Kurt burst through the old wooden door, his hands full of flowers, chocolates and a small bag. He strode over to Justina, bent over and kissed her full on the mouth before standing up again.
I didn’t know where to look as she blushed, her cheeks turning bright red. Did he have to show such a public display of affection?
“You’re always moaning that I never remember your birthday. So, happy birthday!” Almost shoving the gifts into her arms, he laughed when she stuttered, unable to reply.
“Looks like you’ve made her speechless,” I said, laughing when he winked at me. I had already given her a card and a mug that read ‘I am diplomatic. After I’ve had my coffee.’
“Good. Maybe it will keep her quiet for the rest of the day. Until tonight-”
“Kurt!” Justina’s fist flew out and connected with his thigh.
Getting up from my seat, I nabbed another biscuit before backtracking across the kitchen. “I don’t need to know about all that. Happy birthday, Justina. Erm… I’ll just go and find Gerard.”
About to turn and run, I froze when Justina called me back. Her presents were on the table. She glanced at them with a twinkle in her eye before looking at me.
“I’ve got a mission for you both. You’re not going to like it.”
Instead of feeling apprehensive, my stomach flickered with butterflies. I was ready to get out on a mission. My boredom, and maybe a little depression, had kept me in bed for the last week. It was time to get back out into the field.
“What’s our mission?”
Kurt watched Justina as she fidgeted with her mug. He sighed as he looked at me, ready to deliver the blow the only way he knew how. “Go see your ex coven leader. Find out if she knows our prisoners. She might hate you but get the information we need.”
Oh, great. I hadn’t seen Theresa since she had chucked me out of her club. And, now they wanted me to play nice?
“Okay.” My reply was short and sweet.
There was no point in getting uppity about it. Gerard would be with me, which meant he could do all the talking.
The others didn’t stop me as I left the kitchen. My heart was pounding, my head slowly starting to join it. I didn’t really want to go and humiliate myself, but it had to be done.
Our prisoners were locked away in the supernatural jail, refusing to talk. I hadn’t even known there was a place for underworld creatures to be held. It made sense, considering they had to diffuse all the magic in the place. The agency’s structures were much stronger than human buildings, making sure vampires and shapeshifters were locked up tight, unable to use their super strength.
“Devon.”
Gerard’s deep gravelly voice echoed down the hallway from behind me as I headed towards the library. Pausing, I turned to face him as he approached. A small smile came to his mouth when I grinned, happy to be back.
“I see that my news had a positive effect. Are you ready to go and question Theresa?”
Frowning, I ran my fingers through the end of my hair. “I suppose so. Although, I’m not happy about it. It’s going to be really awkward. So, you can be Mr Agent Nice-guy.”
“Not Mac-dreamy pants?”
My mouth dropped open in mock horror. “I never thought of that one. It’s good.”
Moving to leave at the same time, I laughed when we bashed into each other. Gerard caught hold of my waist, the touch making me suck in a breath.
“I’m glad you’re not mad at me anymore.” His fingers brushed against my skin as he slowly pulled away.
Swallowing, I bit my lip as I followed him out of the front door. “I am still mad at you. Very mad. Do you know how upset I was that you dropped all my sweet treats?”
My words were ignored as he marched along the bank of the Thames. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed seeing the back of Gerard. Not because I didn’t want to see his pretty face, but because his butt always looked good-
“Stop checking me out and get a move on. We’ve got a busy day.”
Ah, Serious Mac-agent had come out to play. I kind of liked it when he took control. It made me feel like I was protected.
“You do all the talking. If I say anything, I’m going to annoy her.”
He slowed his step, his powerful stride almost faltering. “You? Annoy someone? Surely, that’s not possible?”
I was about to answer when he reached out and took my hand, flashing us directly outside Theresa’s club. It was the morning; the place was locked up tight.
Gerard glanced down at me, his bright green eyes sparkling when the sun hit them. I stared, unable to look away as his square jaw clenched. The tips of his hair were gelled upwards, the sides and back shorter than the last time I’d seen him. Why did he have to be so handsome? In a witchy kind of way?
“You’re an agent. You have to learn to put all personal feelings away when we’re in the field. We’ll both question her.”
His serious expression made me want to laugh, but I didn’t. I held on long enough for him to move towards the front door. Smiling to myself, I straightened my back and went with him, ready to interrogate the bitch who had rejected me. Okay, that wasn’t exactly how a professional thought. But, she was a bitch. There was no denying that.
“Why are we here?” I asked.
I had been so busy studying Sexy Mac-partner man, I hadn’t thought about why he had flashed us to the club. “Theresa will be…”
Looking at my phone, I clocked the time. Ah, the coven always had a meeting, every morning. I had never gone, obviously. And, that was probably another reason I had been thrown out.
“Well?” Gerard said as I scrolled through my phone.
“Sorry,” I muttered, concentrating. “I’m trying to find the address.”
Almost cheering when I found the bulletin that Theresa had posted on the coven’s secret website, I spun away from Gerard, ready to march down the road.
His footsteps followed me as the crowds thickened. The tourists were on their way to see our famous city. And, yet, none of them realised that hordes of supernatural beings roamed among them, ready to take advantage.
