by AE Jones
Lorinda nodded. “Just remember, dear, things aren’t always what they appear.”
* * *
Was there a direct correlation between things-that-go-bump-in-the-night and insomnia? Alex rubbed her tired eyes in disgust. She hadn’t slept through the night since The Revelation, but she was sure last night’s sleeplessness was due to her frustration. She was missing something. Her grandmother had so easily dismissed the wedding issues Alex thought were sabotage.
Back in her office, she paged down through the threatening emails Prentice had given them, hoping for some further insight.
What was bugging her? Except for Sydney’s wedding, the others had been explained away by her grandmother. She drummed her fingers on the desk and let her mind wander through everything she’d read and heard since Sydney ran away from her wedding.
Finally, she pulled out her scribbled notes about wedding mishaps she had dismissed as not being worth review. But she had been looking at them through the filter of her human experience. Maybe they really indicated something else?
Things aren’t always what they appear.
Alex clicked on the intercom. “Peggy, would you mind coming into my office for a couple of minutes?”
Peggy arrived almost immediately, and sat down across from her. Devin followed close behind, shutting the door and leaning up against it. How could he overpower a room without uttering a word?
She had to grudgingly admit she was happy to see him, but at the same time she didn’t want him to know she was having trouble with the case. It was as if an angel and a devil were struggling to decide who got to take over her emotions. Emotions she had lost control of when she first met the exasperating man in front of her.
Peggy smiled apologetically. “He was in my office when you buzzed me, and you sounded upset. What’s up?”
Alex took a breath and pushed her list of items in front of Peggy.
“I’m missing something important.” Alex pointed to the first item on her list and then searched for the wedding on her computer. “I thought these issues were typical bridezilla meltdowns, but now I’m not so sure. There was a bride who threw a conniption fit when the guests were almost served steak tartar. I know vegetarians can be militant, but her reaction seems a bit over the top.” She scanned the record. “They have an SD on their file.”
Peggy nodded. “It was a scavenger demon wedding. Raw meat would have triggered a bit of a frenzy among the guests.”
“So that one could have been sabotage.”
“Absolutely. We had explicitly stated that no meat could be present at the reception, especially not raw meat.”
Alex searched for the next wedding in the electronic files. “What about the mother of the bride who insisted that the candles be removed from the service? The bride is a WT?”
“A witch. Her maternal line is full of powerful witches. The candles were black magic. The mother of the bride was able to feel the power emanating from them. When we took a closer look, we found symbols etched on the bottoms.”
The back of Alex’s neck tingled and she reached back to rub it. They were on to something, finally. “So the supernatural weddings are the ones being affected. And more important, the attempts to ruin the weddings were planned and executed by someone who knows supernatural weaknesses.”
Devin folded his arms. “I don’t know if we can jump to that conclusion yet. Have you talked to your grandmother about the other weddings?”
“Yes. She was able to explain every single one of the problems as having been caused by something relatively trivial.” Alex refused to be swayed. “Let’s go for three out of three. At a wedding two months ago, a couple almost drank their wedding toast from glasses rimmed with silver. Why is this relevant?”
“Were either of them werewolves?” Devin asked.
Alex nodded. “The groom.”
“Silver and werewolves don’t mix.”
She gaped at him. “I thought that whole silver bullet thing was a myth. Would it have killed him?”
“No, but it would have made him sick as a dog.” He smirked. “No pun intended.”
Alex stood up and began pacing. “So this isn’t just about sabotage.”
Devin interrupted. “If that’s the case, then this changes everything. It’s time to pull in reinforcements. Charlie’s on his way to help, but now I’ll send for my full security team.”
“Are they trying to destroy Grandmother’s business or expose supernaturals to humans?” Alex asked.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Devin answered. “If we figure that out, we’ll be much closer to finding who’s behind it.”
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Not everything in a bride’s life should revolve around her wedding. Suggest a distraction.
Chapter 13
Was this guy actually trying to pick her up in a diner at seven in the morning? Alex stared up from her café mocha in disbelief. She had been sitting here, passing the time while waiting for Devin, sipping coffee and reading a new book on her phone.
This was something that would happen to her gorgeous friend, Sheila, not her. She had to look way, way up to see the face of the lanky man in front of her. He was blond with chocolate eyes that gazed at her like she was a treat to be unwrapped.
But his smile was playful, which defused her initial urge to tell him to get lost.
“Hello, darlin’,” he drawled in a deep, buttery voice.
“I think you have the wrong person.”
“I don’t think so. You’re Alex, right?”
Her internal alarm bells started ringing. “Do I know you?”
“I’m Charlie.” He frowned. “Didn’t Dev tell you I’d be meeting you two here for breakfast?”
“No.” She answered, although she remembered Devin telling her Charlie was on his way.
“I’m a member of his security team.” He grinned and held out his hand. “Let’s do this the right way. Charlie Tucker. Nice to meet you, Alex.”
