“I accept your apology. I want you to finish your therapy. Once you’ve done that, we can reassess and see how committed you are to this agency.” She leant forward, staring into my eyes. “I saw a real agent in you when you finally chose to end Helena yesterday. It took you a while to get there. In the future, if you do stay here, you will never be allowed to work on cases that hold personal interest.”
Her words were serious, but they were delivered with a softness that spoke to me. She was right. I should’ve been taken off the case as soon as we had found out that Helena was the one doing the kidnapping.
Smiling, I held out my hand. “That sounds perfect to me.”
Without smiling, she watched me for a moment. Her trust in me had been tested. I had to earn it back somehow. I knew I wouldn’t slot straight back in when I returned, but I could still feel the genuine love she had for me. I was part of the team. Somehow, I had fit in as if I was their missing part. And, yet, I had almost thrown it away.
“I promise I will work hard to prove my worth to you.”
Shaking her head, she glanced at the paper in front of her before looking at me. “It’s not about proving your worth to me. You have to prove it to yourself first. Become the agent I believe you can be, by believing in yourself.”
Taking my hand, she shook it before dismissing me with a wave and bending her head to write. Getting up to leave, I paused by the door and looked over my shoulder. “Justina?”
Without raising her head, she looked at me. I grinned, unable to help myself.
“You may hate me now, but I love you.”
Skipping out of the library before she could reply, I slammed straight into Gerard’s chest. His fingers wrapped around my wrist as I looked up at him.
“We need to talk.” His voice was deep, stiff.
Nodding, I let him lead me up the stairs. There were no private rooms downstairs, they were full of agents and government officials. My boots dragged as Gerard stayed silent. Would he berate me for leaving too?
Indicating that I put Kingsley away, Gerard waited for me in the corridor. My pet rat kissed my finger when I gave him a biscuit and left him to it. He didn’t need to hear any arguments between us.
Going back outside, I was surprised to see Gerard waiting by his bedroom door.
Opening it when I joined him, he stepped back to let me in. I’d never been inside his lair. He had always kept his privacy very private. The smell of his masculinity swept up my nose, making me inhale even deeper. Oh, boy, this wasn’t a good place to have a conversation.
“You left because of me, didn’t you?” His words were ripped from his mouth, his eyes staring at me as he closed the door behind him.
Backing away, I froze when my spine connected with the wall by the window. A double bed was pushed against the far wall. The room was full of blues and silver. It was a great contrasting room, the decoration faultless. Had he done it? Was this his personality?
My attention was brought back to him as he advanced towards me. His breathing was deep, his chest moving. The tattoos on his arms bunched as he clenched his hands into fists. Was he angry? I couldn’t quite read him.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
The apology had me reeling. Wait. Intense Mac-oh-my-goodness wasn’t going to chew me out? Why was his energy so wired?
Biting my lip, I swallowed hard as he came closer. His gaze traced the movement, the lids of his eyes dropping as he took a deep breath. Oh… he was… jeez. My heart flickered all over the place as my skin heated. If he came closer, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions. A man couldn’t look at a woman in all that deliciousness and not expect her to jump him. Well, when the woman was in love with him anyway. It wouldn’t work otherwise. In love? Oh, shit.
“Gerard, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have run. I was… I…”
His steps brought him closer to me. Placing his hands on either side of my head, he looked down into my eyes. “You saved my life.”
“What can I say?” I quipped, swallowing hard. “I’m kickass like that. And, well…”
He cocked his head to the side as I stumbled over my words. I never stumbled over words. Why was the gorgeous creature turning me into a bumbling idiot? I’d just slayed a person, and now I was acting like a nervous teenager.
“Well?” he whispered, his breath rushing over me as his head came nearer to mine.
“Well… I wanted to save you because…”
Ah! So. Frustrating.
“Because…?”
“For fuck sake, do I have to spell it out?”
He leant back slightly, looked up at the ceiling as if he was thinking and then nodded. “Yes.”
“I kind of have a huge crush on you that may have developed into more. There, I said it.”
A grin came to his face as he studied my gaze. “You did? Oh. Well, I love you too, you crazy witch.”
His lips descended before I could reply. My heartbeat literally danced around my whole body as I kissed him back. My arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled me away from the wall and dragged me to the bed. There would be no running away today.
“You’re just as crazy as me,” I muttered when he pulled away to tug my jacket off.
His shirt disappeared before he even replied. We were going to do it, weren’t we? It was about bloody time.
“No, you’re the record holder. It’s going to take a lot to beat it.”
He was on top of me, his weight pushing me into the bed. I laughed when he growled and licked my ear, the sensation sending tingles all the way down my back.
As my head sunk against the pillow, Gerard leant up. I grabbed his arm before he came down for another kiss. There, on the blank space above his elbow was a new tattoo. It was as big as his number ones.
“What’s that?”
My throat squeezed as he smiled gently down at me. The tattoo was a silhouette. It was black, plain and very simple. And, yet, that face was recognisable anywhere. Well, to me, anyway.
“Did you have my grandmother tattooed on you?” My giggle was stopped when he lowered his face to mine slowly.
“It’s my future wife. You wouldn’t know her, she’s a kickass agent, who just happens to be one of the most unique people in the world.”
Tears came to my eyes. He wanted to marry me? Now he was the insane one. Maybe I would say yes in the future, but now, I had more important things to worry about.
“Well, it’s a good job she has a great silhouette. You’ve got to have that on your body for the rest of your life.”
His lips caught mine before his tongue asked for entrance into my mouth. The man of my dreams was mine.
The mood suddenly intensified. Our quick movements slowed as we undressed each other slowly. Tracing each muscle with my fingers, I got to know Gerard in a way I’d never seen him before. Generous, oh yeah, and vulnerable. And as he entered me, my heart exploded in ways it had never experienced before.