“It might be quicker if we flash there,” Gerard said.
My fingers tingled at the idea of being able to use witch magic again. The whole of my body vibrated with the need to utilise the energy within me. Holding on to all the magic I had was making me on edge. I hadn’t even realised until Gerard just reminded me that I couldn’t teleport anymore.
“Hyde Park. They’re holding their morning meeting there.”
Holding out my hand, I looked down at Gerard’s extended arm, his tattoo’s moving with him. The reminder of why he had them came crashing into my mind.
“The seer said that you need to face… this.” Waving my hand towards the numbers that lined his arms in different font artwork, I tried not to back down when he recoiled, his arm retracting from me.
“Another time, Devon.”
His curt remark was followed by him grabbing my arm and moving us to Hyde Park. The dewy grass bounced under my feet when we landed. There were several dog walkers and joggers, not even looking at us as we appeared.
“There,” he said, completely ignoring our weird moment. “That looks like a coven of witches.”
Switching my agent mode on, I looked to where he was pointing. Yes, Theresa stood in front of several witches as they sat on the ground, their butts resting just slightly above the grass. They were using magic in broad daylight. Okay, that was hypocritical considering we had just appeared out of nowhere, but we weren’t hovering just above the ground in order to stop ourselves from getting wet.
“Wait…” My mind raced as I turned to Gerard. “What coven do you belong to?”
I couldn’t believe that I’d never asked him before. I’d known him for a month or so and didn’t know hardly anything about him. Part of that was because I’d never asked.
“I don’t. I’m a lone agent. I thought I’d told you that?”
Looking away, I tried to play it cool. Maybe he had,
maybe he hadn’t. How had I forgotten either way? “I’m sorry, I’ve been so wrapped up in myself.”
My face screwed up as I looked at my pretty leather buckle boots. It was true. It seemed to be a habit of mine, only thinking about myself. I’d had to fend for myself for so long, it had become natural.
“It’s fine. Let’s just get back to our mission, shall we?”
Nodding, I shook myself and joined him as we marched towards the coven. There were around twenty people sitting in front of Theresa. On the edge of their little group, Jeremy, the witch I had almost killed, stood on guard. Spotting us, he visibly shuddered. Good, he was afraid of me. It was better that he believed that I could attack him again. Even though I was strictly on a magic ban. Which sucked.
As we drew nearer, the whole coven turned to watch us approach. Their expressions were reserved, hard to read. If they kept calm, there would be no problem. If they tried anything, Gerard would have to hold them off.
“What can we do for you?” Theresa called, her voice travelling to us.
The inside of my body quivered with anxiety. Why did my old friends put me on edge? I was an agent now, standing beside a kickass man who knew what he was doing. And, there I was, frightened that they would say something to make me feel small. To take me back to when I was a kid.
“We’re here to talk to you. Alone.” Gerard wasted no time stepping around the group.
Jeremy trotted after him, scowling in my direction when I went to follow. A barrier blocked me from moving forward when I tried. They had allowed Gerard to go to the leader, but I was kept away. Typical.
“I’m an agent from the Hunted Witch Agency,” I almost shouted, trying to keep my temper under control. “I’m here on business only.”
The heads staring at me turned to Theresa. Waving her hand, she dropped the barrier spell, allowing me to join my partner as he stood by her side.
“Can we talk in private?” he asked.
The middle-aged woman traced him with her gaze, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Was she crushing on my… friend? Yes, friend. Work partner. That’s all he was.
Turning to her group, she dismissed them. Some of them left, while most of them huddled around, waiting to see what would happen. I didn’t blame them, they’d probably been curious about what had happened to me. Especially considering I had always been the gossip among the covens my whole life.
“What can I do for you?” Theresa asked Gerard, completely ignoring me in the process.
I glanced at Jeremy who stood beside her, his stare full of hatred. He was lucky to be alive. If I could’ve gone back, I would’ve done the job properly. His rotund stomach was forced into jeans, the top overflowing. He rested his fingers there, tapping them in a rhythm.
Trying my hardest not to shudder when he licked his lips, I focused on my old leader as she denied any knowledge of the slave ring.
“Do you know these people?” Gerard held up three photographs of our prisoners.
One man and two females. Justina had interrogated them many times, but they were willing to die instead of giving away any information. It was a good job she did the questioning. I would probably have killed the woman who had been the cause of my anguish. She had been a powerful witch. One that had almost killed me.
“No, I’ve never seen them before.” Theresa didn’t even look at their faces, what a surprise.
Holding back from demanding that she looked closer, I trusted Gerard to handle it. He was a lot more experienced than I was. I had to stop myself from allowing my emotions to take over. Although, if my fist just happened to smash into Jeremy’s smarmy face, I would call it self-defence.
“Let me give you a piece of advice,” Gerard said, taking a step closer to Theresa. “If you don’t want me to arrest you in connection with the kidnapping of witches, look at the pictures and tell me the truth.”
