With Katya’s help, I’d have Julia Dupree tucked away at my retreat by the end of the week.
Chapter 73
Julia
“Don’t open the door without looking through the peephole!” Gryph shouted from the top of the stairs.
“I’m just picking up a package the delivery guy left on your porch,” I assured him.
“How do you know it’s a delivery?” he asked.
“First, I heard the truck and looked out from the guest bedroom window to see the driver heading up to the door. Then I came down here, and I heard him drop the package on the porch before he rang the bell and walked back to his truck to drive off,” I explained impatiently. “I’m not an idiot, Gryph.”
“Sorry,” he told me with a sigh.
I nodded and went out to get my package. I knew Gryph would realize the next possible issue soon.
“You had a package delivered to yourself at my address?” he asked.
“I had a package delivered to Marjorie Honeyworth at your address,” I replied.
“Who?” he asked.
“I used a fake name,” I explained.
“Why do I ever doubt you?” he asked with a grin.
“I have no idea,” I replied. “It seems like a foolish thing to do.”
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “So, what did you order?”
“Sewing supplies and some material,” I told him.
“What are you planning to make?” he asked as he eyed my box.
“New throw pillows for Trevor,” I replied with a grin. “It seems Mr. Whiskers has been destroying the ones I made, so Trevor needs new ones.”
“Does he really like those throw pillows?” Gryph asked in disbelief.
I gave him the same sad, pouty look I gave Trevor when he questioned the throw pillows I made for him. “You don’t like my throw pillows?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Don’t pretend your feelings are hurt. I get the impression there’s a story behind those hideous pillows.”
“Oh, there is,” I assured him. “When Trevor first moved out, I made him some really nice throw pillows. He thought it was funny to throw them at me. Rather than just throwing the beautiful pillows back at him, I decided to fill his home with the most hideous pillows imaginable. It’s now a tradition.”
Gryph laughed at my story. “What did you find this time?”
“I found some fabric on clearance from a line called Animals at Play,” I explained as I set the box down so I could open it.
I held up the first piece and waited for Gryph’s response.
“Do they have a name for that shade of green?” he asked.
I’d had a similar reaction to the color. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen such a horrid brownish green. It was so offensive, it took away from the bright orange elephants when you first saw it.
“I’m not sure this green has a name,” I replied.
“What the hell is that elephant doing?” Gryph asked as he continued to eye the fabric.
I giggled. “According to the description on the website, he’s holding the tail of the elephant in front of him.”
Gryph shook his head. “There is no tail, and an elephant’s trunk isn’t that short. That elephant is sodomizing the one in front of him.”
“The one in front seems to like it,” I added. “Look at the smile on his face.”
“That is really disturbing,” he told me.
“I have other animals that appear to be doing similar things with their special animal friend. Trevor is going to love having these all over his home. I got enough fabric to make him about twenty new throw pillows so he’ll have extras when Mr. Whiskers destroys them.”
“Remind me to avoid making you angry, Sass,” he told me.
“You should have already been trying to avoid that,” I said with a snort. “I happen to be a very powerful witch.”
“Nothing could be scarier than the threat of having you make throw pillows for me,” he assured me.
I grinned and moved to stand in front of him, placing my hands on his chest. “Is the big bad wolf scared of some little throw pillows?” I teased.
He chuckled. “Not the throw pillows so much as the fact that you hold an angry grudge.”
“That’s true,” I admitted as I slid my hands under Gryph’s shirt. “It would be best if you did everything in your power to remain on my good side.”
“How do you suggest I do that?” he murmured as he leaned down to brush his lips against mine.
“I’ve got a few suggestions,” I told him in a breathy voice.
“I’d really love to hear those suggestions after we talk to the police,” he murmured.
“Why can’t I tell you my suggestions now?” I asked, groaning when I heard the doorbell. “Is that the police?”
Gryph pulled away and nodded. “I’m afraid so, Sass.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” I asked, immediately feeling my mood sour.
He chuckled as he went to let the detectives in. “I knew you’d be in a bad mood as soon as you heard they were coming. Just give them a chance. They did a good job for Melina.”
“Fine,” I relented with a huff. I was getting really tired of dealing with the police.
Chapter 74
Gryph
Our meeting with the shade detectives had gone fairly well. While they hadn’t been able to take over the case as we’d hoped, they were investigating the detectives currently assigned to Julia’s case. After they left, Julia seemed much less irritated, but I still sensed her tension.
“Do you think I should act as bait to lure Desmond out of hiding?” Julia asked.
“No,” I practically growled. My wolf was immediately at the surface.
“I can’t keep hiding forever, Gryph,” she stated.
“We should at least give these detectives some time to investigate this before we start assuming it will last forever,” I insisted.
“You’re right,” she agreed with a sigh. “I’m just tired of this situation. When we went out last night, it almost felt like things were back to normal. I miss having a normal life.”
Wrapping my arm around Julia, I pulled her against my chest. “I know. This can’t be easy.”
