Soulmated

by Diane Darcy

  William’s expression was grim. He wasn’t joking.

  She stared at him. Was this a vampire thing? Because he worked at The Hemlock? Because that was just taking things too far.

  When he didn’t so much as crack a smile, she finally nodded. “It’s possible. Grandma frequents the church down the road and she’s always getting water there. I assumed she was just filling the bottles at their drinking fountain. I’d have to ask her to be sure.”

  “I suspect ye’ll find that’s the case.”

  She scoffed again. “Next you’ll be telling me he was turning my neck to suck my blood!”

  William shrugged off her sarcasm. “Mayhap.”

  What would cause someone to melt when touched by water? “Could the man have been allergic to herbs? Like, really allergic?”

  William simply shrugged. “I want ye to stay with me.”

  “No way.”

  “I insist. I believe ye are in real danger.”

  His gentle, coaxing tone alarmed her. “I live with my mother and grandmother. What about them?”

  “If ye aren’t staying with them, I think they would be in less danger.”

  She tilted her head back, drawing in a deep breath as she realized the enormity of the situation. “I’m not going to run away to save myself.”

  “O’ course, I’ll place a guard on them. Or they could come to the hotel if they want. That might be safest.”

  “Grandma and Mom will never leave the shop. And what about Tabitha? And my sister and Sean?” The thought of that — thing, whatever he was — anywhere near her niece made Lena’s heart pound.

  “I’ll set up guards, but if they like, they’re all welcome at The Hemlock.

  “No!” this was crazy. Her life had turned upside down. She didn’t want her family caught up in this as well.

  “Guards at their homes, then. Lass, please trust me. I’m scenting vampire. In the daylight hours, only the oldest can walk in the sun. Someone is after ye, and I’ve no doubt they’re trying to get at me, through ye.”

  She crossed her arms and glared. Was he mocking her?

  “Lass, please. If ye’re with me, no one shall touch a hair on yer head.”

  “I just met you yesterday.” Panic bubbled in her belly. How did she get caught up in this? She never should have tried internet dating!

  But not to have met William …

  “Yesterday, ten years ago, it matters not.” William lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “All that matters is that we’ve met, and I swear to ye I can keep ye, and those ye love, safe.”

  His brows drew together and he seemed to be willing her to give in. “Besides, ye’ve been helping me tremendously. Do ye not believe two heads are better than one?” His voice was coaxing. “Let’s solve this case, and when we do, ye and yers shall be safe once more.”

  Her heart was thumping hard, her breathing escalated. She’d been attacked. She couldn’t believe it was random. If there was even the slightest chance her family could be placed in harm’s way because she was with them, she had to stay away.

  She finally met William’s gaze. “My family is my priority right now. You’ll keep them safe, you swear it?”

  “On my honor. I’ll place guards on them immediately.”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. “All right. I’ll go with you.”

  Chapter 23

  William drove Lena back to the hotel.

  He felt positively grim.

  In the normal course of events, policing The Hemlock Hotel wasn’t ever easy, but it was always challenging and fun.

  Crime was an ongoing source of grief for the hotel. Frankly, it was inevitable. You put that many people who had lived that long, together in one spot, and there were bound to be problems. In the Las Vegas area as well. As it was his job to take care of those problems, he did so on a regular basis.

  Murder? Unfortunately, it happened far more often than it should, especially to people who were basically immortal.

  But this was different.

  For the first time fear crept up his back, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

  In the normal course of events, today would just be another day for him. Murders happened, he solved them, life moved on.

  But this was completely different.

  He’d been Soulmated.

  He could have lost her today, the day after he’d found her. The thought horrified him. His fists clenched and unclenched on the steering wheel. If her grandmother had kept anything else in those bottles … .

  He was inclined to like Lena’s family, simply because she came from them. But her grandma might be his favorite person, besides Lena.

  He glanced at Lena, but she was looking out the window, her brow furrowed with worry. If she hadn’t agreed to come, he’d have found a way to invite himself into her home. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

  The sooner they solved these two murders, the better.

  Because Lena wasn’t wrong. There was no way that some random psychopath had happened upon her. This obviously had to do with the murders. What better way to keep him off the trail, then to kill his soulmate.

  As for the man who’d tried to harm Lena, his days were limited. William would see to that.

  They’d return to the hotel, round up the suspects once more, and shake something loose.

  And Lena would stay by his side, at all times.

  He’d not risk her safety.

  Chapter 24

  Hours later, Lena was obviously exhausted and William sent for a blanket and pillow and got her settled on the couch in his office, under guard.

  William and his men had questioned the guests, then started in on the main suspects again. Everyone was sticking to their stories.

  The bride, Christina Tuckerman, insisted it was the florist, Nora Harcourt, who used to date him and now hated him.

  The caterer, Jasmine Russey, blamed the photographer who had a crush on the maid of honor until Creighton seduced her.

  The photographer, Marcus Peters, thought the bride, or the bride’s mother killed Creighton after receiving the photograph.

