The Witch's Brew (The Witch's Brew 1)

by Brenda Cothern

  “No, I’m not quitting.” Adam smiled at the small brunette waitress. “A few shots from some punk isn’t enough to make me quit.” Adam turned his gaze to George. “I just wanted to talk to him.”

  “Go on up, then.” George grinned.

  Mikael had been watching his employees, so he clearly saw when George nodded toward his mirrored wall. Adam appeared no worse for wear from Lawrence’s manipulation and Mikael was grateful. He wasn’t a fan of messing with the minds of norms, but sometimes it just had to be done. Last night was one of those times.

  His eyes tracked Adam while the man walked to the stairs that led to the balcony. He continued to watch his newest employee until the angle of the balcony impeded his view. Mikael turned and was seated behind his desk by the time a rap sounded on his door.

  “Enter,” Mikael called out.

  Adam opened Mikael’s office door and was once more distracted by how beautiful the man who sat comfortably behind his desk was. Mikael’s long, almost white blonde hair was pulled back and secured to the nape of his neck. Adam was momentarily undecided if this look was sexier than when Mikael’s hair was loose and covering his shoulders. Either look still made the urge to run his fingers through Mikael’s hair rise. Mikael’s dark ocean blue gaze settled on him and for a moment, Adam had to fight not to get lost in his boss’ casual glance up from his desk.

  Mikael only spared a glance at Adam from where he was feigning work at his desk. Every time he looked at his new employee, even during the shit that went down last night, Mikael could barely ignore his attraction. It was an attraction that he wouldn’t act on, but an attraction that was still there nonetheless. There was just something about this particular norm that seemed to make his arousal spike. He gave himself another reminder about his rule concerning family fucking one another and waved to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

  Adam closed the office door behind him before he crossed the room and took the seat his boss indicated. He was still gathering his thoughts about how to broach the subject of thinking one thing, but saying something else entirely the night before when Mikael spoke.

  “Are you okay today?”

  Mikael was genuinely concerned about Adam’s welfare. The man didn’t appear to still be suffering from the headache Lawrence’s influence caused, but he wanted to be sure.

  “I’m good,” Adam reassured his boss. The last thing he wanted was for Mikael to think a few potshots from some punk would scare him off. “I came in early to help clean up things, but it seems I didn’t need to.”

  “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.” Mikael smiled and really did appreciate that Adam thought enough of his new job to come in early to help. “I took care of it, though.”

  “That’s what George said.”

  “So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, then?”

  Mikael’s question was innocent, Adam knew, but that didn’t stop his imagination from hearing a sultry flirty tone. Of course, that wasn’t the case and even if it were, Mikael was his boss. Bosses were a no-go for Adam regardless of how alluring he found the man seated behind the desk across from him.

  “I’d like to know what happened last night,” Adam stated neutrally.

  “You were here. I am not sure I know more than you,” Mikael smoothly lied. He understood exactly what Adam was referring to about last night.

  Adam frowned. “I lied to the police and want to know why.”

  “I am not sure why you would lie to them. I’m sure only you could determine the reason.”

  Adam questioned his sanity, but knew the words that left his mouth during his interview with the police were not his own. That much, he was sure of.

  “It wasn’t my intention to lie.” Adam continued to frown at Mikael. “To be honest, lying to them really wasn’t a problem for me.” Mikael raised a questioning brow at the same time Adam thought, except why the words of the lie weren’t my own. “What I want to know is how the words that left my mouth weren’t mine and why you wanted Chris to be the first to spot the punk with the gun.”

  Mikael leaned back in his chair. Adam was one of the rare norms whose mind was strong enough, to be aware enough, to question a mindbenders’ manipulation. It was always a problem when they encountered such a norm.

  Adam had barely been employed with him for a week, so sharing a world the man didn’t even know existed was not an option. Hell, Chris and Rita had worked for him for almost two years before he trusted them enough with his family’s secrets.

