“What is it?” I don’t bother looking up. Reid filled him in on the drive back, so I knew we would have this conversation eventually.
“Why didn’t you mention him this morning when I was at your house?”
I shrug because my mouth is full. His lips are tight. He crosses his arms over his chest, clearly stating he’s going to refuse to eat until I answer his question. I swallow my gigantic bite and sigh. “I didn’t think it was important.”
He leans further across the table. “It’s not important that some strange guy showed up at your house and makes a move on you?”
I smirk slightly. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.”
He growls. “This is different.”
“How?”
“For one, if I’m not allowed to flirt with you, then this Leo Galloway isn’t either.”
Reid turns around at the bar. “Agreed,” he yells in our direction.
I roll my eyes, but Julien is already holding up his hands in frustration. “And secondly, it bothers me that he already knows so much about us. How did this guy know we would need him to save me?”
Again, I shrug.
His eyes light up. “That is why it’s important, Willa. You can’t keep this stuff from me.”
I point my finger at him. “That look. That look is why I didn’t tell you.”
He leans back, clearly trying to change the hateful expression on his face. “What do you mean?”
“I knew you would be annoyed. And you look too much like him…your Mr. Hyde when you get angry.”
“Because I told you…he’s still in there. I could call him to the surface if I wanted.”
“Exactly. And I don’t want that, especially for something as silly as him flirting with me.”
He throws himself back in his seat, and I push his plate toward him. “Now, eat, so we can go find him.”
“She’s right,” Reid says, finding the seat next to me. “We can’t waste any time, and as much as I hate to concede to the idea, we can’t risk pissing him off.”
Julien chomps down on a fry. “I’m not above hogtying the bastard and dragging him to the Tower.”
Reid laughs. “I’m sure you’re not, Cote. However, I don’t think that’s the point of the door.”
I cover my mouth so I can talk around my food. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. I think the point of this door is to make sure every family is in agreement. That if we want the curse to end, everyone has to want it.”
Julien is still pouting, but he’s at least picked up his fork. “Yeah, but why this stupid tree? What does this Leo Galloway have to do with my curse?”
Reid’s face is serious. More serious than I’ve ever seen him, considering he’s talking about saving the life of his sworn enemy. “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”
***
The Courier. It isn’t a hotel. It’s the newspaper building. I glance up at the small stone building, admiring that way the ivy climbs to the gutter. The name is carved into the stone, but years of exposure has chipped away at the edges of the lettering. I’d never really thought about Sanctuary having a newspaper. What would it say? Nothing really happens here, except supernatural craziness. Does it report that stuff?
Crazy Member of the Haunted Prescott Family Sets Main Street on Fire and Slays Cote for the World to See.
Julien cups his hands around his eyes and peers through the windows. It looks dark inside. I don’t think the place is open today, or maybe even open at all. I try the door, and it’s unlocked. I glance back, silently asking them if we should intrude.
It’s a unanimous yes.
I take a step inside, stopping to check my surroundings. There’s a receptionist desk to my right, and a long row of other desks leading to the back. They are all stacked with papers and pens. I guess the place is functional.
Maybe after all this is over, I might actually read one. If there’s anything exciting left to read about without the curse.
“Where should we look?” Julien whispers.
He’s ready for a fight. He’s poised in an almost boxer-like stance. I shake my head at him. “Nowhere,” I say, walking to the middle of the room. “He’s going to come to us.”
I allow some of my power to build into my voice, causing it to boom out of me. It rattles the glass windows. “Galloway.”
It’s not a question; it’s an order. My power is already building up for another round when I spot a foot at the top of a staircase in the back. Freshly polished leather shoes. They’re high-end. You can tell. The design on the side is intricate and small. Leo steps into view slowly in the same way a king might make his grand entrance into a ballroom. Despite my less than courteous demand, he doesn’t seem in a hurry to obey me. The smirk is already on his lips when his gaze finds mine. He straightens a maroon polka-dotted tie then touches his perfectly coiffed hair to make sure it hasn’t fallen out of place. He definitely looks the part—very Prince Charming-like. He even has a gray vest that plays off the soft tones of his dress pants and diamond studded cuffs on his sleeves.
He leans back against the railing, his smile twisting at the edges. “Told you so,” he says in a sing-song voice clearly meant to annoy me.
Julien starts to charge him, but I grab his arm, shooting a sting of ice onto him. “This is between me and him.”
He grits his teeth, throwing a hateful glare at Leo. I jerk his arm again to get his attention back on me, and he finally gives in. “For now.”
Reid steps back to give me the go-ahead, but I can tell he’s just as annoyed as Julien. What was I thinking bringing them both with me? They would love to take their hatred of each other out on this unsuspecting pest. The worst part, if said pest doesn’t wipe that smirk off his face, I might be inclined to let them.
I walk toward the stairs. “What does your family have to do with the curse of the Haunted? Why was your emblem on the door at the Raven’s Tower?”
