Visions of Vengeance: A Paranormal Romance (The Gypsy's Curse Book 2)

by Meg Anne

  Skye wasn’t about to admit that she just got lucky. “That’s what you get for paying someone to do your dirty work for you, Detective.”

  “Maybe you should tutor me.” His grin was wicked, and Skye’s toes curled in her boots.

  “Play your cards right, and I just might.”

  His eyes smoldered, and they stared at each other for a full beat before pushing back out of their seats.

  Skye cleared her throat. “Alright, now we just need to see if we can figure out where these bad boys are hiding.”

  Lucas mumbled something, and Skye stopped to face him.

  “What was that?”

  He winked. “Nothing. Lead the way, beautiful.”

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She was certain he had said something, and the self-satisfied smirk on his face meant it was probably at her expense. “I’m watching you,” she said, her eyes narrowing further for good measure, but then she ruined the effect by smiling.

  “Who doesn’t love a little voyeurism?” he replied, his dimples flashing.

  Skye’s cheeks heated and her eyes went wide. “I, uh…”

  Lucas chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. “I love making you blush.”

  Still flustered by the naughty images Lucas’ joke brought to mind, she stumbled along beside him, not seeing the elderly gentlemen until she had already tripped over him.

  “Oof!” he exclaimed as her elbow smacked into his arm and she nearly smothered him with her chest.

  Mortified, Skye tried to scramble back, but her necklace had gotten caught in his vest. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized, her hands shaking as she tried to untangle herself.

  “It’s alright,” a muffled voice chuckled. “When ye get to be my age, a young lady falling in your lap is quite a treat.”

  Skye knew she was beet red. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she was thankful he couldn’t see her face. Finally free, she pushed herself off of the wooden chair, and the poor library patron. Her legs were still precariously positioned, so Lucas grabbed her elbow and helped support her weight as she stepped back. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “Not to worry, lass.” His voice was soft but rich, his accent giving him a dignified air. He wore what her Gran had once dubbed scholars’ clothes: khakis, loafers, and a sweater vest. The man completed the look with a pair of horn-rimmed glasses from which pale green eyes stared back at her kindly. “Ye seem like you’re in a hurry.”

  “Yes, well, I, um…” Ears burning, she stole a glance at Lucas, whose smile was covered by his long fingers. “I just found the book I’ve been after for ages.”

  The man’s gray eyebrows lifted in surprise. “My, a bookish quest. I didn’t know young people went on those. Usually they are rushing through the library for other reasons.” His eyes twinkled, and Lucas covered his bark of laughter with a cough.

  Skye wanted to crawl under the table and hide, or better yet, have a massive sinkhole open up beneath her. No doubt what the man had assumed she and Lucas were rushing off to do, especially given the direction her thoughts had taken as they walked and the way her cheeks were so heated from embarrassment.

  “How exciting,” he continued. “Which book is it, if ye don’t mind my asking.”

  Feeling foolish, Skye read the name of the first title on her print out. “Celtic Mysticism: The Druids Rise to Power.”

  He blinked a couple of times before clearing his throat. “Well, now, can’t say that’s what I was expecting, but good for you, dearie.”

  Skye was ready to kick Lucas. Feel free to step in anytime now, Detective.

  “Well, I guess we should be going,” Skye said, starting to walk toward the end of the aisle. She got two steps away when the man cleared his throat once more. Skye closed her eyes, praying for strength, before she spun back around. “Yes?” she asked.

  The gentleman pointed toward the opposite side of the library. “The section you’re after is over there.”

  Skye blinked. “Oh, well, right. Of course. I must have gotten turned around.”

  “Of course,” the man said, his eyes twinkling even though he somehow managed to keep the smile from his face.

  Lucas, meanwhile, had to turn and face the other direction. His shoulders shook with unconcealed mirth. Fucking traitor.

  “Thank you, er…” she trailed off when she realized she had not gotten his name.