Alex shook his hand and gestured to the seat next to her. Charlie folded his long body into the chair, flipped over his mug and—as if by magic—Donna, the waitress, hustled up and filled the cup with fresh coffee.
“You ready to order?” she asked.
Before Alex could say they were still waiting for someone, Charlie replied. “I’ll have two scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and toast with extra butter.” He turned to Alex. “Devin can order when he gets here. I’m starving.”
Alex practically salivated at Charlie’s order, but she decided to control herself. “I’ll have a bowl of oatmeal with raisins.”
Charlie winked at Donna, and she blushed beet red before hurrying off to the kitchen. Alex shook her head. Donna normally didn’t take crap from anyone in the diner. If you didn’t like the service, she would be the first to tell you to take a hike.
“Sorry if I came across like a stalker earlier.”
“I’m still a bit confused. This diner is packed, and I’m not the only woman who’s here alone. How did you know it was me?”
“Dev described you, and he’s right. You’re dazzling.”
“Dazzling?” Alex shook her head. “That doesn’t sound like a word Devin would use.”
Charlie grinned. “Okay. The dazzling part was my ad lib. But he did tell me to look for a good-looking woman with shoulder-length brown hair and caramel eyes.”
Her heart sped up a bit and she took a slow breath to relax. She had to get this schoolgirl crush on Devin under control. “Well, welcome to San Diego. When did you get into town?”
“Late last night. I’m going to move into the house today.”
“What house?”
“When we accept an assignment, we normally rent a house to stay in. Helps with the budget. It’s cheaper for the group to stay in a house than pay separate hotel bills.”
“So who’s on the team?”
“Connor and Jack will be here later today. Gizmo will be here in a day or so.”
“Gizmo?”
“And how did you all end up working for Devin?”
“Dev and I have been friends for years. When I got out of the Navy, he contacted me to work with him. I met Gizmo while we were both SEALs. He worked intel, and I thought he would be a good fit for the team.”
“Are Connor and Jack military?” Alex asked.
“No. Devin grew up with them.”
Alex took a sip of her mocha. “Has Devin briefed you on your assignment?”
“Some. That’s why he wanted me to meet you here, so I could be brought up to speed.”
“And what’s your role on the team?”
He smirked at her. “You’re very inquisitive.”
She sighed with frustration. “Sorry. I’m coming across like a drill sergeant, aren’t I?”
“Yep.” Charlie took a sip of his coffee. “But I think bossy women are hot.”
Before Alex could retort, Donna rushed up to the table with their food. Alex stared at her in shock. She’d never gotten her food this soon before.
The waitress smiled shyly at Charlie. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“This looks amazing. I would kill for some tabasco sauce.”
“You got it.”
Alex watched the interplay in awe. She was beginning to suspect that Charlie Tucker, aka Mr. Smooth Talker, could charm anyone into anything, without even breaking a sweat.
* * *
He was going to kick Charlie’s ass.
Devin watched his second in command lean too close to Alex and say something in her ear. Devin gritted his teeth and marched across the restaurant.
“Darlin’ you’ve been eyeing my bacon for fifteen minutes. Go on, take a bite.”
Devin jerked to a halt next to the table. He couldn’t have heard Charlie correctly. He almost rubbed his hands together in anticipation of Alex’s blistering response. She stared for a second and then laughed at Charlie. Laughed!
What the hell had transpired between the two of them before he got there? Charlie handed her a piece of bacon and she gave him a flirty smile.
Devin cleared his throat, and they both glanced up at him. Charlie smirked before speaking. “We wondered where you were. Alex was getting worried.”
She didn’t appear very worried to him. “I got held up checking out of the hotel.” He stared pointedly at Alex. “I texted you.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. “Sorry. Missed it. It’s loud in here.”
He glanced at their partially eaten breakfasts. “At least tell me the food is good.”
Charlie grinned. “It’s great. I ordered you an egg white omelet with veggies and dry toast.”
Devin scowled. “Maybe I don’t want that.”
“It’s what you always order,” Charlie argued. He winked at Alex. “Dev’s a bit predictable.”
“I’m not predictable.”
Charlie chuckled.
He had the urge to punch him. “I have an assignment for you.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Bennett Bridal has a wedding scheduled this weekend. I want you to scope out the venue and determine how to secure it.”
“Got it.”
“What about me?” Alex demanded.
“You should keep going through the files with Peggy so we can determine who else we should interview.”
“Fine. And what will you be doing?”
He stared at her for a moment before answering. “I’ve got to get the house set up, and then I’ll review the list you and Peggy put together.” Plus, he should be reviewing his notes for the upcoming Tribunal. He needed fewer distractions right now, especially one by the name of Alex Bennett. He had a mission to accomplish for both Marina and his brother.
“Right.”
Alex couldn’t possibly be that agreeable. She had to have something else to say, but a waitress arrived with a plate of food. Alex smiled at her. “Can you pack his food to go, Donna? He’s super busy and has to get to work.” Alex stood. “If you’ll both excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom.”