He smiles, continuing his way down the stairs. His gray eyes are bright now. Eager. “You’re quick, Miss Daniels. I didn’t expect you to figure it out so soon.”
We’re standing face to face now. Leo is several inches taller than I am, but not in an intimidating way. Nothing intimidates me now. “Tell me.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” His smile is soft and sincere, but then it changes. “Under one condition.”
My teeth snap, and a vision of tying him up flashes in my head. Reid sent it to me. I glance over my shoulder toward him, his face a mask of stone. Yes, he’s definitely just as annoyed as Julien.
I turn back to Leo, taking a deep breath. “What kind of condition?”
His smile is triumphant. “We discuss it over dinner.” He glances behind me, chuckling. “Just the two of us.”
“Absolutely not.”
His gaze shoots back to me. “It is my one condition, Miss Daniels.”
“We don’t have time for this! We need in that door tonight.”
He moves closer, he voice still unmoved by my display of anger. His hand touches my hip. “Then I suggest that you accept my offer.” Again, he glances at Julien. “For his sake.”
I shove him away from me, and the boys are behind me. One at each shoulder. Leo backs up, his hand in the air.
It doesn’t stop Reid from finally losing it. “She isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Leo’s eyes narrow, and for the first time I see a little of something he’s been trying to hide. “Look, I was sent here to find Wilhelmina Daniels. My assistance will be granted solely to her, but not before she understands the reason for it.” He stands straight, his attention landing directly on me. “So, if you wish to save the Haunted, you will adhere to my condition.”
Reid and I both have to hold Julien back. He’s struggling to get past us, and I see a hint, just a shimmer of that blackness return to his eyes. “I’d rather die a Haunted monster than see Willa go anywhere with you.”
Leo chuckles, casua
lly placing his hands in his pockets. “Well, that is her prerogative, now, isn’t it?”
I grab Julien’s face. I can’t stand to watch that blackness there, even a little bit. “Stop it, Julien.”
“That won’t work on me,” he hisses. “I’m not your opposite, remember?”
The shimmer of blackness turns into a cloud in his eyes. He’s purposely allowing the darkness to come out. I can’t let that happen. Not now, when we’re so close. I shove my hand onto his chest, shooting my power into him just like I did that night he was dying. This time, instead of healing him, I send him every happy moment I ever had with him. The nerves I felt the night he spent at my house, and the laughs we shared the next morning. I send him the love that swelled inside me that night in the chapel, and the joy at the sight of him in Charleston.
It brings him to his knees, and my hand falls from him. When he looks up, there is a tear streaking down his cheek.
I bend down to look him straight in the face. “You have to let me save you. All of that will mean nothing if you don’t let me save you.”
His jaw is tight, but he finally nods. I stand back up and look to Reid. I need his permission as well. I want us all to be in agreement that we have to do this.
“I’m afraid it may be the only way,” he says through his teeth. “I think the door might know if we force him.”
I nod. I’m not happy either, but it’s what must be done. I spin around to Leo. “I agree to your condition.”
“Great.” He claps his hands together, smiling like he didn’t just blackmail me. “I’ll pick you up at five.”
Chapter 6
DINNER FOR TWO
I change clothes, intentionally putting on the rattiest thing I own. My skinny jeans have a very obvious hole in the knee, and the red pinstriped shirt is faded and worn. Reid lies on my bed. I changed with him in the room. He looked the other way because he’s a flipping Eagle Scout when it comes to chivalry.
He’s picking at a string on my old quilt. “Do you realize we haven’t actually been on a date? Like, a real date?”
I pull my hair out of the braid from this morning because it’s too pretty that way. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it. Our lives have been kind of crazy since the day you broke in here.”
He smiles at that, absently touching the spot where I hit him over the head with my gigantic flashlight. “I guess so.”
My normal tight curls are long and wavy because of my braid. I shake it loose and climb up on the edge of the bed. I crawl to him. Reid is like a beacon that’s constantly calling me home. I lie down next to him, holding him close. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
He hums against my cheek. “I’m not jealous.”
“Of course not,” I say, extra seriously, and it causes him to laugh.
“I’m not. It’s just—” He stops then groans, burying his face against my neck. “Fine. I’m jealous.”
I stroke his hair. It’s so soft. Extra soft since he cut it. I like how it sticks up when I run my fingers through it. “It isn’t a date. Leo and I will be discussing the curse over food.”
Reid lets out a sound similar to an annoyed hrmph.
I kiss his temple, twirling a long strand of his hair around my finger. “What’s really wrong?”
“I would take you out on a date,” he says. “A real date. You know, if we had that kind of time.”
“I know.”
He sits up on his elbow. “I feel like I haven’t even gotten to properly kiss you since I’ve been back from my trip, and this guy…this stranger gets an entire evening alone with you.”
I don’t try to hide my smile. “How do you properly kiss someone?”
There’s a tiny hint of a glint in his eyes. “Are you teasing me?”
“Is there a rulebook? Instructions? Now, I feel like maybe I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.”
