Apex: Saige Sterling: Badass Bounty Hunter, #6

By J.C. Diem

Working two jobs and not getting enough sleep is making Saige Sterling a very cranky bounty hunter. As if that isn't bad enough, Lord Gilden has found another way to punish her for her defiance. He's forcing her to watch him pay her colleagues their bounties.

 

Saige knew right from the start that this arrangement wasn't going to end well. Things take a turn for the worse when someone starts pranking her. She knows who is responsible for her torment, but there's little she can do about it.

 

Drake is aware that Saige has a temper at times. He discovers exactly how hot her rage can flare when her control finally snaps. He'll be stuck with the job of fixing the problem he created when he'd chosen his method to punish for her for walking out on him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: Apr 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215484074

Book preview

Chapter One

TO SAY MY LIFE HAD become unpleasant after returning to my job as a bounty hunter a month ago would be an understatement. I’d been forced to get a day job to pay my bills now that Lord Gilden had changed our deal. Unfortunately, work was scarce and I’d had to take whatever I could get.

Pay attention, Saige! Cindy snapped after catching me daydreaming again. The groceries are starting to pile up. She made sure to scold me loudly enough for everyone in the checkout line to hear her. In her late thirties, my coworker was short, thin and had lank mousy brown hair. She complained nonstop about her lazy husband and three teenage children. She was the reason why my mind switched off like this. It was either that, or strangle her.

Giving Cindy a dour look that Ruen would have been proud of, my hands moved automatically to snatch up the groceries and shove them into bags. I’d been working at the grocery store for three weeks now and I’d hated it from the moment I’d started.

You’re packing the bags wrong, the little old lady standing in line scolded me. You can’t put fruit in with the tinned goods. They’ll get bruised!

Sorry about that. She’s new, Cindy said in a sickly-sweet tone. I swear it’s easier to train a deaf old dog than it is to train Saige.

Everyone within earshot snickered and my left eyelid fluttered. It was a bad sign that my rage was beginning to rise. Lack of sleep and not enough time gaming was starting to take its toll. I had to go out on missions almost every night to kill monsters. Sometimes, I didn’t get home until the wee hours of the morning. I had to be up at six to start my day job by seven. Quite frankly, it was hell.

I forced myself to pay attention to what I was doing, glad I wasn’t a puny human. Cindy shifted from foot to foot to ease the ache in her legs and back from standing up all day long. Standing up for eight hours didn’t bother me. It was the boredom that was wearing me down.

I quickly redistributed the groceries and dumped them into the old lady’s cart. She glared at me after paying for them, then slowly rolled her cart away. She was the human equivalent of watching Ruen drive away in his black sedan.

Snickering on the inside, I checked my watch to see I still had three hours left on my shift. It was mind numbing work to bag groceries day in and day out. Sometimes, our manager ordered me to help unload stock from the trucks out the back of the store. Karen was a truly unpleasant being and treated me like trash. I was taller than most of the guys who worked here, but she didn’t know I was stronger than them as well.

After the next customer left, I scanned the store and saw a young guy acting suspiciously. He was wearing a thick puffer jacket, but that wasn’t strange, since it was the end of January. His arms were pressed tightly against his sides, as if he was holding something close to his body. His head turned from side to side furtively. He might as well be wearing a sign saying that he was a thief.

The security guard at the exit was on his phone, having an argument from the looks of it. As usual, Owen wasn’t paying any attention to the people coming and going from the store. The shoplifter put his head down and made a beeline for the doors.

Not on my watch, creep, I muttered and picked up a can from the conveyor belt.

Hey! What are you doing with my peas? the next customer in line asked in alarm.

My answer was to hurl the can at the shoplifter who was mere steps away from making his escape. The can hit him in the side of the head and he went down like he’d been shot.

Oh, my God! Someone just killed that man! a panicked customer shouted.

Hang on a sec, I said to Cindy as everyone turned to gape at the unconscious man.

Owen realized something was going on and put his phone away. You got another one? he asked when I ambled over to him. Tall and muscular, he had dark skin, a shaved head and was attractive, for a human. I was pretty sure Karen had hired him for his looks, since he sucked as a security guard. He was in his mid-thirties and she had to be nearly fifteen years older than him. That didn’t stop her from fawning all over him.

I sure did, I said as he knelt to check the shoplifter’s pulse. He’ll be fine, I said as I unzipped his coat. I knew it! I said in triumph when I revealed the items he’d been trying to smuggle out. Several bottles of wine had been cushioned by his jacket when he’d fallen.