  Adam studied his boss. Mikael had leaned back and crossed his hands above his waist. It was clear that the man knew something. Adam could practically see the wheels turning in Mikael’s eyes and had the feeling his boss was deciding how much he should share with him.

  “Do you read, Adam?”

  Adam could do nothing more than blink a few times. The question was so out of the blue and from left field that it took his mind a moment to shift gears.

  “All soldiers read. There isn’t much else to do aside from work out in our down time.”

  “That explains the muscles.”

  Adam was almost sure he wasn’t meant to hear his employer’s comment. He was just as sure that Mikael didn’t realize his gaze had shifted to Adam’s biceps. It was the first time Adam witnessed a lapse in Mikael’s professionalism.

  He’s attracted to me, Adam momentarily thought. Shame, he’s my boss, but at least it’s not just me.

  Mikael caught himself eyeing up Adam’s muscular arms that could easily toss him around like a ragdoll. Well, if he wanted the man to toss him around, because if he didn’t, his strength would make sure he didn’t budge. Mikael knew he was busted checking out his employee when he met Adam’s knowing green gaze. He didn’t acknowledge his lapse in professionalism, and to Adam’s credit, the man didn’t either. Still, it took him a moment to recall what they were talking about.

  “What types of books did you read?” Mikael sat forward in his chair and rested his hands on his desk.

  Adam had no idea why they were suddenly discussing his past or current reading preferences. What he enjoyed reading had nothing to do with the answers he sought regarding last night.

  “I don’t see what that has to do with answering my question.”

  “Humor me, please.” Mikael smiled.

  For a moment, Adam was distracted by how attractive his boss was when he smiled. Straight white teeth were revealed when plump lips spread. Lips that Adam had an almost overwhelming desire to feel on various parts of his body. Once more, he gave himself a mental shake and reminder that his thoughts were not only inappropriate, but would never come to fruition.

  “Fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal,” Adam finally answered. “Anything that allowed me to escape the everyday mundaneness.”

  Everyday mundaneness, Mikael thought. Our world is anything but mundane.

  “I can’t answer you regarding last night.”