  “Giles,” he replied.

  “Thank you, Giles,” Skye said, smiling gratefully. “Sorry again for… um… interrupting you.”

  “Good luck with yer quest, miss.”

  Skye’s back stiffened until she remembered that he thought she had been hunting for the book. “Right.” With a little wave, she headed in the other direction, not slowing down until she and Lucas were safely away from prying eyes.

  Lucas opened his mouth but Skye stopped him with a hand. “Save it, Detective.”

  He mimed locking his mouth, but Skye knew this wasn’t going to be the last she heard about how she’d damn near given an old Scottish man a lap dance.

  Chapter 9

  Lizzie

  Lizzie tried not to stare at James from across the table. He was sitting with his back to the massive windows and the afternoon light played off of his hair, wrapping him a golden halo. He looked unearthly, and she was tempted to touch him just to make sure he was real.

  His hazel eyes lifted, and he smirked when he caught her staring. Again. “You keep making a habit of checking me out, I might have to start charging you.”

  Heat crept into her cheeks, but she grinned. “You love it.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not going to complain. Better your eyes are on me than someone else.”

  Butterflies exploded in her belly at the small hint of possessiveness.

  James’ smug smile told her that he knew it. He tapped her notebook with his pen. “Focus, Lizzie.”

  She scowled and closed the book she’d been scanning. While Lucas and Skye were off looking to see what they could discover about Druids, Lizzie and James had been trying to see what they could find out about curses. Ever since Skye had mentioned the word appearing in her grandmother’s journals, it felt like there was something there.

  Unfortunately, Loch Calluna was not exactly the epicenter of the occult. There were a few books on witchcraft in the 1800s, but nothing that alluded to curses or how to get rid of them.

  Lizzie let out a frustrated huff. She wanted to feel useful, and right now, with nothing to show for their two hours of searching, she felt anything but.

  “Still striking out?” James asked.

  Lizzie nodded, chewing on her lip absentmindedly. “It’s hard to search when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. I know that curses must be important, but in what capacity? Who was cursed? Why were they cursed? Who was the person that cursed them? Is this something that was relevant twenty years ago or is it still relevant? Does it need to be broken? Is it even related to Skye and her grandmother at all?”

  “Whoa there,” James said, resting his hand on top of hers and cutting off the flow of words. “You’re starting to spiral.”

  Laughter that bordered on hysteria bubbled up. “I know, it’s just… there’s so much riding on this, ya know? We’re sort of in the eye of the storm here, waiting for Lucas to learn his magic, and meanwhile, Skye’s trying to unravel the mystery left behind in her grandmother’s journals, and you and I are just over here like two looky-loos that don’t seem to have any part to play. Other than the roles of Corpse One and Corpse Two.”

  James’ eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t you dare say we don’t have a part to play. That asshole is after us, too, and he wouldn’t be if there wasn’t something in it for him. The fact that we are alive right now means that we are winning. Don’t discount that, Liz.”

  She smiled, his words helping push away the tidal wave of doubt that she’d been trapped in. “I just want to help beat him. Lucas is the one with magic, but I want to do something important to
o.”

  “You will,” James said, his voice warm and sincere. “There’s no way you’re just going to be on the sideline when we take this guy out. I promise.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment then forced herself to look back at the books before her. There was one left she hadn’t rifled through yet. It was smaller than the others, looking more like a notebook than a history book. The black cover was worn and cracked, parts of it flaking off as she opened it.

  “I’m surprised they’ve left this one in circulation, given its condition.”

  “They’ve probably forgotten about it,” James murmured, already refocused on his book.

  As she turned the first few pages, Lizzie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “One of these is not like the others,” she muttered, feeling like someone had just doused her in ice water.

  “What’s up?” James asked.

  Lizzie swallowed, looking up at him. “I think I found something.”

  Wanting a closer look, James got to his feet and walked around to her side of the table. “What the hell is that?” he asked, leaning down to inspect the book she held in her hands.