Good work, Saige, Owen said with a grin. You’re going to put me out of a job if you keep this up. I’ll call the cops and have this loser hauled away. The thief was already coming around. He would have a lump and a bruise for a while, but he wouldn’t suffer any lasting damage.

I’d knocked out four shoplifters in the short time I’d been working here. Owen hadn’t stopped a single person from walking out with concealed goods. He was always too busy arguing with his girlfriend, or chatting to his friends on his phone.

Now that the excitement was over, I grabbed the can of peas and returned to my boring task. Everyone in the line was staring at me like I was some kind of freak. To them, I guessed I was. Being tall and curvy already made me stand out. Having purple eyes and hair meant I’d never be able to blend in, even if they thought they were fake. My uniform of dark blue pants and a dark blue t-shirt covered most of my tatts, but the ones on my forearms were on show.

I want a new can! the customer complained.

I looked at it to see it had a dent in it now. Relax, I said with an eyeroll. They’re peas, not Faberge eggs.

He opened his mouth to protest and I gave him a flat stare as I shoved the peas into his bag. Snapping his mouth shut, he paid for his items, then scurried away as fast as he could.

Karen’s not going to be happy about this, Cindy said with a nasty grin.

It’s not nice to tattle on your coworkers, I retorted sourly.

I won’t have to tell her about it, she said, nodding at the security cameras that were all over the place. She’ll have seen it for herself.

I heaved a quiet sigh, knowing I would be subjected to yet another lecture from our manager. If I hadn’t needed a job so badly, I would have quit after the first week. Hunting rogues was the only work I enjoyed, so it didn’t matter what sort of day job I would subject myself to. They would all suck in comparison, but at least I had an income again, even if it was pathetic.

Just as Cindy had warned me, our boss wasn’t happy about my behavior. Karen waited for my shift to be over, then used the intercom to summon me. Saige, come to my office, please, she said in a glacial tone.

You’re in trouble, Cindy crowed in a singsong voice as we headed for the locker room to grab our things. You need to stick to the rules, or you won’t last much longer here, she said to my back as I turned to head towards our manager’s office.

That would be a real tragedy, I muttered sarcastically, then trudged off to be scolded like a child again.

Chapter Two

I RECEIVED SYMPATHETIC looks from my colleagues as the next shift emerged from the locker room. So far, I hadn’t made any friends and I didn’t intend to. Working two jobs left me with little downtime. What spare time I did have was spent gaming online with Aurora and mom, when they were free.

Karen’s door was closed when I reached her office. I knocked and she waited for five full seconds before replying. You may enter, she said sternly.

Rolling my eyes at her pretentious tone, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. You wanted to see me? I asked in a fake bright tone. The office was small, with a tiny desk, two guest chairs and several filing cabinets. A bank of security monitors was on the wall to the right of her desk. She could view every inch of the store from her comfortable chair.

Short, pudgy and in her late forties, Karen had short blonde hair with brown streaks. Her fringe was in a weird sort of combover and the back was teased up to look like a rat’s nest. I was pretty sure that trend had gone out of style before I’d been born. Karen wore the same dark blue uniform as the rest of us. I wore mine out of necessity. She wore hers with pride. Sit down, Ms. Sterling, she commanded me in an icy tone.

I closed the door, then crossed to a chair and sank down onto it. What’s up? I asked, pretending I didn’t know exactly why she’d called me there. Annoying Karen was one of the perks of my job. Getting groceries at a discount was another. I didn’t normally shop here, but I wasn’t about to turn down an employee discount.

Karen gave me a level stare, trying to intimidate me and failing miserably. Half my size, she was just a pathetic human. The only power she possessed was the ability to fire me. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I’d care if she let me go. I saw you throw a can at the shoplifter, she said in an ominous tone.

That’s okay, you don’t need to give me a bonus for stopping him from stealing, I interjected before she could berate me in earnest. I just did what any good employee would have done.

Her lips thinned and her resemblance to Ruen when I’d pissed him off was uncanny. We’ve had this discussion several times, Karen said in annoyance. It isn’t your job to stop people from stealing. That’s what I employ Owen and the late shift security guard for. Her tone indicated she thought she was talking to a complete moron. Probably because I acted dumb whenever we had these chats.

So, if I see someone stealing, I should let them walk out with the goods? I asked.

Owen would have stopped him if you hadn’t interfered, she said staunchly.

