“Down, boy. We’re probably just talking, but even if not, I won’t let anything happen to Stacey. Or Jen, for that matter. I’ve been protecting them for as long as I’ve known them.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Who’s going to make sure nothing happens to you?”
That almost made my eyes pop out of my head. “Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll fall in a deep hole and you’ll only have Lorraine and Jen left to contend with.”
He frowned. “I’m serious.”
Sure he was. I just shrugged. Anyway, if I could take care of Jen and Stacey, I could take care of myself.
“I swear to God if someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on, my head’s going to explode,” Luke said, slapping his hand on the table.
“Howhave you been protecting them?” Mikey leaned forward, studying me intently. “From what? Or who?”
Points to him for being sharp enough to think that one through.
“That’s none of your business.” No way was I going to tell him about life with Aunty Mommy.
“Alright. If you don’t want to tell me, I’m going to come with you,” he said.
“Me, too,” Luke added. “Wherever the hell you’re going.”
I glared. “Who said either one of you is invited?
“I did,” Mikey said.
The temptation to tell him to fuck off and tie him up in magic whispered a siren song in my ear. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. I knew, in no uncertain terms, that if I did that, I was no better than Aunty Mommy. I considered that grotesque revelation. Was it true?
I wasn’t prepared to answer that. Nor did I have time to think about the ethics of magic and using it for my own selfish purposes with absolutely no actual consequences. Well, except for self-loathing and disgust.
I hadn’t really thought about it before. When Aunty Mommy was alive, I’d hidden my magic, only to find out after her death that she’d known all along. I’d felt like an idiot for all of two seconds before realizing she knew a whole lot more than I did about using magic, and would have really gone after Jen, Lorraine, and Stacey if I’d tried to fight back with mine. I wouldn’t have been able to protect them. As it was, she’d used them as hostages against my cooperation. I let her torture me; they stayed alive and healthy.
Totally worth it.
From Mikey’s slightly concerned expression, I could tell he read me like a picture book. Maybe he was even testing me. Asshole.
“I’m going to wait outside.” I spun around and headed for the front doors, escaping into the balmy night air. A lot of people stood outside smoking and laughing. I crossed the parking lot to where I’d parked the Highlander. Damn, but I missed my Thunderbird.
I hopped up on the hood to wait, only to find Officer Mikey coming in for a landing, with Luke striding along behind looking both pissed and confused.
Mikey stopped in front of me, his thumbs hooking in his front pockets. If he’d looked even the slightest bit smug, I’d have kicked him in the nuts. Lucky for him, he only looked thoughtful. I waited for him to say something. He didn’t speak. He apparently thought that I’d hate the silence and feel compelled to start blathering like some guilty suspect. He was wrong.
I started looking at the ledger pages on my phone, trying to decipher them. Unfortunately, Mitzi’s handwriting was atrocious, and I’d never been good at Sudoku, much less the mess that was her code.
Luke wandered over to stand beside me and look over my shoulder.
“I’d sure like to know what’s going on.”
“I’d sure like a bucket-sized margarita. Guess neither of us are getting what we want. Shouldn’t you go find yourself a hook-up for the night? You’ve got a club full of opportunity, and it’s not going to last long. It’s almost time to close. Gotta keep your dick happy, right?”
He chuckled. “I’m good. Why won’t you tell me?”
I slid a glance at him. “Okay. Earlier today I helped a psychic and her cousins deal with a homicidal poltergeist. Afterward, the psychic had a vision and said something bad was coming. Before you ask, I have no idea what that means. Just a few minutes ago, one of the cousins texted me with some disturbing pictures and told me I needed to come right away. Lindsey—the psychic—had another vision. There. Now you’re pretty much caught up. If you have questions, keep them to yourself.”
I shot a glare at Mikey, who’d obviously been listening in, and then went back to my phone.