  “I’m not sure.”

  The pages were covered in runes, much like the ones Lucas painted on the walls of her diner. There were small notes here and there, but they were in a strange language she couldn’t even begin to understand. She turned the worn pages, confused to see the runes throughout the entire book. The language was foreign, the symbols alien, and yet, she was drawn to them. Probably because the last couple weeks of her life had revolved around this type of magic.

  “That seems like a weird book to have in a public library,” James commented.

  Lizzie nodded in agreement, then shut the book and got to her feet. “We need to show this to Lucas and Skye.”

  “Can I help ye find something?” Lizzie turned her attention to the man sitting at the table beside them. She hadn't even realized someone was there. I bet he thinks we’re all kinds of crazy talking about Druids and magic.

  “Just looking for my brother, thanks.” She offered him a smile, but he dropped his gaze, lingering on the book in her hands. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

  “Find something interesting to read?” His voice was pleasant, his bespectacled eyes showing nothing more than casual interest, but her stomach sank slowly and she wrapped her hands around the book, pulling it up to her chest.

  Before she could reply, James wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the man. “We gotta go,” he called over his shoulder. Once they were a few steps away, he leaned down, only half-joking when he whispered in her ear, “Weren’t you taught not to talk to strangers?”

  “That was weird, right?”

  “Not the weirdest encounter I’ve ever had, but the dude definitely gave me the creeps there for a second.”

  He guided Lizzie through the racks of books until they found Lucas and Skye searching through a bookcase of old texts. They’d amassed quite an impressive stack on the floor next to them, but the way they continued to search meant they hadn’t found anything yet. Lizzie bit back a triumphant smile; she’d been the first to find something that might help them. After feeling so useless lately, it was nice to be able to offer something.

  “Hey, guys,” she said as they approached.

  Skye looked up with a smile and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

  “Liz found something,” James announced as he released her.

  “Oh?” Skye asked, and Lucas turned away from the bookcase he was searching. Lizzie handed Skye the book and watched as the other woman’s eyes widened almost comically. She turned the pages quickly, then looked up at Lizzie. “Where did you find this?”

  “It was next to the stack of books we were looking through,” she told them.

  “Where in the library did you find it?”

  Lizzie opened her mouth to answer and paused, stumped. She thought back to pulling books from the shelves, but couldn’t recall spotting that actual tome. “Actually, I can’t remember.”

  “So it just popped up on your table?” Lucas asked, his voice holding an edge that made Lizzie’s back stiffen. She hated it when he talked down to her.

  James looked between her and Lucas, assessing the situation. “Hey, let’s tone down the sarcasm a notch or two. Obviously, the thing can’t grow legs and walk around—” James cut himself off and turned to Skye. “Can it?”

  Skye pursed her lips, amusement crinkling her eyes. “No, that would be ridiculous.”

  James nodded, looking relieved. “Right. Definitely ridiculous and not at all possible.”

  What did it say about the insanity of their lives, that a walking book wouldn’t even make the top ten list of the weirdest things she’d seen recently?

  “Are these spells?” Lucas asked, running a finger down one of the pages.

  Skye shut the book quickly. “Yes, and it’s probably better you don’t touch it until we know for sure it can’t hurt you in any way.”

  Lucas gave Skye one of his patented ‘don’t be stupid’ looks. Lizzie was intimately familiar with that brand of MacConnell smugness. “It’s a book, Skye.”

  Lizzie could have cheered when Skye threw his smartass comment right back in his face. “Right, a book filled with magic spells. Have you forgotten how you reacted to the runes at those crime scenes already? Let’s not take any chances. Based on the few runes that I recognize, there are some powerful spells in here. Spells that we don’t understand right now. The last thing we want is to get incinerated, or worse, sent to the Wasteland.”