He looked like he was busy on his phone, I said. I thought we weren’t supposed to use our phones during work hours, I added with an exaggerated frown. The rules didn’t seem to apply to her favorite employee.

Owen is going through a difficult time right now, she said, cheeks coloring and looking everywhere but at me. His relationship with his girlfriend is strained, so I’m giving him some leeway when it comes to using his cell phone.

So, if Owen’s on the phone and I see someone shoplifting, I shouldn’t interfere? I asked for clarification. I should just let them take whatever they want?

Karen struggled to think of an answer that wouldn’t make her look like an idiot. She was the type of control freak who wanted everything her way all the time. I could see her blowing her fuse at a restaurant and demanding to see the manager if her meal wasn’t perfect. Just do your job and we won’t have to keep having these discussions, she snapped.

Okay, boss, I said, saluting her in agreement. I’ll leave Owen to stop all the thieves, since he’s so good at it. He was lousy at his job and we both knew it.

You may leave, she said in dismissal. Remember to wear a thick jacket tomorrow, she added when I stood up. You’ll be spending the day in the cold room.

Not the cold room! I complained, while dancing a jig in my mind.

You need to learn to follow the rules, young lady, she said firmly, while suppressing a smirk. Maybe spending eight hours in the refrigeration room will finally cement that in your mind.

I dragged my feet to the door and let myself out, then made my way to the locker room to grab my handbag. Once I climbed into my orange hatchback, I did a small fist pump of victory. I won’t have to spend all day listening to Cindy griping about her family tomorrow! I crowed, then drove home.

Aurora wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours after I let myself into our combined apartment. I placed my new black handbag next to my kill-bag on the scuffed brown trunk next to the door. I couldn’t take any weapons to my day job, so Aurora had loaned me one of her many purses.

I decided to take a nap instead of gaming. It was impossible to predict whether I’d have a mission tonight, but I assumed I would. Rogues were on the rise and the entire team of bounty hunters were kept busy on an almost nightly basis.

Keys jingling in the lock woke me up two hours later. I was still wearing my work uniform, since I hadn’t bothered to change. My nap had refreshed me enough to be able to function tonight. I just hoped I wouldn’t have a mission that would take all night to complete.

You look like crap, Aurora said when I stepped out from behind the screen that shielded my bed from view. She still used my door rather than hers, more out of habit than necessity. Her door was nearly always locked.

Thanks, I said ruefully. What’s for dinner? My bestie had taken over the cooking duties after moving in with me. She felt like she needed to take care of me as thanks for rescuing her from the underworld.

How does pasta sound? she asked as she stripped her long black wig off. Her short, spiky blue and green hair stuck up everywhere by the time she’d removed all of the pins.

I love pasta, I said with a grin. How was work today?

Amazing, as always, she replied. Full of energy, the tiny demon told me all about the new tatts she’d done. She had to be careful about what she said about her private life at work, but Mekhi now knew she wasn’t a human. She’d told him she was half demon without going into detail. Most people would have been freaked out by that knowledge. Her boss had grown up in a gang who dealt with demons, so he knew something about our world. He’d been surprised, but he’d coped with it. Mekhi knew Aurora was a good person, despite her origins. How was your day? she asked when she was done.

I knocked a shoplifter out with a can of peas and Karen’s making me work in the cold room all day tomorrow, I replied as I helped her prepare dinner.

Just another day in paradise, she said solemnly, then we broke into snickers.

Aurora’s skills in the kitchen had grown, due to the cooking shows she watched when she had the time. Mine hadn’t progressed much beyond heating food in a microwave.

Ruen called just after nightfall. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes, he said without preamble. We’ll be visiting Lord Gilden tonight, he added with an audible smirk. We’ll find out what our mission is once our meeting is over.

Fanghole, I muttered when he hung up before I could reply.

It’s so cruel of Lord Gilden to make you watch while he pays the rest of the team their bounties, Aurora said sympathetically.

Dragons know the perfect way to punish their unruly subordinates, I said bitterly. Apparently, quitting and walking out on Drake had stung him more than he cared to admit. Making me work for free was bad enough. Forcing me to watch him pay my colleagues was next level pettiness.

I had my own way of punishing him in return. I made sure I wore something sexy each time he paid my teammates. Soon, he would crack and he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off me. We were sort of engaged, but we’d barely seen each other lately. When we did meet, we were never alone. Everyone knew the lord was engaged to someone, but hardly anyone knew he’d shackled himself to me.

