Magic and Mayhem: Show Me the Wicked (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Wicked Hearts Book 2)

by Cherie Marks

She shrugged and moved toward the steps. “Trust me. We don’t need someone else to start stuff between us. It happens naturally.”

  I followed her up the set of stairs and toward the back of the house. She walked down the hall and opened a door on the right side. I stopped short the minute I crossed the threshold. A four-poster, cherry-wood bed jutted into the room from between two windows. The mattress was thick and covered in a plush, white, damask bedspread. A large, cherry wardrobe took up a portion of the wall facing the bed, and a beveled mirror on a swivel stood in the corner. I’d never stayed somewhere so nice. None of the foster homes in which I’d lived were this nice, and I certainly wasn’t in a position to have a decent place to stay nowadays. When you had to run from one place to another, you conserved money, which meant choosing the crappiest of hotels.

  “You’ll have to share a bathroom with Finn, but I think you’ll be comfortable here.”

  With my poker-face firmly back in place, I turned and said, “I’ll be very comfortable here. I’m sure.”

  “Great! I’ll leave you to get settled.” She turned to exit, but swiveled back quickly. “Oh, and just so you know, a couple of my friends are coming over tonight to give Finn a hard time. You’re going to love them, and I’m sure they’ll love you right back.”

  Shit! More collaterals. A good con artist had to account for such things, but the best ones worked out all the logistics ahead of time. I felt like I was falling down hard on this job. Too many more curveballs, and my brother and I’d be tough out of luck.

  “That sounds like an awesome way to spend an evening. Can’t wait.”

  “Well, for now, you probably need to get some rest.”

  “I might.”

  “You’re welcome to explore the house instead. I can give you a tour now if you’re up for it.”

  She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, and I realized that she was probably more exhausted than I was, considering the pregnancy.

  “No. I don’t need to push it. Healings are quick and permanent, but considering my noggin’s not quite there yet, I probably should lay down for a nap.”

  Another yawn from her and a nod. “Yeah. A nap sounds pretty good to me too.” She left finally, crossing the hall. “If you do need anything, I’m right over here.”

  “Thanks.” I closed the door and sagged against it in relief.

  * * *

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  I bristled at the gravelly voice and gripped the mug in my hand tighter. I could tell it was going to be another warm reception by someone who wanted to protect Evie.

  “Finn, be nice to my friend. She’s the one I texted you about…the one I accidentally hit with my car.”

  This guy might not like me on sight, but he would respect me. I’d tell him exactly who the fuck I was…within the parameters of the story I’d concocted, of course. With intentional slowness, I swiveled around on the stool where I sat and met the steely, gray eyes currently staring me down and making me feel like he could see right through to the cursed heart of me. But that’s where my bravado faded. Without meaning to at all, I lost my train of thought, and goggled right back at him. Only, I couldn’t look away, and it wasn’t part of the con this time.

  The kitchen seemed to rock as the air around me grew thicker and warmer, and I noticed the slightest widening of his eyes at the same moment as if he felt it too. Nervous energy flowed through my body, heating me up at my core. What was going on? It had to be his over-the-top hotness scrambling my mind as the slow-motion-camera-shot of him played out before me.

  The man was impossibly gorgeous. From the shit-kickers on his feet to the jeans framing all the right places to the dark blue Henley hanging on for dear life over every defined muscle of his chest and wide shoulders. But the real party began above the neck. He had a totally suckable bottom lip on a perfectly formed mouth and a slightly crooked nose that gave him a rakish look. It was his eyes though that had me locked in. They were sharp as blades with a golden sunburst that ringed the dark iris, and my heart began to race at their intense scrutiny.

  He seemed to compose himself much quicker than I did, but his intense gaze never left mine as he asked, “Does she talk?”

  I shut my mouth, which I hadn’t even known was open, and swallowed. I stood and extended my hand. “Hi. I’m Cara.”

  He grasped my hand firmly for a moment, sending tingles up my arm that spiraled through my abdomen. He promptly dropped it, turning his back to me and moving a little further into the kitchen. His bag made a thud as it hit the floor at his feet, and disappointment filled my mind.

