Aurora never shied away from me. Never flinched at my touch.
Until I fucked it up.
A shadow slithers over my shoulder, gently patting me. I rip it free, teeth bared, hating how much I need it.
Something about Jameson is a massive red flag, but it’s contradictory to everything I’ve learned about the man. So, I decide to follow Aurora on her silly little date and watch her squirm while she struggles to stay interested in this dullard.
Maybe I’ll even play with her a little like I did at The Cardinal. The thought of wrapping my Umbraeth around her again makes my cock instantly hard.
But then an unfamiliarbuzzinterrupts my fantasy, making me growl in frustration.
“Fucking cell phones,” I mutter, yanking it from my pocket.
Oh, goody. It’s Thane.
Which means something’s wrong.
“Ezra. I’m sorry to bother you, but we had a break-in at the shop. I’m not sure what’s happening. It doesn’t look likeanything is missing, but the cops need you to get here as soon as you can. Christ, they broke the window, too. I’m so sorry.”
He’s out of breath and sounds like he’s teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.
“Are you okay, Thane? I hope you weren’t there when this happened.”
“Um … I’m okay, Ezra. Thanks for asking. I closed the shop around five, locked up, and then went to The Cardinal to meet Eve. I wasn’t there for more than an hour when the security company called me about the break-in.”
Once again, the bloody cosmos kicks me in the dick.
This is an issue only I can resolve. It’s my shop, after all. And Thane sounds very upset over the entire ordeal. But I don’t want to leave Aurora alone with the cave dweller who just drove off with her in his truck.
Shit! I’ll come back later to make sure she’s home safe and sound.
My shadows disagree. Violently.
They lash and coil like vipers, dragging at my ankles as I move away from her.
I grit my teeth and force them to submit. They don’t get a vote.
“I’m very glad you’re okay and that you weren’t there when this happened. Good store clerks are hard to find. I will be there in a few minutes so we can clear this up quickly.”
“Uh, right, okay. Thanks, Ezra. See you in a few minutes.”
After I hang up and curse the cosmos in every language I know, I head toward town, keeping to the shadows. The idea of small talk right now makes me feel murderous.
When I arrive at the shop, I immediately spot the two cop cars parked on the street, their blinding lights silently flashing. The broken window of the shop frames Thane and two police officers deep in conversation. The officers take notes while Thane standswith his arms folded and head bowed, his deep baritone drifting through the shattered glass.
Perfect. A crime scene.
Exactly what I wanted to deal with tonight. I should be watching Aurora right now, not babysitting cops and insurance agents.
But sure, let’s all waste my time instead.
It takes almost three hours to get through the bullshit—police reports, insurance claims, and every other mundane thing I can’t stand. With that nonsense finally out of the way, I move to the back of the shop to sift through the mess the intruders left in the antique books section.
The back room is a wreck. Broken shelves and scattered books cover the floor in a mess of wood and paper.
But even in the chaos, something doesn’t sit right.
Glass crunches under my boots as I step deeper into the wreckage. My shadows won’t settle, twitching like they know something I don’t.