  Once again it took Adam a moment to shift gears. Mikael jumped the topic tracks and they were now chugging along the topic of why Adam came to see his boss in the first place. It wasn’t until after Mikael mentioned the time and Adam needing to start his shift that Adam realized his boss said ‘can’t’ as opposed to ‘don’t have’ or any other turn of phrase.

  ~~~

  Mikael interacted with his staff, including Adam, as if some shit head hadn’t fired off shots in his club a little over a week ago. He had sent Joshua on the trail to find the punk if for no other reason than to prove the guy wasn’t untouchable.

  George was hyperaware at the club entrance and Mikael knew it was because the bear garoul was beating himself up over letting someone with a gun slip by him and into the club. He wasn’t upset with George, but it seemed no matter how many times he reassured the garoul of the fact, the man didn’t believe him.

  Because of the shooting incident, Mikael spent extra time down in his club. Not that he didn’t do a few circuits every night anyway, but now he monitored his patrons by weaving b
etween them as opposed to just looking down on them as if he was a God on high.

  Mikael checked in regularly with all his employees and rarely stayed in one place for long. It was nothing for him to slide between and around his patrons. Like every time he was down in the club, he had to fend off advances from both men and women. The constant flirtations and blatant offers for company were the main reason he observed the club from his office as opposed to up close and personal downstairs.

  He wasn’t a recluse in his club by any means. However, unless he was hungry, dealing with the monotony of the norms trying to get him to take them to bed was more annoying than exhausting. Of course, it was his own fault the norms reacted to him in such a way. They reacted to all multimillionaires the same, so he didn’t feel special and knew it wasn’t just him.

  Adam was working Travis’ section of the club, but that didn’t stop him from noticing his boss step off the stairs and disappear into the crowd. Over the last week, Adam had replayed his conversation with his boss a dozen times or more.

  He knew he hadn’t imagined telling the police something different than he thought to tell them. However, surprisingly that wasn’t what kept him replaying the conversation with Mikael. No, it was his employer’s inquiry about what he enjoyed reading that was totally out of the blue that continued to bother him. It was the strangeness and how out of place Mikael’s question was compared to what they had been discussing that just wouldn’t let Adam stop thinking about it.

  Currently as Mikael came into view, Adam was watching him thread his way through the crowd that was partying to BT’s beats. He would have had to be blind not to witness the blatant come-on’s that were directed Mikael’s way. His boss appeared to politely decline every offer that he was presented with and Adam had to give Mikael credit. Not a single one of the club’s patrons that hit on him appeared disgruntled when their advances were turned down.

  Adam turned his attention away from the last place he saw Mikael before the crowd swallowed him up again. The scan along Travis’ bar and the patrons who were close showed no trouble was brewing. He was just turning back to look over the dance floor when he caught sight of Mikael from the corner of his eye.

  Two women had stepped up to his boss who politely smiled and tried to pass by. The women didn’t stop him. Mikael’s deep blue eyes met Adam’s and a smile graced his lips. That smile turned into a grimace and Adam watched Mikael raise a hand to his side.

  The combination of Mikael’s hand moving and the expression on the man’s face registered in Adam’s subconscious and he was moving. His gaze never left Mikael’s while he purposely stepped around the club-goers to get to his boss.

  “Mikael’s been hurt,” Adam informed his fellow security coworkers.

  “What?” Chris’ voice asked calmly in Adam’s ear.

  “Bad?” Rita asked just as calmly.

  “Don’t know,” Adam replied just as he reached Mikael’s side.

  “Get him upstairs,” George ordered.

  “Copy that,” Adam confirmed his intention at the same time he wrapped an arm around Mikael’s waist.

  Mikael felt the blade slip into his side the moment he slid passed the two norm females who were offering to entertain him for the night. The sharp stab was unexpected to say the least. Not only unexpected, but deep if the blood he felt soaking his black dress shirt under his hand was anything to go by.

  He had felt and seen Adam’s eyes on him all night except for when the crowd obscured him from the man’s hawk-like gaze. So, it came as no surprise their eyes had been locked together the moment he felt the cool hard steel of a blade slice into him. Mikael only managed half a dozen steps before Adam was at his side. He watched and heard the man communicate with the rest of his security team while he approached. The second Adam was at his side, Mikael found a strong arm wrapped around his waist.

  “I got you.” Adam leaned closer to Mikael’s ear so the man could hear him over the thumping techno music.

  The feel of Adam’s breath against the shell of his ear made Mikael shiver. He knew his wound wasn’t fatal. Hell, it would take a hell of a lot more than a stab wound to kill him. However, Adam wouldn’t know that. Just like he wouldn’t know Mikael could easily make his way back to his office without help.

  “How bad is it?” Adam asked because he couldn’t estimate the severity of Mikael’s wound due to his boss’ dark shirt and the flashing club lights.

  “Not so bad,” Mikael replied against the side of Adam’s stubbled jaw that he fought not to be distracted by and wanted to press his mouth to.