  When Lucas didn’t have a comeback to that, Skye gave a curt nod and tucked the book into the waistband of her pants, covering it with her jacket.

  “You know we’re both cops, right?” Lucas asked with a grin.

  “Yeah, in Chicago. You think they’d recognize your jurisdiction here, big boy? Besides, there’s no barcode on this book, which means it doesn’t belong here in the first place.”

  Lizzie hadn’t considered that. She hadn’t even thought to check for one. “Then how did it get here?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Skye said with a shrug. “But I think this is what we’re looking for.”

  “Maybe that weird guy had something to do with it?” James suggested, rejoining the conversation.

  “What weird guy?” Lucas asked, his blue eyes zeroing in on his partner’s face.

  “There was a man sitting next to our table. He seemed pretty interested in the book when he saw it in Liz’s hands.”

  “What did he look like?” Skye asked.

  “Grey hair, khakis, and one of those vest things only professors wear.”

  “A sweater vest,” Lizzie supplied with an amused grin. “He was wearing a sweater vest.”

  “How the hell am I supposed to know what it’s called?” James asked. “Do I look like I own one of those?”

  Lizzie snorted. “I don’t know, could look cute on you.”

  James’ eyes darkened.

  “Maybe it's the same guy you gave a lap dance to,” Lucas said to Skye, either not noticing or trying to ignore the sexual tension simmering between his sister and partner. Either way it worked, and Lizzie and James were pulled out of their moment.

  “Skye gave someone a lap dance?” James asked, his brows lifted in surprise.

  Skye’s face flushed, and Lizzie laughed, covering her mouth quickly when Skye shot her a glare.

  “I did not give him a lap dance,” she insisted. “I fell into his lap.”

  “Sure you did, Twyla. Just be glad he didn’t seem interested, or I would have had to beat up an old geezer over you,” Lucas joked.

  “Since when is the threat of elderly abuse sexy, Detective?” Skye asked, folding her arms over her chest.

  Lucas smirked; he’d gotten to her. Lizzie glanced back at Skye, amusement curling her lips into a smile. Had her brother finally found someone who could match his sharp wit?

  “Ar
e you done now?” Skye asked him.

  “For now.” He grinned.

  “I’m never living this down,” she groaned.

  “We should probably get going. Just in case it wasn’t Mr. Sweater Vest that left it for us, but rather our Druid friend,” James pointed out.

  Lizzie’s blood chilled. “I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think he would leave something like that here? As a trap? How would he even think we’d be here?”

  “With this guy, I don’t think it’s smart to rule anything out. So, until Skye determines what those things mean, I think Lucas should steer clear,” James answered.

  “Probably a good idea,” Skye agreed.

  Lucas nodded and gestured toward the pile of books at their feet. “We still want these?”

  Skye glanced down thoughtfully. “Honestly, I think we’re likely to find more answers in this one than all of those combined.”

  Lucas sighed. “Do I have to put them back?”

  Lizzie laughed when Skye replied, “It’d be rude not to, don’t you think?”

  His shoulders dropped and he groaned. “Fine, but I’m going to take a picture of the titles in case we decide we want to come back for any of them.”

  “Good idea,” Skye murmured.

  Lucas made quick work of replacing the books on the shelves before holding out a hand for Skye.

  Following suit, James wrapped an arm around Lizzie’s shoulders and the foursome made their way through the library and back out onto the street. Lizzie barely noticed the people or shops as they passed, her mind still reeling from the discovery.

  If this was a trap, it could prove to be a deadly one. But if it wasn't… it could mean the game had changed.

  Maybe now, Lucas could learn to harness his power, and they could end this once and for all.

  Chapter 10

  Lucas

  Lucas sat at the table with Skye and Matthews while Lizzie finished making dinner. When he’d offered to help, Lizzie had smacked him with her hand towel and threatened to stab him with her knife if he got any closer. That meant both of the women in his life made a point of telling him what he couldn’t do today, and Lucas was over it.