Page 25 of Amber: Deja Brew

Chapter 10

Amber

“We’ll figure this out, sweetheart,” Chase says, taking my hand in his.

“And I’m getting those reviews taken down if it’s the last thing I do!” Julian snaps, his eyes blazing. He looks like a man on a mission as he storms back to Jewels Cafe, and for a second, all I can do is stare.

I've never seen him this... determined. And I suddenly feel really, really bad for Minerva Montgomery. Because when we do track her down, there’ll be hell to pay.

“Come on,” Chase says, following Julian into the cafe. He holds the door open for me, and when we step inside, he turns to face me. “I was actually thinking... we could try calling Screech to report the reviews. Maybe they’ll just take them down?”

“That’s an awesome idea, Chase!” I cry.

“I actually just got off the phone with Screech.” Wes smiles at us from behind the counter.

“You did? Oh, Wes, thank you!” I race around the counter and throw my arms around his waist. My bear shifter pulls me into his warm, hard embrace, and I let out a contented sigh. Hugging him feels like heaven.

“Did they take the reviews down?” Julian asks, and I smile up at Wes, waiting for the rest of the good news.

“Not yet,” he says instead, and my heart sinks. “But they opened an investigation to determine if the reviews are in violation of their guidelines.”

“What?” Julian shouts. “They’re obviously fake!”

He sounds mad as hell, but there’s obvious frustration mixed in. Frustration that I feel, too. None of this is fair! If we end up losing our cafe because of Minerva Montgomery, I swear... I’ll do something. I don’t know what it is yet, but the anger coursing through me tells me it’s going to be epic.

“I agree that they’re fake,” Wes says calmly. “And the staff at Screech will see that. They said they’ll get back to us by the end of next week.”

“Next week?” Julian cries.

“I’m sorry,” Wes says. “I’m guessing you didn’t have any luck finding the witch?”

I shake my head and slip out of his arms so I can give Julian a much needed hug. “They’ll take them down, Juli. They have to.”

“Oh, Bean.” He pulls me in close. Unlike all the hugs we’ve shared as friends, this one feels different... more intimate. For the first time, I press my body flush against his and don’t blush at the close contact. Then, I let myself relax. The rightness of the moment, despite everything going on around us, makes me smile.

“It’s going to be okay, Juli,” I whisper.

Instead of agreeing with me, he shakes his head. “I’m just so mad at myself right now.”

“At yourself? But why? None of this is your fault.”

“Yes, it is. If it wasn’t for me, Mini wouldn’t be doing this.”

“That’s on her, not on you.” I cup his face in my hands and stare into his piercing bluish-gray eyes. They’re filled with pain, pain that Minerva Montgomery put there. I really wish I knew where she was, so I could march over there and give her a piece of my mind. “What she’s doing is wrong, Juli, and it’s her fault, not ours.”

“I know, Bean. It’s just...” he shakes his head and pulls me back into his arms. “What if she ruins us? What if we lose the cafe?”

“We can’t think like that,” I whisper, even though the same thought crossed my mind earlier.

“Everything’s going work out,” Wes adds. “I’ll make sure of it.”

I’m not sure how he could possibly do that, but his words have their intended effect. My heart lifts, and I feel a sudden urge to hug him again. Followed by a wave of frustration, because I can’t do that and hug Juli. Why are my guys standing on opposite sides of the counter? Why can’t I hug them both?

Should I demand Wes come over here? Drag Julian over to Wes? Or just accept that this is what life with three mates will always be like?

Speaking of my three mates, I look around for Chase. At some point, he’s managed to slip past us and is now seated behind his laptop. His gaze is locked intently on the screen, but it’s like he can sense my eyes on him.

“I’m doing some research,” he says, looking up from the screen. “There has to be something else we can do.”