep paralysis could make a person believe they were being tortured. People who suffered from the disorder reported seeing demons perched on their chests, witches digging claws into them, even alien abductions. Because their bodies were locked by the natural paralysis that occurs during REM sleep, they felt helpless to defend themselves, adding to the trauma of the disorder.

  “I don’t think so. He wakes up and immediately begins thrashing, like he’s fighting something. It could be a form of night terrors.”

  Or maybe he was reliving something that actually happened to him. Michaela hurried toward her patient’s room. “I’ll see if I can find out anything.”

  “Thanks, hon. If anyone can get him to open up, it would be you.”

  Michaela entered the room, surprised to find the man awake and staring at the door. “Hi, Mr. Snodgrass. Do you remember me?”

  He nodded and licked his lips. “M-Michaela.”

  She gave him her best smile, the one that always made the kids smile back. “That’s me. I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were okay.”

  “Hurts.” He shuddered, his face wrinkling into a grimace. He was probably one of the least attractive men she’d ever met, with short dark hair and squashed features that spoke of more than one fight in his lifetime where faces were prime targets. Still, the way those dark brown eyes watched her every move as if she were the second coming was sort of endearing. And creepy.

  Endearingly creepy. Two words she usually didn’t usually think of together, but they worked for Sammy Snodgrass.

  He struggled to lift his broken arm and reach for her. “Help. Me.”