Devin watched her walk toward the back of the restaurant.
Charlie whistled softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone put you in your place before, Dev.”
“She’s a handful.”
“She’s more than a handful. And she’s gorgeous.”
“She’s off-limits,” Devin stated, a little too forcefully.
“Yes, sir.”
“Knock it off, Charlie. We don’t mix business with pleasure.”
“You don’t mix business with pleasure.”
Devin took a deep breath. “Don’t push it.”
Charlie stared at him a little too long. “How much does she know?”
“She found out about Peggy’s special clientele, but she doesn’t know that Peggy and the rest of us are supernaturals. The team will need to watch what they say around her.”
“She’s sharp. Shouldn’t be long before she figures it out.”
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen,” Devin growled, even though Charlie’s comment echoed his own thoughts.
Charlie grinned. “This is going to be very, very interesting.”
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Praise the bride for her ideas, even if they’re far-fetched. Then steer her gently back in the right direction.
Chapter 14
That couldn’t be right. “He has a t…tail?” Alex stuttered.
“Had a tail,” Peggy replied. “Anura demons are born with them, but the tails fall off when they start walking. Much like a tadpole loses his tail.”
“Holy hell, at some point you’re going to tell me something I truly can’t handle.”
Peggy shrugged. “You’ve been handling it quite well so far.”
Alex rubbed her fingers against her temples. “Do you have a chart or something that lists all the different species of supernaturals and their characteristics?”
“No, but if you want to put one together, feel free. Just make sure it’s password protected.”
“Okay. Now tell me about this anura wedding. What went wrong?”
“The groom was trapped in a meat locker in the hotel kitchen. Luckily he was found after only a few minutes.”
Alex shrugged. “Not that big a deal. Why do you think that was sabotage? It sounds like the groomsmen were playing a trick on him.”
Peggy shook her head. “Anura demons have amphibian DNA, which means they’re cold-blooded. He was already starting to go into hibernation. If they hadn’t found him when they did, he would have shut down entirely and the wedding would have been cancelled.”
“Do you think it would pay to talk to him?”
“Yes. At the time, we thought it was some weird accident, but after everything else that’s happened, I’m pretty sure someone did it on purpose.”
Alex typed some notes on her computer tablet. When she glanced up, Peggy was staring at her intently.
“What?”
“How’s it going with Devin?”
She chose her words carefully. He was Peggy’s brother after all. “He’s very confident.”
“He’s good at what he does.”
“He also can be a bit bossy.” And cocky, and overbearing and…
Peggy nodded. “He’s used to being in charge.”
Alex frowned at her. “Where’s this going?”
“I just wondered how you two were getting along, is all. He’s a great guy. Fun to be around too.”
Alex stared at her. “Fun? He’s a bit intense for me.”
“You’re only seeing his work persona. After you’ve spent some time with him, he’ll lighten up.”
Alex wasn’t planning to spend any personal time with him. “Okay. Back to work. Tell me more about the werewolf groom who almost drank out of the silver-rimmed glasses?”
Peggy scowled. “There shou
ld have been no silver at all at that wedding. The only reason they realized something was wrong with the glasses was that the couple had purchased an engraved set, and they were never brought out.”
“I should probably talk to them as well.”
“Both you and Devin should meet with them.”
“I’m more than capable of interviewing disgruntled clients.”
Peggy picked up a pen and tapped it on the desk. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“What’s not a good idea?”
Alex turned to see Devin standing in the doorway.
Peggy spoke up. “Alex was going to interview some of our clients whose weddings were sabotaged.”
Before he could respond, Alex jumped in. “You told me how busy you are setting up for the team.” She reviewed her notes. “I think I can handle talking to a…dentist and a lawyer.”
Devin turned to Peggy.
“The dentist is an anura, and the lawyer is a werewolf,” she supplied.
Devin’s eyes narrowed on her. “Don’t interview anyone on your own, Alex. It’s not safe.”
“Aren’t you being a bit melodramatic?”
“No. If you’re going to work with me, you have to follow my rules. That goes for everyone on my team. We can interview them tomorrow.”
Alex clenched her jaw. His overbearing attitude was annoying with a capital A. She didn’t need him to protect her. It was time for her to stand on her own two feet.
“Promise me you won’t go alone.”
“I promise.”
He hesitated for a moment, like he was going to say something more, but thought better of it. Then he walked out.
Alex turned to Peggy. “You’re right, Peggy. He’s a ton of fun the more time you spend with him.”
* * *
Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
Sheila pulled up to the curb and parked. “So, why am I here again?”
Alex unclipped her seatbelt. “I needed someone for a little moral support.” Okay, so the truth was she needed Sheila here so technically she didn’t go alone to the interview. She had promised Devin she wouldn’t go alone to see the frog demon. That didn’t mean she had to go with him.