Drake is going to die when he sees you in that outfit, Aurora said in approval when I modelled my short red dress for her.

Is my dragon tattoo hidden? I asked, turning my back to her so she could take a look at it.

I can see the tip of his wing, but that’s all, she replied.

My hair would cover my back, but I wasn’t ready for Drake to see his likeness inked onto my skin yet. It was inevitable that he would see it one day. He would have to earn the privilege now that he’d changed our original deal and refused to pay me for the work I did for him.

Chapter Three

RUEN GRIMACED WHEN he got a load of my dress as I trotted across the lot to his car. I assume you’ll need to be dropped off at a brothel once our mission is over? he said snarkily once I was sitting beside him.

I did a doubletake when I saw how gaunt he looked. When was the last time you fed? I asked without bothering to reply to his insult. Do I have to drag you to the Den and force feed you a glass of blood? I demanded when he didn’t answer me.

I’ll feed when I need to, he retorted crankily. Now that I knew about his unnatural craving for blood, I understood why he tried so hard to curb his hunger. All vampires needed to drink blood to survive, but his addiction was far worse than normal.

I bet you a hundred bucks Drake will order you to drink blood tonight, I said as he slowly drove away from my building.

He slanted a look at me and scowled. We both knew our boss wasn’t happy about his number one henchman starving himself. Drake always stepped in when it became necessary.

We spent the rest of our short drive to the twenty-story silver tower in silence. We were both still smarting from our last mission to the underworld. We’d said things that had hurt each other and it wasn’t easy to get past it. Lord Gilden had forced us to remain partners, but things were strained between us now. Aurora, mom and Kye were the only ones who knew what my new day job was. Ruen would ridicule me to death if he found out I bagged groceries for a living, even though it was a legitimate job.

My colleagues had beaten us to the meeting again. The silver Mercedes, black jeep and dark silver truck were parked in visitors’ slots. Their hoods steamed slightly, indicating they’d only recently arrived.

Ruen preceded me into the elevator when the door opened. I was wearing four-inch black knee-high boots and towered over him. His lank black hair hung over his face, reminding me of what he looked like in his true form. All he needed was a hundred extra fangs crowding into his mouth and tattered clothing and it would be like we were in one of the nine realms of the underworld.

Is something amusing? my partner asked sourly when I let out a quiet snicker.

Private joke, I replied, knowing it would start a fight if I told him what I was thinking about.

We reached the nineteenth floor and I waited for the vamp to step out first. Drake and our colleagues were sitting on the black leather couches and armchairs over to the left. As always, Felicity scowled at me, but everyone else smiled in greeting. The vampires, shifters and Otis didn’t hold a grudge against me for quitting for a short time. The redheaded huntress had hated me long before I’d walked away from the job.

Did we miss anything? I asked, taking a seat where a shot glass full of whiskey was waiting for me.

Drake was lounging on an armchair like it was a throne. He wore an expensive charcoal gray suit and a black shirt. His short beard was perfectly groomed and his brown hair was stylishly gelled. The blond tips always looked like they’d been dipped in gold when he was sitting directly beneath a light. Nothing important, the weredragon said. He stroked his hand down his lapel and all eyes went to the priceless diamond ring that adorned his finger. Everyone wanted to ask him about his mysterious engagement, but they were too scared to bring it up.

A thermos sat next to my whiskey. I nudged it towards Ruen when he took the seat next to me. Bottoms up, partner, I said with a victorious grin.

Drake hadn’t bothered to order his minion to buy blood from the Den of Iniquity. He’d gotten one of his employees to bring some upstairs instead. We all had a drink now and sipped from our glasses. Most of us were drinking whiskey made for supernatural beings. Otis and Felicity drank normal, far weaker whiskey. Zahir and Yareli had already fed on blood and were drinking alcohol.

Ruen took the lid off the thermos and inhaled the smell of hot blood. He lifted the container to his lips reverently, then chugged it down in three seconds flat. My lips drew back from my teeth when he licked the inside of it clean. We all pretended his behavior was totally normal, except for our boss. The lord gave Ruen a chiding look for going too long without sustenance.

For the next hour, we chatted about the missions we’d been on during the past week, but nothing too alarming had happened. Drake liked to hear about our jobs from us directly. He didn’t have time to meet with us all separately after every mission now that we were all so busy.

The increase in rogue activity has been steadily rising for over a year, the dragon mused when we’d finished