“I’m also having a hard time without Oliver,” she began. “I know it’s safest if he stays with Ralph’s mother, but as you may have noticed, the separation is really affecting my mood.”
I had definitely noticed. Julia’s temper got shorter the longer she was away from her familiar. Before I could respond, my phone rang.
“Give me just a minute, Sass,” I told her before answering the call. “Yeah.”
“The mutt’s sick,” Ralph said by way of greeting.
“What do you mean he’s sick?” I demanded.
“My mother says he won’t eat and all he does is lie around and stare at the walls,” Ralph explained. “I think he’s having a hard time being away from his witch. I’m bringing him back in an hour.”
“All right,” I agreed. “We’ll see you then.”
“What’s wrong?” Julia asked as soon as I ended the call.
“It seems Oliver isn’t handling the separation any better than you are,” I began. “Ralph is bringing him back.”
Julia smiled for just a moment before frowning. “He can’t stay with us. What if Desmond hurts him?”
“We’ll figure something out to keep him safe,” I promised her. “I won’t let anything happen to either of you.”
Chapter 75
Gryph
I still couldn’t believe Oliver had talked Julia into watching the other familiars again. She’d insisted he’d be safer with his friends around, but I didn’t buy that reasoning. My witch had definitely been spoiling her familiar after their time apart. I’d have insisted we couldn’t take all the familiars if it weren’t for the fact that Bliss was closed that day. After we entered, the security wards would be in place.
It took us two trips to get the familiars upstairs in their carriers,
and they were all complaining loudly by the time we let them out in a conference room.
“I hope you all learned your lesson from last time you were here,” Julia told them.
“We’ll be good,” Oliver assured her, and the others nodded their agreement.
That seemed to satisfy Julia, but I wasn’t quite as convinced, so I decided to search everyone’s bags. Mr. Whisker’s bag was clean. All he had were two cans of cat food, breath fresheners, and a throw pillow. Jezebel and Oliver’s bags also checked out. At the bottom of Sam’s bag, I found them. My lips twitched as I held up the hissing slippers for Julia to see.
“That’s it!” Julia announced as she snatched the slippers away from me and waved them in the air. “You will all stay in here for the morning and there will be no renting movies.”
She muttered something about burning the slippers on her way to the lobby. After finding a bag to put them in, she shoved them under Persephone’s desk.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to put them there?” I asked. “Persephone hasn’t forgiven them for messing up her work area the last time.”
“They can’t get out of the bag,” Julia insisted. “Besides, she’s not coming in today. After I unload the shipment, I’ll move them to my office.”
Having already checked the shipment Friday, I had time to check the video feed from the previous night. I’d looked at the last two days from home.
We settled into the conference room where I’d set the shipment, and I opened the laptop to start scanning the video feed.
“He was here,” I stated, anger radiating through my body.
“Desmond?” Julia asked, and I heard the quaver in her voice.
“Yeah,” I replied. “He wasn’t in disguise. He also wasn’t alone.”
Julia joined me, and I showed her the section of the feed from just after two in the morning.
The bastard looked a lot like his sister with black hair and delicate features. The woman by his side, I immediately recognized.
“Why is Tatiana with him?” Julia asked.
Tatiana Ashcroft looked awfully cheerful for a woman who was supposedly being held against her will. They both waved at us, and Tatiana even blew a kiss before they turned to leave.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Julia muttered.
“We need to get the police to come out,” I told her as I grabbed my phone. I had no idea what this new move was about, but it seemed Desmond LaCroix was stepping up his game.
Chapter 76
Julia
The video feed of Desmond in the building’s lobby with Tatiana had left me shaken. It was obvious he’d been taunting us.
“Calm down, Sass,” Gryph told me. “The police will be here soon.”
“That’s not much comfort, considering all the problems we’ve had with the police,” I reminded him. We’d tried getting Detectives Anson and Morelli, but both were on their incorporeal breaks and couldn’t come until the next day. Detective Anson had promised to send detectives he could trust to help us. He’d also told us crime scene techs would come out.
“Joey’s on his way to help with security,” Gryph assured me. “LaCroix was in the lobby several hours ago, so it seems unlikely he’s anywhere near here now.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “I’m just really on edge.”
When the elevator opened, my guard was up until I remembered the wards were still in place. No one would be able to get more than five feet into the office. We were safe.
Two of the crime scene techs, Edgar and Candara, stepped out of the elevator.
“Don’t come any closer,” I called out.
“We’re here to check for evidence,” Edgar told us.
“Are the detectives here?” Candara asked.
“Not yet,” Gryph told them. “We haven’t heard who they’re sending yet.”
“I don’t remember which detectives are coming,” Edgar said thoughtfully. “They aren’t from our department.”
“Why did they send you if the detectives are coming from a different department?” Gryph asked suspiciously.
“There aren’t a lot of crime scene techs who can do what I can,” Candara explained. “I get loaned out to a lot of departments. I don’t feel comfortable unless Edgar is with me. Can we come closer now?”