  They’d finally found the florist, Nora Harcourt, working on another Las Vegas wedding at The Luxor. A pretty fae, she’d been shocked when they’d brought her in. “No way,” she shook her blonde head. “I didn’t hate Creighton, not anymore. Yes, we had a bad breakup, but that was literally years ago, ancient history. We met up a few times since and I was over it. Over him.”

  She spread her small hands wide. “I just started up a business here. He gave me this wedding contract, and it was a big one. I was grateful. It’s led to more work for me.”

  Lost in thought, she finally came up with, “I did, however, talk to the cake decorator. A Georgina something-or-other. I have her card. We talked about doing some marketing together. She was there the entire time I was setting up. Just ask her.”

  “We cannae. She’s dead as well. Murdered in her shop.”

  Nora’s eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her chest. “What?”

  “Did ye see anyone else come in?”

  Nora was breathing hard, looking worried. “Some of the guests stopped by to admire the decorations. I gave out some cards. One lady really liked Georgina’s cake. They spent some time talking. She was a brunette. A wolf, I think.”

  They’d dragged Jasmine Russey back in to meet the florist, but Nora shook her head. “That’s not her.”

  Jasmine had sneered at them before leaving again.

  The priest had nothing further to add, but continued to wonder if it had been an accident of some sort.

  Seeing the priest reminded him that Alistair had found Cameron’s first marriage record. He’d married sixty years earlier to a human and they’d also found the death certificate for his first wife. So, dead end there.

  Shame. William had counted on the man being a bigamist with a vengeful first wife.

  Everyone seemed to have a motive to kill the groom.

  But no one seemed t
o care enough to do so.

  Chapter 25

  Lena, awake now, was sitting on the couch watching William conduct a meeting with his men. All of them wore tailored suits and looked intimidating.

  She was starting to feel superfluous.

  In her opinion, the murder would be incredibly hard to solve.

  All of the guests had been accounted for, and William was insisting most of them stay, whether they wanted to or not. But who knew who else had been in the hotel the previous day? Who knew who had left?

  The whole thing had nothing to do with her, and after her own attack in the caravan, she wondered if perhaps hanging around The Hemlock wasn’t the best idea.

  Maybe she should go home.

  Her phone rang. Speak of the devil.

  She pressed the accept button. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hello, dearling. Do you know of a reason that three men are guarding our shop? And that one of them wants to stay on the roof to do so? Apparently, this is at a man named William Murray’s instruction. Your new beau, right? I’m not complaining, per se, but I am interested.”

  She chuckled. She loved her mother, and her taking everything in stride was no surprise. “This is going to take some catching up.”

  “How bad could it be? You just met the guy yesterday. Granted, you stayed out very late. If you want to share any details I’m all ears. But for now, back to the three men bristling with menace and guarding our place?”

  “Well …” And then Lena started at the beginning. By the time she finished with the man who had attempted to strangle her, her mother was no longer so calm and easy-going.

  “Oh, dear stars. Where are you now?”

  “I’m over at The Hemlock again.”

  “Are you alone?”

  “No, I’m with William.”

  “Is the man capable of protecting my baby?”

  “Mom, don’t call me that.” She glanced over at William — big, sturdy, intimidating. At least until he looked over at her with warm eyes. “Yes, he’s quite capable.”

  “Two murders! I have been trying to get you to date for how long now? And you finally bite the bullet, and this happens. I hope this doesn’t put you off men?”

  William stopped his conversation, and Lena had the distinct impression that he was listening to hers, awaiting her answer.

  “Men in general? Or just William?”

  “You don’t fool me, missy. Not in the least. You like this guy. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be anywhere near him right now. Not even being attacked could make you do what you didn’t want to. I just have to know. Do you like the guy?”

  Again, William seemed to stop his conversation, and even seemed to be holding his breath, though he wasn’t turned toward her and she could only see his profile.

  “I suppose I do.”

  “Ah. He’s to be damned with faint praise. Time will tell, I suppose. All right, honey, but I don’t want you to be alone until this ugly business is dealt with. Is that clear?”

  “It is.” She remembered the hand gripping her throat and swallowed hard. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to pull a runner. I’m just not sure how this is going to be solved with so many people involved.”

  “Are you using your talent to sense anything?”

  Lena rolled her eyes. Her mother insisted they all had some sort of psychic superpower. They didn’t, of course, but she figured her mom liked to pretend they did because psychic sounded better than con artist. “Don’t worry, if my Spidey senses start to tingle, I’ll let you know.”

  “If you sense danger, run away first, and then let me know. I’ve got to go. I’ve got some strapping young men here to feed. But don’t discount your abilities, young lady.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “And don’t roll your eyes at me, either.” Her mother hung up, having gotten the last word.

  Lena shoved the phone into her back pocket.

  William walked over. “Is everything okay?”

  “Just dandy.”

  “Good, because we have an appointment with a witch.”

  Her brows shot up. He certainly wasn’t dull, she’d give him that.

  Chapter 26

  The witch, apparently, had a shop in the mall inside The Hemlock.