  He’d dismissed me as easily as one might dismiss a pebble under a shoe. As a rule, I worked a literal plain Jane look that made me so easily forgettable, but the fact he hadn’t noticed me the same way I’d noticed him was downright demoralizing. Truth be told, it was the story of my life. Once again, I was simply an afterthought, and I wanted the time to come when someone actually saw me as a person worthy enough to put before his or her own needs. So far, it was an area that was sorely lacking in my life, to say the least.

  Evie made a show of looking at the door. “Is Clooney with you?”

  “He said something about a date. I didn’t ask for the details.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” With a shake of her head, she focused her attention back on Finn. “Well, what do you want to do?”

  “I’m going to get the perimeter set up first.”

  “Don’t you want to get settled in? I mean, you just got off a plane.”

  “My priority is your safety.” He glanced in my direction, and I got the feeling he was sending me a strong message. I got it loud and clear. He was watching me. Too bad it wasn’t with bedroom eyes.

  “I’ll rest later.”

  From the sounds of things, with me in the house, he wouldn’t rest at all. Clearly, trust was going to be an issue between the two of us. At this rate, trust would be a booger between the whole damn town and me.

  Evie gave a crooked smile and said, “Well, just so you know, Celia and Liz will be here any minute. They can’t wait to see you.”

  “Isn’t that just great.” I knew I hadn’t imagined the roll of Finn’s eyes or the tightening of his jaw. Such a loaded reaction. And my interest was piqued. Now, I was excited to meet Evie’s friends. Anyone who put that kind of fear into a big, hulking stud like Finn had to be amazing to know.

  The door opened at that moment, and I got my first wish. How unexpected! I was never this lucky.

  “What up, bitches?” A beautiful, leggy blonde walked through the door, a bottle of wine in one hand and a pizza in the other.

  A shorter blonde followed behind her. “Let’s get this party started.”

  I turned to see Finn’s reaction, but he was nowhere in sight. Apparently, he’d slipped away silently the minute they’d walked in. For the first time I could ever remember, I was positively giddy.

  I never knew I had it in me.

  Chapter 5

  Celia set her napkin on the table and met my gaze. “So, this is the daredevil who never learned to look both ways before crossing the street?”

  We all laughed, but I felt the mistrust in her words. It was usually what I got, so I wasn’t surprised. It was a natural reaction that most people had to the curse that haunted me. A fast getaway was in my very near future because of it, and my fingers curled as I fought the need to grab something and run. Stupid curse!

  “I guess that’s me. I’d like to tell you I’d been taught better than that, but I can’t remember if I was or not.”

  Everyone laughed again, and the tension eased slightly. The curse seemed to fade slightly as the urge to steal everything in sight became a dull ache at the back of my brain instead of the intense need it usually was.

  The brunette Evie had introduced as Liz said, “There are some things I’d like to forget, especially a few men I dated.”

  And the laughs kept rolling while the brunette insisted, “I’m serious! You remember Hen
ry Watson? That guy was a pig…literally. He was a shifter who changed into a warthog. It was gross. I’d love to forget that.”

  Any other place, I might be surprised to hear someone speaking so candidly about shifters. Yet, I knew Assjacket, West Virginia was a town populated by paranormal beings. Humans might pass through, but they never stayed. Of course, Evie hadn’t known her two friends were shifters too. Evie had apparently worked hard to suppress her magic for many years, so Celia, a bobcat shifter, and Liz, a squirrel shifter, had no idea they were friends with a witch. They’d hidden their own identities to protect the friendship. It had almost backfired though when a witch who was off her rocker had tried to use Celia and Liz to make Evie leave town, so she would run right into danger. Fortunately, the plan hadn’t worked, and Evie saved everyone. Once everyone was revealed to be who they really were, all three women had been relieved they wouldn’t have to hide the truth from each other any longer.

  “Well, I for one am glad I ran into you again…literally this time.” Once more, I got the sense that Evie was being completely genuine, and guilt assailed me from within. Why did it have to be her? Why did I have to be so wicked to one of the nicest people I’d ever met?

