The room erupted in fits of laughter.
He wasn’t sure how Gillian would take the news. Garrett had a very strong suspicion this would be a major point of contention. “I guess this time the jokes on me.” No question about it, this could quickly turn into a major shit show.
Chapter 13
Gillian stretched out her hand to refill the mugwort and rosehip jars. They were arranged like glass soldiers on tall wooden shelves behind the shop’s register. Glancing at the clock on the wall showed that it was almost nine, which meant she still had a few minutes to gather her wits before the other girls showed up for work.
How would she pull this off without cracking? She tried to recall the finer points that she’d gone over with Mulroney. “Garrett,” she whispered, correcting herself. Saying his name out loud made her stomach flip. Getting used to calling him by anything but Mulroney would take time.
After Gillian rubbed her hands on her jeans, she examined her handiwork. Now pricked with black and orange lights, the ceiling ofEnchantmentsgave off a starry effect to make browsing through the endless rows of tarot decks, ritual candles, crystal balls, runes, wands, and spellbooks a festive experience.
Once she climbed down from the step stool, she cleaned up the mess she’d left on the counter, booted up her laptop, and turned on the Spotify to R&B. Delilah had closed last night, so the store was in good shape.
Gillian loved to open, but not today. She relished the quiet before the store filled with customers. Mornings remained typically slow until about noon when people came in on their lunch breaks unless they had appointments. Today she had none, which was probably a blessing, considering her mind spun in a million different directions. Every few minutes she’d glance over her shoulder. Any little sound or creaking noise made her jump. Despite Officer Andrews popping in and out, she still couldn’t shake the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.
She exhaled, trying to focus, and glanced at the store schedule on the computer. On slow days, they accepted walk-ins, and if the customer liked their reading, they’d get booked for parties. She’d done her fair share of spa nights at private homes and the occasional bachelorette party. Brides, in particular, loved the novelty of having a tarot card reader there.
Always on the lookout for new customers, they started a mailing list for sales and promotions, which had grown considerably over time. Now they offered workshops and classes on Wicca, the use of essential oils, herbs in potions, and spellwork. She liked to think of the shop as Hogwarts for adults. None of them were growing rich by any stretch, but they were breaking even.
As much as Gillian enjoyed her job, her real love was doing her podcast. She still dreamed of being the host of a radio show someday. That dream would have to be on hold for now. Finding Brooke was her number one priority—her only priority.
She let out a ragged breath. Imagining what she was going to tell her friends about her new living situation made her break out in a cold sweat. No doubt she’d get bombarded with questions. Inevitably, the gossip would spread. If only she could go back in time when life was simpler, and she didn’t have to lie to the people she loved, make up fake boyfriends, or be on the lookout for attacking vampires, which reminded her, she needed to go on the offensive.
She picked up her phone off the counter and typed a tweet.
#KurtLawrence #mediamogul or #monster? She posted it all over her social media and offered a silent prayer, hoping it would somehow lead them to Brooke.
The clack of heels forced Gillian to look up. Saje walked in with a steaming cup in her hands. She set it behind the register and stowed her purse under the counter. “What the hell’s going on, Gillian? What happened to you last night that put you and the rest of us in danger?”
“I’ll tell you everything, I promise. But first things first. Did you weave extra protections spells throughout the manor?”
“Yes. We are now the Fort Knox of covens, but you still haven’t told me why that was necessary. I think I have a right to know,” Saje said in an exasperated tone.
“You do. Where’s Delilah? She’s on the schedule today.” Gillian’s eyes darted to the back door. It had been her idea to open the shop and have all the women of the coven work together. She read tarot cards like Gillian but also created a line of soaps and lotions with magickal healing properties. She’d become a close friend. It would be hard to lie to her face about her fake relationship with Garrett.
“She’s not coming in.” Saje flicked on the neon open sign. “A slot opened up at a psychic fair in Secaucus. She thought it would be good for business, especially right before Samhain.”
Gillian leaned over the counter to arrange the display of crystals before glancing back at Saje, trying to keep the gut-churning worry out of her eyes. After Gillian filled Saje in on all the gory details over the last twenty-four hours, she exhaled, not sure how she’d react. “Mulroney told me I could only tell one person, and it has been killing me not being able to confide in my best friend. But you have to swear not to tell anyone, for everyone’s safety and especially for Brooke’s. This won’t work if we can’t keep it a secret, and the fewer people who know, the easier it will be to pull this off.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. I can’t believe Lawrence kidnapped Brooke and killed your cat!” Saje shook her head. “It figures Nick hasn’t mentioned a thing. Wait a minute, did I hear you right? You put a vampire in a coma?”
After that, it took Gillian a good ten minutes to calm Saje down. “Do you think between Mulroney and the agents, they’ll be able to find Brooke?”
Anxiety coiled down her spine. “They have a few leads. Now that I’m a witness, and threatened to expose Lawrence on social media, Mulroney says I’m in danger, which is why I need to stay at his place. Naturally, we were forced to invent this charade about being a couple.” Gillian reached for a stick of frankincense and a candle then lit both with a wave of her hand. “I can’t go back to the coven.”
“Who could’ve imagined that an invitation to the penthouse from a handsome, wealthy vampire would result in something so horrible?” Saje hands visibly shook as she dusted off the spines on the bookshelves.
“Trust me, living on the wild side isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.” Ever since her mom’s death, she’d tried to get out there and suck the lemon out of life, live every moment to the fullest. Death forces you to reassess your priorities. But at this point, she would give anything for a real connection with someone. She envied what Willow and Alex shared. What if that kind of love and passion just wasn’t in the cards for her? Brooke’s kidnapping made her painfully aware of all the things missing in her own life. At any moment, everything could be snatched away and drastically change.
Saje grabbed the keys and opened one of the glass cases to fill it with their pricier wands. “So you think Lawrence or one of his bodyguards will come after you?”
“If Lawrence comes after me, then there’s a good chance he comes after all of you.” Gillian would do everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen. “Which is why I have to keep him focused on me, keep him thinking the coven doesn’t know anything. I plan to weave some protection spells of my own. If he does come for me, hopefully, Mulroney will be there, but I have to be prepared when he’s not.”
“What can I do?” Saje asked as she lit a pumpkin scented candle. The aroma swirled through the air.
“There must be a spell or a potion that can sever Brooke’s blood bond without causing her any harm.” Gillian bit her lip. “Can you bring some of the Grimoires from the coven here to the shop?”
“Sure. We can go through them together.”