  Of course she did.

  William seemed to be in a good mood for a man who was trying to solve a murder. They were holding hands again, and though she’d barely known him a day, it was starting to feel normal.

  She wasn’t fooling her mother, and she wasn’t fooling herself either. She did like the guy.

  She liked the way he treated her, how he didn’t play any games and just let her know they were together. She appreciated how big he was and his air of authority.

  Oh, who was she kidding? She liked everything about him.

  As they walked, Lena admired the architecture and layout of her temporary home. From the lobby they went up the escalators, into the mall area, and along the cobblestone street.

  Ye Old Candy Shop appealed at the moment. A nice big bag of chocolates was what she saw in her future if she had anything to say about it.

  They passed The Soap Shop, and The Realm, and The Minstrels Gallery and Lena soaked in the ambiance. The hotel had stayed in favor for so long, it was sort of amazing. Themed hotels in Las Vegas tended to rise and fall in popularity, and were always being renovated to offer more and better entertainments.

  The Hemlock seemed to be in a class all its own. It had an air of exclusivity about it that made tourists flock there. She’d heard reservations were over a year out, and that had been going on forever.

  Finally, they stopped in front of a thatched shop with a short, ornate iron fence around the front. A big sign proclaimed the place, Natural Magic. They went through the gate and up the pathway. From there it was all open and, as a fellow psychic, she was very interested in the layout.

  Witchy pictures adorned the walls. There was a glass case, decorated with the occasional candle, in which they sold different wares. Check — they had the same in their shop.

  There were shelves that looked to be stocked with colorful little vials, and there were racks of crystals and stones that could be purchased. Check and check.

  Dried herbs hung from the ceiling giving the place a very familiar smell, and lo and behold, there was a crystal ball sitting in one corner at a table. Tools of the trade.

  An entire shelf, floor to ceiling, looked to be packaged tinctures and teas for sale. Another sold spell-kits, herbs, and books. Oooh. Good idea.

  She grinned. Witches or not, these were her people.

  A sign on display listed spellcraft workshops, lunar-meditations, and even yoga. Some of which looked to be sold out. Wow. It looked like her family could stand to up their game a bit.

  A beautiful red-head with long hair was ringing up something at a cash register at one end of the glass case and, after a momentary glance at William, the woman looked Lena over thoroughly, green eyes seeming to gleam.

  Whatever she thought, her expression remained serene as she finished up with her customer, and then moved around the counter, revealing a tight, floor-length black dress, and curves galore. She greet William with, “I thought I’d be seeing you soon enough.”

  He nodded once. “Hello, Scarlett.” He sounded slightly sour. “Did any of ye get a chance to look at the bodies?”

  She placed a hand on a hip. “I did.”

  He scowled. “Was it any of yer work?”

  “If you’re asking if we sell spells that murder unsuspecting grooms and their cake designers, we do not.”

  William did not look thrilled.

  “Surely, yer sort —”

  The witch laughed out loud. “My sort?” She indicated Lena with a tilt of her head. “My question is why are you holding hands with my sort? You’ve always said you wouldn’t be caught dead with a witch.”

  William looked to Lena, uncertainty in his gaze. “She’s a psychic, no’ a witch.”

  “What?” Lena looked
down at the black skirt she was wearing, and touched the red scarf in her hair. “Oh. It’s just a costume.”

  The witch snorted. She held out her hand to Lena, and Lena was quick to let her take it. Out of professional courtesy, of course.

  “I see that you’re a Martin.”

  Lena’s brows shot up. “Am I?”

  The witch gave her a sharp look. “Any chance you’re looking for a job?”

  “I actually work with my grandmother and my mother. We have a shop on Clark Street, and a caravan on Fremont.”

  She released Lena’s hand. “You’re kidding. I’ve seen that caravan, and I’ve heard of your shop. But I thought —” The witch glanced down at Lena’s hand once more, and then shrugged and let it go. “I just assumed you were a fake.”

  Lena’s brows rose. She didn’t know what to say to that. Of course she was a fake. They all were.

  The witch waved a hand in the air. “That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we could use an extra witch to help out around here.” She glanced at William. “It looks like you might be a regular soon, so why not? It would just be part-time, and you could work around your other jobs.”

  “I’m actually a psychic, rather than a witch,” Lena protested.

  The woman gave her a skeptical look. “A rose by any other name and all that. If you change your mind, you know where to find me. As a show of goodwill, I’ll tell you something about the murders.”

  William visibly bristled. “Ye’ll tell her, but no’ me? Tis no’ the way it works around here, Scarlett, and ye know it. If ye wish to keep yer place here, ye’ll answer tae me.”

  The witch’s face grew stormy. A wave of darkness hit Lena forcefully and she shuddered.

  “As I said, as a show of good faith to my new friend here, I’ll tell you something. The first murder? You’re looking for a wolf.”

  Just as quickly as the negative force in the room had risen, it dissipated and Lena breathed a sigh of relief wondering what had just happened.