“Horace is the leader of the radical Pagan group that’s in town. He’s into super weird shit. The reason we were speeding last night is that, when we were there for what should have been a celebratory full moon ritual, he started calling on evil spirits or something, and things got weird.”
It was like I had sucked all the air out of the room as both men sat perfectly still, devouring my words.
“Define weird,” Chief Thomas said.
“Likeweird. Flash of light. Ground moving. People screaming. We ran for it,” I said.
“That would explain the call I got about an earthquake,” Chief Thomas mused, leaning back in his chair.
“Did you go to the festival to investigate?”
“Too many cars were leaving for me to get down the lane right away. By the time I got there, everything looked fairly normal. Mostly empty, and – well, as normal as one could expect for that type of gathering.”
“Did you see a man in a loincloth with ram horns on his head?”
Cash just shook his head next to me, closing his eyes briefly.
“That I did not.”
“That’s your man. He kind of looks like Gandalf. You know, long flowing grey hair, thin, eyes that pierce through to your soul,” I explained.
“I will take that under consideration,” Chief Thomas said evenly.
“Listen, am I free to go here? I really want to find Luna. I’m starting to get worried,” I admitted.
“Yes, you can go. But, and I’m asking you this very nicely, please keep me informed today. We’ve got a killer on the loose and I could use all the help I can get,” Chief Thomas said, holding my gaze.
I appreciated that he was letting me go and that he was being honest with me. For that, I would return the favor.
“If I know anything, you’ll know it,” I agreed, getting out of my chair.
See? I know how to work well with others… when I feel like it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Why doesitseem like every time I’m around you, you’re in some kind of trouble?” Cash mused as we made our way to his Jeep. He’d agreed to drive me back to my bike and I figured we might as well hash things out between us now.
Why bother putting off the inevitable?
“Listen, I get if this is too much for you. I know I’m probably not someone you’ll want to introduce to your family. And, yeah, I don’t lead a normal life. There’s always going to be something you would consider abnormal going on with me,” I shrugged my shoulders as I bit my lip and stared out the car window at the water. “And I don’t want to be normal. I’ve never aspired to have the picket fence kind of life. If that’s the type of girl you’re looking for, well, we should probably just stop this in its tracks right now,” I said, stiffly. There, I’d been an adult about it; no harm, no foul.
I gasped as Cash swerved suddenly to the side of theroad and all but pulled me into his lap as he crushed his lips to mine, taking me under his spell with all his heat and yearning. I could feel how much he wanted me, the desire pulsing off of him in waves, along with a layer of anger underneath. Not caring, I kissed him back, throwing myself into it. If this was to be our last kiss then I was going to get my money’s worth.
Moments later, we broke apart, gasping for breath, and met each other’s eyes.
“Stop trying to break up with me,” Cash panted.
“Stop making me feel like you don’t want to be with someone like me,” I panted right back.
“Stop making assumptions about the type of girl I want to be with,” Cash retorted, and I sat back, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Am I wrong?”
“You’re so wrong,” Cash muttered, pulling the car back out into traffic and proceeding to the wharf.
I bit back a smile as I felt warmth fill me. Okay, so maybe the day wasn’t a total loss.
“The magick stuff doesn’t freak you out?”
