“I like nice things,” he said. “But I like the security money brings even more. I have false papers for both of us. New identities, new passports. We don’t have to worry about running afoul of the human authorities.”
I had to look at the window for a second because he was so fucking cute, sitting there saying “run afoul” like that was something people said outside a British period drama.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, drawing my eyes back to him.
“That you’re really hot.” I pushed off the door frame. “Also, you said you’d teach me to set wards. But I’m a rogue. So I can’t, right?”
He sat up a little straighter, a faint flush at the base of his throat. I’d put it there, calling him hot and getting him all flustered. I needed to make it happen more often.
“I don’t think of you as a rogue,” he said. “And warding comes with age. We’ll try it. We have time.”
“Where’s the Council based?” I asked.
“London.”
“I feel like there was a movie like that.”
“An American Werewolf in London,” he said. “But no one on the Council is American.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Sounds like a lack of representation.”
Humor gleamed in his eyes. “We can’t dominate everything in the world.”
My dick—which was abastard—twitched. I looked around the room to give myself something else to focus on. “What keeps the Council from finding you here?”
“Years ago, I paid Sterling Moray for a physical ward. It’s buried in the soil around the property.”
I looked at Jesse, something that felt a lot like jealousy stirring in my chest.
Except, yeah, it was jealousy. The snobby-sounding bond villain witch went straight to the top of my Shit List. I didn’t even know if he was gay. It didn’t matter. I was prepared to hate his guts.
“You must have done him more than one favor,” I said.
The hint of a smile played around Jesse’s mouth. “So youwerepaying attention on the plane.”
“Maybe.”
His smile spread, warming me from across the room. “The witches are mortal but extremely powerful. They run their covens like corporations. For the right price, anyone can buy spells. But it can be dangerous doing business with them.”
“Like the mafia,” I said.
“It’s not far off.”
“If you can buy magic, why can’t I just buy a gift?”
His expression sobered. “It doesn’t work that way. You need to possess magic to work magic.”
My heart sank. I’d spent most of my life being the thing that didn’t quite work the way it was supposed to. Apparently, becoming immortal hadn’t changed that.
“I don’t like that look,” Jesse said.
“What look?”
“Like you think you’re not good enough.” Authority rolled off him, but it wasn’t forceful this time. It wrapped around me like a hug, holding me steady. “You’re more than good enough, Caleb. You areeverythinggood.”
A lump formed in my throat. “I think you’re probably biased.”
“I’m right. Get used to it.”
