Some women like men who smirk. I found it smug and superior, and I always wanted to punch the smirker in the kidney. I resisted letting the Chimera out to play because even my beast wanted to punch this guy. “I won’t ask you again.”
He laughed and held his hands up in mock surrender. “Oh, no! Look at me trembling in my boots.”
I looked around. It was early. Only one other shop was open, and it was across the street, several stores over. No one lingered on the street, and there was very little traffic. Moira, Ash, and Tess weren’t in yet, and Caelan was still in my bed crashed out.
The other guy laughed.
I sighed. “Last chance. Move or I’ll move you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do your worst.”
There was a reason I kept plants outside my shop. Joy Springs had a cute downtown area, but the only trees were behind all the buildings, and there were only small patches of grass. We were, for all intents and purposes, surrounded by stone and concrete. Not exactly helpful for a Floromancer in a situation like this.
Thus, the reason for the two innocuous but large plants I kept in massive, immovable planters right outside the shop’s entrance. My magic responded any time I called it, but I couldn’t risk tearing up the stone or concrete to access the earth. Doing so would raise far too many questions, and as bad as I’d been about staying under the radar, even I knew it was a bad idea.
While both morons gloated, I let a sliver of magic out, both plants responding eagerly, sending thorned tendrils out to gently wrap around each male. They wore winter clothes and wouldn’t sense any intrusion right away. Not until I gave the command.
That was another thing most people didn’t know.
Plants might not be able to talk, but they were sentient in many ways.
And they liked these guys just about as much as I did.
I shrugged. “You’ve been warned.”
With a flick of my hand, the vines tightened to grip each male in a close to unbreakable grasp. I smiled, letting a little of the crazy out, and watched as both realized they were trapped.
The first lurched toward me, teeth pulled back from his lips. “Youbitch. Let go.”
I snorted. “And if I don’t?”
His eyes flashed with fury. And me, tired of the game, flicked my hand up and down and then away.
The plants responded accordingly and smashed both men into the pavement, once, twice, then flung them over the buildings and far out of my sight.
To my supreme satisfaction, they screamed like little bitches all the way down.
They were too far away for me to hear the impact. The shifter would have several broken bones and some internal injuries. Nothing time couldn’t handle. The other…
“Fuck it,” I whispered, not feeling an ounce of regret.
Once I was safe and behind locked doors, I texted Caelan and told him what happened.
My phone rang less than ten seconds later. His voice was rough with sleep.
“Where are they?”
I squinted and told him the general direction.
Caelan snorted. “I’ll send some wolves out to find them.” He paused.
“Are they dead?”
One could dream. “No idea.”
Another pause. “Good girl.” Satisfaction rang in his voice.
His approval and those words sent a shiver down my spine. Praise kinks were real. “What time is your meeting?”