“We have the security spell in place,” I explained.
“Do you know where we’re supposed to search for evidence?” Edgar asked.
“In the lobby downstairs,” I replied. “We should just let them in so they can see the video,” I told Gryph. “It’ll make it easier to do their job.”
Gryph nodded. “You’re right.”
After I took the spell down, Edgar and Candara walked toward us with their bags of equipment. “You have video to show us?” Candara asked.
Before I could respond, Edgar tossed two spelled balls on the floor. They shattered immediately, and a blue haze surrounded me and Gryph. I struggled against the magic dragging me down, not sure if I was even still standing.
“You’re finally going to get what you deserve, bitch,” Edgar snarled.
“What about the werewolf?” Candara asked.
“We’ll leave him here,” Edgar replied. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve punishment.”
My last thought before I gave in to the darkness was that at least Gryph and the familiars were safe.
Chapter 77
Oliver
“We have to help Julia!” I shouted at my friends. I was also worried about Gryph, but I’d heard the man say he wasn’t going to kill him. I wasn’t sure where Gryph was, but he was alive. That man wanted to hurt my witch. I wasn’t about to let that happen.
Mr. Whiskers looked at me like I was crazy. Despite his size, he wasn’t nearly as brave as some familiars. He was still my friend, and I knew he’d help me. That didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.
“Let’s do this!” Sam shouted before running in a circle.
Jezebel looked bored, which was how she always looked. When I’d first met her, I thought she was mean, but she wasn’t. “What would these witches do without us?” Jezebel asked with narrowed green eyes. “They’re absolutely helpless.”
“They do have one thing we don’t,” Mr. Whiskers pointed out as he eyed the door.
“I know what it is!” Sam added excitedly. Sam’s excitable nature was part of what made it hard to like him, but he was growing on me. “We don’t have hands to open doors.”
He was right. I had no clue how we were going to get out of the conference room. Julia never should have locked us in. We could have helped her.
When I heard rustling in the front of the office, I started to howl, and the others started making as much noise as they could. The door finally opened, and a witch I’d never met entered the room.
“What are you guys doing in here?” she asked.
“Julia locked us in here so we wouldn’t get in trouble again,” Sam replied. “I don’t know why she needed to lock us in after she took away the bunny slippers.”
“Now, we can’t help her,” I added before remembering this witch couldn’t understand me.
“Bunny slippers?” the witch asked.
“You can understand us?” Mr. Whiskers asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “I can understand all familiars. I’m Beatrice. Do you know what happened out there? Gryph is unconscious, and Julia’s gone.”
“Julia’s in danger,” I explained urgently. “I heard the man who took her. He’s going to hurt her. We have to rescue her, but I don’t know where she is.”
“I know where Desmond will take her,” she assured me. “I came back here to tell Julia and Gryph where he’s hiding. The stupid phones stopped working in the demon realm or I would have called.”
“Then let’s go get her,” I said urgently as I raced out of the conference room.
Gryph was lying on the floor in the middle of the lobby with Joey kneeling beside him. “Wake up, Gryph,” Joey told him. “We need to go get yo
ur witch.”
“Fucking spell,” Gryph finally groaned.
“We don’t have time to wait for Gryph,” I insisted.
Mr. Whiskers had the bag with the bunny slippers hanging from his beak.
“You’re right,” Beatrice agreed. “We’re going to rescue Julia from my brother,” she told Joey.
He gave her a sharp look. “I don’t think so, little witch.”
Beatrice glared at him before grabbing a note pad and writing on it. “This is where they’ll be. I didn’t realize my family still owned this little cabin or I would have known where Des is hiding.”
“It’s too dangerous to go alone,” Joey argued.
“I’m not alone,” she assured him before turning to us. “Let’s go!”
We all followed Beatrice into the elevator and down to the garage. “Where is your car?” I asked her.
“I don’t have one,” she told us. “I used a portal from the demon realm. It was the fastest way to get here. We’ll need to steal a car. Come with me.”
We followed her as she ducked behind a red sports car.
A man stepped out of a sleek black SUV. I’d seen him at the office the day we’d gotten in trouble with the bunny slippers. He quickly stalked across the parking garage while we waited in the shadows.
“The keys are still in the ignition,” Beatrice mused.
“That’s Lucifer’s car,” Jezebel purred. “I’m not sure we should steal it.”
“I’ll bet that thing is really fast, and we probably won’t get pulled over,” Beatrice told us as she hurried over and helped us all settle in. It wasn’t long until we were racing along the highway in the devil’s SUV.
“That man had better not hurt my witch,” I muttered angrily.
Chapter 78
Gryph
Fighting my way through the haze of the sedation spell wasn’t easy. While I could hear what was going on around me, I couldn’t move. It took all my energy to let out one pitiful groan. I’d heard Joey arguing with Beatrice, and I knew she was going after Julia. Hopefully, she wouldn’t get herself killed. I had no idea what she was even doing here. She was supposed to be hiding in the demon realm.
Seductively Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 3) Page 28