He bites his lip, and I know I’ve won. He pushes himself up, and I meet his lips. Sparks. The physical kind. The power between the two of us is too great for metaphorical clichés. My lips burn from it, but in a good way. In a way that makes me search for his cool lips to soothe the pain away. I push against his shoulders, rolling him onto his back so I can maneuver myself on top of him.
His hands lock on my hips, holding me in place as I ravage his mouth. I’ve missed this. Craved it. I lie further down on top of him, slowing the pace as I deepen the kiss. “I want you.”
He tries to catch his breath, but it’s shaky. “Now?”
“Yes.”
He groans, shifting beneath me. “You were supposed to say no.”
“Why? Do you not want—”
He stops me with another kiss. “Of course, I do.” His gaze intensifies. “Of course.”
I start to push his shirt up, and he catches my hand. “Willa, our family is downstairs.”
My attention turns to my clothes instead. Reid sits up as I start to take my shirt off.
It’s at my navel when he raises a brow at me. “Julien is downstairs.”
I pause. “Shit. I forgot that.”
He sits the rest of the way up and kisses me softly. It’s less urgent this time. Reid might hate Julien Cote, but he doesn’t hate him that much. “If you want this,” he says quietly.
“You mean, if I want you…”
His hand grips in my shirt. “If you want me—”
“I do,” I interrupt.
He smiles, and it lights my heart on fire. Every time. I thought the sensation would get old. It had been such a feat to make Reid Thomas smile that I thought maybe this feeling was the prize for finally succeeding at it. It’s there every time, though, because every time is a prize. Reid Thomas is my prize. He is my light in this world full of darkness. My joy in a lifetime littered with heartache.
I kiss the corner of his lips because I don’t want to ruin his smile. “I love you. Even if you are my little Boy Scout.”
He’s confused, but I don’t elaborate. He would probably be offended if he knew I called him that. Being a gentleman isn’t a bad thing. I glance at the clock and groan. “We probably should go. It’s just like that brat to show up early.”
I start to move, but Reid holds me in place a second longer. “I’ll do better,” he says in my ear. “If you are sure about us…about me. I’ll find time for that date.”
There is knock on the door, so I give him a quick kiss then go to answer it. Abby winces when I open it. “Am I interrupting?”
“Someone always is…might as well be you today.” I smile so she knows I’m only teasing. It’s true, but I’m not angry about it. Reid is right. Now would be a horrible time.
“Sera wants to talk to you.”
Reid is behind me, straightening his clothes. “We’re on our way.”
Abby starts down the stairs, but Reid stops me. He waits until his sister is out of hearing range then he places his lips at the nape of my neck. His words are like silk across my skin, seeping down my spine to the tips of my toes. “And I’m not a Boy Scout.” He licks my skin, then presses his lips against the wet spot he created. “Trust me.”
He moves in front of me and down the stairs without looking back. I smile, thinking my response so both of us can hear it.
Noted.
***
Sera is in the living room with Reid and Abby while Julien stands in the kitchen behind the counter. He’s brooding. Or pouting. It’s hard to tell which with him.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Reid says to his mother.
“Agreed,” Julien shouts from the kitchen.
I tuck my hair behind my ear. “What’s going on?”
Reid plops himself down on the couch. “Mom thinks it would be better if we weren’t here when Galloway shows up to get you.”
I tug at the moon charm on my necklace then place it beneath my shirt. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“What?” Julien is in the room with me now, betrayal written across his face. “How can you say that?”
“Have you forgotten that little temper tantrum you threw already? The one where you allowed the darkness to come out?” I stare at him a moment longer then turn to Reid. “You know your mom is right. You two would do just about anything to keep me from going to this dinner, whether you will admit it or not.”
Reid rubs his face, probably imagining all the horrible things he would do to Leo. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Julien growls in his direction. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this.”
Reid stands. “I don’t want to, all right? But I’m confident Willa can handle herself. If she can’t, she can always let me know.”
“Right,” Abby says. “Because you two can do that weird talking to each other thing.”
“It’s a spell, and yes. Willa can let me know she needs us at any time.”
Julien walks out. Without a single word. He slams the door, though, and it’s enough to get his point across. He’s angry, and not just about Leo, though I suspect he’s pushing him over the edge he’s been hanging onto lately.
Abby places her hand on my shoulder. “Lyric says he’s still having a hard time. He hasn’t been sleeping well.”
“The dreams?”
She nods. “He’s getting angrier during them. Lyric said last night he just screamed all night.”
I should talk to him about the dreams. There has to be something we can do to help him.
Sera holds up her watch. “We need to go.”
I open my mouth to speak, but Reid beats me to it. “I’ll go find him. He’ll be fine.”
I hug him. “Thank you. I know he isn’t your problem.”
Reid laughs. “He’s always been my problem. I’ll see if Jade or Sadie has anything that might help him sleep better. He gets on my nerves, but it’s so much worse when he’s cranky and unreasonable.”
Shadow Bend (Witches of Sanctuary Book 3) Page 5