  Celia sucked in a sudden breath before saying, “Hey! I almost forgot. Did you hear who’s back in town?”

  Evie shrugged as Liz began to bounce in her seat and grin from ear-to-ear. “This is good! You’re going to love this!”

  Yet, no one said anything, and I wanted to scream at them to just say a name already. By some miracle, I reined in my impatience, but Evie finally exclaimed, “Well, tell me already!”

  “Assjacket Alex!”

  The two women clapped and squeed cheerily, but Evie and I just stared at each other questioningly. At least I wasn’t the only one in the dark on this one. Obviously, Evie had never heard of this apparently famous person either.

  When they didn’t get the reaction they’d expected, Celia’s forehead furrowed as she asked, “You do know who Assjacket Alex is, don’t you?”

  Evie shook her head slowly as she asked in return, “Should I?”

  “Seriously?” Liz gave an incredulous offering of her hands. “I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Alex.”

  “You can be as flabbergasted as you want, but I still don’t know who he or she is. Either of you want to help a girl out? Or do you just like to see me look confused?”

  Liz took mercy on Evie. “Okay. Do you know who Punxsutawney Phil is?”

  “Yeah! The shadow guy. The furry pig who tells us if we’re going to be freezing our asses off for six more weeks or if we’re going to get spring rolling.”

  “Actually, groundhogs aren’t pigs. They’re a part of the squirrel family and actually rodents.” I couldn’t help myself. One of my favorite pastimes had always been watching animal documentaries. A good night for me included a TV with Animal Planet, National Geographic, and any other look at furry-faced creatures staring into the camera. I’d learned long ago, though, that not everyone got into that kind of must-see TV.

  “Hmmm. I think I just felt my brain grow bigger. Nope, must’ve been the usual swelling of my bulbous ego.” The humor reached Celia’s eyes, easing the sting of her words, as she met my gaze. I got the feeling that Celia only openly teased the people she liked—to their face, anyway—and though I wasn’t quite there yet, she was clearly beginning to warm up to me.

  Liz leaned forward and dropped her voice. “Assjacket Alex is a groundhog who can predict something even better than the weather.” She glanced over at Celia, throwing the topic to the clear leader of the girl group.

  “Assjacket Alex predicts whether a pregnant woman is having a boy or a girl.”

  I couldn’t help myself. Involuntarily, I straightened and began listening with sharp focus. This could be exactly what I needed.

  “Oh, that’s baloney! You don’t really believe that do you?”

  “Of course I do. I’ve seen it for myself.” Liz’s wide-eyed enthusiasm was catchy, and I found myself wearing a permanent, bemused smile.

  Celia began cleaning the area in front of her. “Get your stuff. We’re leaving.”

  Evie looked confused. “Where are we going?”

  “To see Assjacket Alex.”

  Liz squealed and began cleaning up her own pizza leavings.

  “Um…I don’t think…”

  Celia interrupted, “What’s there to think about? Don’t you want to know whether the peanut inside you has a peepee or a hoohah?”

  Another laugh.

  Celia didn’t give up. “Wouldn’t you like to know whether you’re buying razzmatazz or arsenic-colored clothing?”

  “Um…neither, thank you. Besides, pretty sure I’ll find out at the ultrasound if I want to know and then Dane would be there with me.”

  “Fine. Be unfashionable. Who cares about Dane? Imagine how entertaining this would be for me? Stop being so selfish, bitch.” The smile on Celia’s face told the real story, and the other two giggled. Celia clearly saw this as an opportunity to extend the fun of girls’ night. I was sure it was a regular exchange between the three of them, and part of me wanted to be in on the joke.

  “Okay. We’ll go find Assjacket Alex and see what he…she…it…has to say about the sex of my baby. It’s all mumbo-jumbo anyway.” She began cleaning up her own dinner things. “I just have to tell Finn, so he can get ready to go too.”

  “Oooh! Nice! Eye-candy we can play with. More fun for us.” Liz looked like a kid in the middle of a toy store.

