Hex smiles. “You brought your brother here for a reading? Without his consent? I’m starting to think you might actually share some of your brother’s sinisterness after all.”
My head snaps in his direction as I glare at the side of his head. The fucker only laughs. “We came here for you, Ellie, not me. I don’t have any interest in?—”
“Please, Enzo,” she begs. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see. Just do it this once, for me.” Her big brown eyes turn round as saucers. Her bottom lip juts out in a pout, and I’m fucking screwed.
“Why is this so important to you?” I ask because I honestly have no fucking clue why anyone would care to have someone give them a bullshit future to look forward to that will never come to pass.
“Come on, Enzo. It’s just in good fun,” she continues to beg. “I’ll even ask the question, so you don’t have to do anything but sit there and let Oliver read your palm. It doesn’t hurt. You’ve watched Madam Boudreaux read my palm for years. Please, Zo, please?”
I know she’s not going to give up when she uses the childhood nickname that only she is allowed to call me. “Fuck it. Fine.”
Hex rubs his hands together, smiling giddily. “I’ll get my things.” He turns back to the table in the corner and adds a few things to his mortar, then begins mixing and crushing whatever it was. It smells earthy, like rosemary and something else I can’t quite place.
Hex takes a seat at the table across from me, placing the mortar in front of him. “I need your left hand.” My sister flicks her chin, motioning for me to do it. My eyes roll of their own accord, but I do as he says.
“What’s the question, sweetheart?” he asks Giselle.
I turn to see her face. Her cheeks are bright red, and she’s chewing on her bottom lip. She’s nervous. My brow creases. But before I can ask what’s got her on edge, she blurts out her question. “Will Enzo ever find true love?”
I’m so shocked by her question, I hardly notice the smoke filling the room.
When I finally turn back to look at Hex, his eyes have narrowed, and something resembling clouds circle within his eyes. My eyes are locked on his. I couldn’t turn away if I wanted to, and it’s freaking me out a bit. I’m not a man who likes to be out of control in any situation.
Hex pulls my left hand toward him, palm up, then takes whatever the earthy concoction in the mortar is and begins grinding it with his other hand. Hex spreads the concoction over my palm. He mumbles something, words whispered in a language, Creole I think, but I don’t understand.
The scent of jasmine and citrus fills the air. My eyes close as I inhale deeply. It’s subtle, yet potent. I can’t explain it. It stirs something within me. A hunger.Desire.
What the fuck?
Moments later, the smoke finally clears. Hex places his other hand over the top of mine. If I didn’t know this was part of his schtick, I’d punch him in the throat for touching me like that. His eyes begin to clear, and he speaks to me.
“You’ll meet a devil wrapped in a silky red dress. Her pain will feed your pleasure. Her secrets will bleed into yours. Your mother’s words hold all the answers. But remember—if you choose the devil, you must unify your strengths to keep her.”
1
ALTHEA
I’ve gotten used to the warm sun in the middle of October here in Dallas since it’s the same ridiculous weather we have at home in Vegas. It’s like these two states missed the memo that it’s meant to be cooler in the fall, not hot and muggy. Some days it still hits the low seventies here, and if it rains—ugh, the humidity makes it feel like summer all over again.
Today, however, this early in the morning it’s a little cooler, making my walk to the nearby coffee shop less miserable and somewhat pleasant. Although, who am I kidding? It wouldn’t matter if it was hot and humid outside, I’d still make the short trek two blocks from my apartment to get a fresh cup of the coffee god’s magical beans. I know I could save time and money making my own at home, but why would I do that when A Cuppa Comfort makes it perfect for me, and I don’t have to clean up the mess afterward.
Winning.
The sounds of cars honking and jackhammers chewing up concrete fill the morning air. There aren’t many people walking on the streets at this time of day. It’s not the best area to walkalone at any time, but I’m not worried. I can handle myself. I also know Drew is somewhere close by trying to stay out of sight.
I don’t ask my guards for much, but a brisk walk in the morning and silence while I enjoy my coffee are nonnegotiable. It took only one time of denying me this simple request for them to make an exception. Drew woke to find his car had four flat tires and there was a cop waiting in the garage to take his statement about the vandals who attacked his vehicle. He got the point.
Liam was a little easier to convince. Chloe works late at night in a member only kink club and comes home horny as hell in the wee hours of the morning. She makes sure he’s either too busy or too worn out to bother me.
I should probably get her a gift for being such a great friend.
The bell over the door chimes as I enter A Cuppa Comfort. The place is busy as usual, but thankfully it only takes a few minutes for me to make my way to the front of the line and place my order. Jovie, the young girl who works behind the counter, tells me to go ahead and take my usual spot in the corner and she’ll bring my espresso and cheese Danish out to my table shortly.
I’m enjoying mindlessly scrolling through social media, watching reels of people dressing in Halloween masks and jumping out of random places, scaring the shit out of others. It’s ridiculous, yet I find myself laughing and wondering what Liam and Drew would do if I set someone up to do something like that to them.
“They’d probably shoot the poor bastard, and then I’d have to call in the clean-up crew while explaining to my father how funny it truly was,” I mumble quietly to myself.
“I’m sure anyone who got to know you would find your sense of humor refreshing. I know I would.” A deep voice says from the table across from mine.