Chapter Eighteen
Knocking, I waited impatiently for Becky to answer. She’d called me before I’d had a chance to contact her. She’d seen something and needed to see me. So, where was she now?
“That’s odd,” Gerard said as he tried to look through the kitchen window. “It doesn’t look like anyone is here.”
My stripper song burst from my phone. Grabbing it, I answered when I saw the seer’s name. “Becky, where are you?”
The hiss down the line made my palms start to sweat. “Devon, you need to get out of there now. Meet me at The Crown Inn down the road. There’s a private room at the back.”
My boots were pounding up the steps before I hung up the call. Gerard didn’t ask anything as he followed. He could sense my panic as I thundered down the street. My arms pumped beside me as the breeze whipped my hair back. My heart was beating hard, and yet, the thrill of the invisible chase heightened my senses. I felt connected to me again.
“We’re going to the pub,” I said as Gerard c
ame up beside me.
“You’re all of a sudden desperate for a beer?”
Shaking my head, I didn’t reply as I tried to breathe. Running was not my forte, especially when I’d spent all day in bed with Tattoo Mac-blow-my-mind.
The pub came into view just as I felt the presence of someone behind us. Becky had been afraid, but was she afraid for herself, or for me?
Diving through the door, I searched the bar. A few men were playing darts… They still did that? …but there weren’t many other people there. It was the middle of the week, most people were lounging in front of the television. Would my life ever be like that?
“She’s through there,” the barman said, indicating a dark red door that blended with the wall.
Nodding, we stalked through the bar and opened the door. Gerard followed me inside as I came face to face with Becky. She was sitting at a table, her eyes glazed over. Turning to Gerard, I nodded towards the door. He held up a hand and whispered a protection spell. Even if someone had followed us, they wouldn’t be able to get in.
“Come,” Becky said, making me jump. “Sit down.”
The room was musky, the red walls full of damp. Old fashioned lamps lit the shadowy room. It was the perfect place for a seer to freak out her clients.
Treading slowly to the chair opposite her, I sat down with a thump. My breath was huffing in and out of me, loud in the room. Her urgency had panicked me, but now, she looked quite chilled. What was going on?
“I need to ask you something,” she said, suddenly opening her eyes.
Glancing at Gerard, who stood by the door because he was a wimp, I gestured for her to go ahead. My teeth chewed the inside of my cheek as I tried to even out my rapid heartbeat.
“What happened last night?”
Ah, so the seer knew that something had gone down. It was against agency policy to share cases with outside people. Including Becky.
“I can’t share that information with you.” Taking the glass of water from the table, I drank it down in one go.
The liquid burnt as it slid down my throat. Almost heaving, I bent forward and cursed. I should’ve checked that the liquid was water before drinking. Stupid woman.
“I thought you might say that. Don’t worry,” she said to Gerard when he stepped forward. “I’ve seen most of it. However, there’s one important bit missing. And, until I see it, I can’t help you with what you’re about to face.”
What I’m about to face? What was she talking about? We had ended the mission. Caught the bad guy. Dealt the justice.
With shaking fingers, I reached for Gerard. My mind was swirling, my breath even shorter than before. Oh, boy, I was drugged, yet again. Only this time, it had been my fault.
“You can comfort her, but I need her other hand. I’m not going against agency policy, I’m helping Devon.”
Becky’s blonde hair was tied on top of her head. Her round face was tinged with pink as she held out her hand. Gerard came to me, lifting me as I almost slumped off the seat. Sitting down with me on his lap, he held me firmly.
“There better be a very good reason for this,” I muttered as I leant forward and threaded my fingers with hers.
The images of the night before played out in my mind. Becky sighed as she watched them with me. I was transfixed as the emotions played out in my chest, making me shake again. There was my grandmother, holding the leaf from the warlock tree in the air. She was laughing as I got ready to run at her.
“There,” Becky snapped as I rushed forward and used my momentum to snatch the leaf from her hand. “That’s what did it.”
Letting me go, she put her hands on my head and whispered something. My mind cleared, my body waking up from the weird slumber. Gerard held me, his arms around my waist. I stayed were I was, comfortable with his support. By the look on Becky’s face, the news wasn’t good.
“Why am I here?” I asked, my fingers itching as the memory of my convulsions the night before resonated in my muscles.
Becky moved some objects around in front of her. Was that a bone? Ew. I would never get used to the weird world of seers. They were clever, and oh, so helpful, but their vision was something to be feared too.
“Do you know the relevance of the leaf?”
Nodding, I rubbed my temples. I hated cryptic people. I couldn’t do subtle, they had to give it to me straight. And, yet, I had to be patient. Demanding she get to the point might stop her from telling me what was making her so anxious.
“It happened when you took the leaf from your grandmother last night,” Becky said, staring into my eyes.
“What happened?” My whole being suddenly vibrated with magic, both warlock and witch.
Clenching the table top in my hands, I held tightly as Gerard kept me steady. He could feel the energy pulsing through me too. Shit, if this had anything to do with what Becky was about to say, I would be in trouble.
“Devon, the tree is no longer the warlocks link to their earth magic. You are. When you touched the leaf, you took the link from the tree and became the direct contact into earth. Which means that every single warlock in the world will hunt you down, and probably kill you, to access every bit of warlock magic that the earth contains.”
Want to know what happens next? Book 4, Magically Banished is up for pre-order.
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Magically Banished
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Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Medhurst
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Published in 2018
Author
Rachel Medhurst grew up in Surrey, England. She writes to prove that no matter where you come from, you can be anything you want to be. Your past may shape you but it doesn't define you. When Rachel isn't writing, she can be found reading and walking in nature.
www.rachelmedhurst.com
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