  I sat unmoving, not wanting to presume I was invited—I hardly ever was in these situations—but hoping I’d at least hear the outcome. As they finished cleaning up, they looked at me, and Evie asked, “Are you coming with us?”

  For a moment, I didn’t realize she’d spoken to me. I pointed at myself. “You want me to come with you?”

  “Or do you need more rest? I don’t want to push you too fast.”

  “I feel fine. If you don’t mind a tagalong.”

  Celia scoffed. “How do you think I became friends with both these chicks? They just started following me around, and I graciously allowed them. One more isn’t going to hurt anything.”

  A spark of happiness fanned to life in my chest. Belonging in a group was new to me, and though I was still leery—naturally—I liked the feeling.

  Liz clapped her hands together excitedly. “Do you think we could convince Finn to go with us…shirtless?”

  Another round of laughter before Evie said, “Good luck with that!”

  My veins iced at her words. Dammit! Things had been going so smoothly. I should’ve known it was too good to be true for someone cursed like I was.

  I glanced around, readying for the certain blow that would come my way. It was only a matter of time now.

  Chapter 6

  The minute we stepped into the back of the hardware store, I rushed ahead of the group, my head on a swivel, expecting something to hit me at any moment. I was relieved beyond compare that we’d made it all the way to the hidden bar without any catastrophes. But, something bad happening was inevitable.

  Out of nowhere, a hand clamped onto my shoulder, calling a halt to my anxious expectation. I turned slightly to look up into the cool gaze of Finn. He stared at me like I’d just slapped him.

  “What are you doing? Is there something I need to know? Some danger to Evie?”

  I looked behind me at the laughing trio. “No. No danger to Evie.” As long as I stayed away from her. “I just…I mean…I…” I couldn’t form my thoughts into words. I couldn’t tell him the truth, but I was having the worst mental block I could ever remember having. Could this be the manifestation of the wish for luck? I’d lost my ability to con with words? No, that would be too painless to satisfy the curse.

  Then, it suddenly came to me. “Bathroom! I need a bathroom.” I rushed off before he could protest, watching out for any danger on the way to the back of the bar. It was sure to come, but at least it almost curbed my u
rge to steal all the unguarded, shiny objects on the edge of the tables along the way. I didn’t dare ask the question I wanted to.

  Could things get any more fucked-up?

  I didn’t dare ask the question because I already knew the answer.

  They could.

  For as long as I could remember, the word “luck,” was the worst thing someone could say around me. It took me a while to understand the association, but from the minute it was uttered, it was just a matter of time until things came crashing down around me. I’d never known what to call it until I’d taken on the second curse for my brother. Suddenly, things made sense. I’d already been cursed…since birth. And, now I was doubly cursed.

  I needed that stone, and I needed it now.

  As carefully as I could, I made my way back toward the front, this time noticing the roadside bar decor. My eyes scanned for any sharp objects hanging above but only caught sight of a few pictures of local celebrities, mostly from radio, which made them hard to look at.

  I turned my attention back to the group of people I’d come in with. Finn looked stiff and uncomfortable surrounded by three, chattering women at a rectangular table. His gaze lifted as I approached, and I felt seared from head to toe by the intensity. He watched me the whole way until I took a seat across from him. My anxiety didn’t abate even a little when he looked away.

  “So, why exactly are we here?” Evie asked the obvious question.

  None of us had known exactly where we were going and what we’d find once we got there except for Celia and Liz. Now, as we waited for the server to take our drink order, I tapped my fingers nervously on the tabletop. I was getting anxious about how long the curse was taking to manifest. Like how the length between when lightning struck and the sound of thunder that followed told how far away the storm actually was, the longer the time that passed between when someone mentioned luck and when the curse struck, the worse the devastation that happened to me. I just wanted to get it over with already.

  Celia looked at Liz, a conspiratorial glance passed between them, and then she looked around the table at the rest of us. “Assjacket Alex is here tonight. He’s doing a show in this bar in just a few minutes.”