  “Let’s get you upstairs,” Adam replied and as casually as possible weaved them through the crowd and up to the door that led to Mikael’s office. Thankfully, his boss wasn’t too injured to hand over his key card to gain them access to the hall.

  ***

  Chapter Five

  Adam kicked Mikael’s office door closed behind them without even pausing or letting go of his boss. The sudden silence of the office was almost deafening after being down in the club. Under the brighter lights of Mikael’s office, Adam had a better view of how much blood covered Mikael’s hand. He had no other way to tell just how badly his boss was hurt since Mikael wore a black button-down dress shirt. Of course, Adam could see the dampness under Mikael’s hand, but that didn’t tell him much, either.

  Gently, Adam sat Mikael down on the couch before straightening and speaking, “Try not to move too much. I’ll get some towels.”

  Adam didn’t wait for Mikael to reply, but instead opened the other closed door in the office. He assumed the door led to a bathroom. Boy, was he wrong.

  The room on the other side of the door wasn’t a bathroom at all. Hell, it wasn’t even a room. No, it was an entire apartment. Adam never would have guessed his multimillionaire boss lived at the nightclub. Adam shook his head at the stupidity of his thought. There was no way this was where Mikael actually lived. More than likely, this was just some place for his boss to entertain his one night stands.

  A cursory glance around showed the living room decorated with warm earth tones. The carpet was plush under Adam’s booted feet and the dark chocolate color accented the beige walls perfectly. The pale green leather furniture gave the space the feeling of being outdoors in a forest. The end tables that rested under antique-looking lamps complemented the room.

  All of this Adam took in with a glance. He could practically smell money while he walked toward two closed doors along the far wall. A small kitchen was to his right, but after noticing that it was only slightly smaller than the living room, Adam ignored it.

  The first door he opened didn’t lead to the bathroom. Instead, it was Mikael’s bedroom. The bed looked to be the size of a king, but that wasn’t what actually caught Adam’s eye. The headboard and nightstands looked like they were made of black marble. A burgundy and gold bedspread matched the deep burgundy carpet. The rest of the room Adam’s brain didn’t register before he turned to the door that had to lead to the bathroom.

  He expected the bathroom to share the same dark colors as the rest of the apartment. Once more, his assumption was wrong. Pale yellow walls were accented with sky-blue. The shower was huge, but it was the light blue towels hanging on a golden rack that Adam focused on. He grabbed the two that appeared as if they hadn’t even been used yet and rushed determinedly back to Mikael’s office.

  Mikael kept his hand over his wound. He had no need to look at it to know the knife had punctured him deeply. He could feel the damage and bleeding inside his side. If he’d been mortal, he likely would have bled out by now. It would’ve still been a problem, if he hadn’t recognized his liver had been punctured and forced his body to begin healing before Adam even sat him down on his couch. He was still forcing his insides to mend.

  Had Mikael come upstairs to his office on his own, he would have been able to recover quicker. He had blood stored in his refrigerator and a pint or two would make him as good as new. However, that wasn’t a current option beca
use of the man who just happened to be stationed in the section where he was stabbed. Had it been Chris or Rita, even though they were norms, he could’ve had them retrieve the blood that would speed his healing before sending them on their way.

  That wasn’t an option with Adam and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to reveal his true nature to a man who’d only worked for him for a few weeks. Still, if he could heal the majority of the damage and make his wound seem less severe, he might be able to convince the man to go back downstairs and resume work. The look of determined concentration he spied on Adam’s face when the man returned with two of his pale blue towels told him that likely wouldn’t be the case.

  “We need to get your shirt off.” Adam knelt in front of his boss.

  Mikael’s mind went straight to the gutter and he had to resist his urge to flirt with the man even though he was injured. He could imagine how those same words would sound lust-filled falling from Adam’s lips.

  Adam laid the towels down on the couch next to his boss and didn’t think twice before he reached for Mikael’s shirt. He began unbuttoning Mikael’s shirt with deft fingers and tried to ignore the feeling of Mikael’s gaze on him. With every button loosened, a pale expanse of skin was exposed. Adam had to force his eyes to stay on his task instead of taking in the smooth pale flesh he was revealing.

  Adam’s slow careful undressing of him wasn’t helping Mikael’s mind to climb out of the gutter. He fought to not think of how the man’s hands would feel running over his chest once all of his buttons were undone. Mikael forced himself to watch Adam’s green eyes instead of the man’s hands that undressed him and tempted him with thoughts he knew he would never act on. Adam’s focus and concentration were just as sexy and not doing a damn thing to make Mikael want his employee any less.

  Mikael didn’t move when Adam tugged his shirt out of his slacks to get to the last few buttons. He wasn’t surprised. It was likely any movement his boss made had to hurt like hell. At least that was Adam’s experience from the few times he had been stabbed. Those memories were drifting to the surface of his mind despite his trying his damnedest not to be distracted by the soft skin he felt on the back of his knuckles which was why he was being so gentle.