Oh, Gerard. The hard arse act suited him. My whole body heated as I watched him stare down my old leader. If he ever wanted to go bad cop on me, I wouldn’t mind. I probably had a pair of handcuffs somewhere in all my junk.
Pursing her lips, Theresa held back her reply. The red tinge of her cheeks was the only sign that Gerard had pissed her off. Her gaze slowly moved to the raised photos, her eyes blank as she studied the faces.
“Nope, don’t know them.”
Ah, crap, she was telling the truth. Gerard could also read her, his arm dropping. “And, what about you?”
He tilted his head as he looked at Jeremy. The creep was still staring at me, trying to intimidate me. If he even dared to-
“She’s lucky she’s still alive,” Jeremy muttered when he noticed that my partner was staring at him. “She almost killed me.”
“What she does outside of work is no concern to me.” Gerard didn’t look away when Jeremy’s back straightened. “I’m more worried about how you’re eyeing her as if she’s a piece of meat.”
My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as Gerard reached out, his fingers wrapping around Jeremy’s throat.
“Don’t even think about it.” Theresa’s hand rose in the air. “I will stop you.”
“Don’t worry,” Jeremy spluttered. “He won’t kill me. It will ruin his career. And, I’ll get to kidnap the lovely Devon and keep her as my slave.”
A rush of heat ran over my veins as my heart rebounded off my ribcage. All the memories of the years of him threatening me came to the surface. Raising my hand, I was about to suck warlock magic from the earth under my feet.
The crack of bone resounded before I could move, Jeremy’s limp body falling to the ground. Gerard’s eyes were wide, his nostrils flaring as he breathed, trying to control his temper. Not that it had helped.
Theresa dropped to the ground to shake Jeremy’s prone body, a cry escaping her mouth. No. What had just happened? Our mission had completely and utterly failed, even if a tiny part of me was glad that Jeremy had got what he deserved.
“Let’s go.” Snatching Gerard’s hand, I pushed him, trying to jolt him out of his rage.
A huge breath sucked into him as he squeezed my fingers. Looking down at Theresa, his gaze cleared as he blinked. “I’m sorry.”
As she turned to look at him, he flashed us away. It was a good job; her gaze had been murderous. Rightly so.
Landing in the hallway of the agency, we both stumbled, our bodies in shock. Why had Gerard killed Jeremy?
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
His body shook, his gaze darting as he checked around us. Sweat lined his forehead as he stared into thin air. I had never seen the strong confident agent so traumatised.
“What happened?” Justina demanded as she came out of the library. “I’ve just had a call from Theresa. She’s threatened to kill us all.”
Chapter Three
“Why did you do it?” I asked quietly.
The front door closed behind him as Justina and Kurt left. They had ordered us to stay hidden in my apartment while they spoke to Theresa and calmed the situation.
Kingsley squeaked, wanting attention as Gerard paced the tiny bit of carpet between the sofa and the kitchen. Going over to my pet rat, I stroked his head, giving him a biscuit when he nudged me. He could feel the tension in the room.
“I don’t know. He threatened you. I got the feeling that it wasn’t the first time.” Gerard’s voice was rushed, panicky.
Where had Mr Cool gone? His demeanour was failing him, which meant I needed to kick him up the arse. Not literally, although, sometimes it had been tempting.
“Listen,” I said, going over and grabbing his arm. “You need to calm down. I’m not sorry you killed the man. He’s been trying to get to me since I was twelve. I-”
Growling, Gerard shoved away from me and threw his fist straight into the wall. The plaster cracked, sending white powder flying around us.
“It’s okay,” I shouted.
He was breathing fast, hard. Taking his arm, I tugged him with the aim to get him to stop pac
ing. Instead, we lost our footing and fell to the floor. My head bumped on the carpet as his heavy weight landed on me.
“What are you doing?” he muttered, his face against my shoulder. “If you wanted to get me into bed, you only had to ask.”
A chuckle rose before I could stop it. It wasn’t a laughing matter, but my attempt at calming him had broken his aggressive spell. I hadn’t ever seen Gerard so riled up. Had something happened to him?
Coughing from the dust that settled on us, I put my hands under me, on his chest and pushed. “I was trying to get you to see sense.”
“Oh, right…” Lifting his head, he stared into my eyes, going silent.
We breathed, our chests moving in unison. Oh boy, it was not the right time to be getting intimate with my agent partner. He was having a murderous breakdown, and I was still trying to work out how to get my witch magic stronger.
“You were going to hurt him with your warlock power. I told you, if you do that, you’ll die.”
Shoving him, I scurried to my feet when he sat back against the sofa. Glancing at his arm, he pointed at a patch of bare skin.
“Wait, you killed him because you were afraid I was going to die?”
Surely not. And, if he even dared say anything about getting a tattoo for Jeremy, I would… probably do nothing.
Running his hands over his head, he sighed. “Yes. It was impulsive. A mixture of preventing you from using your magic. And, rage that he looked at you like that.”
Confused, I went over to Kingsley’s cage and took him out. Letting him nuzzle into my neck, I lowered myself onto the sofa next to where Gerard leant against it.
“No need to be so jealous. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.”
Hothead Mac-sexy didn’t find my joke amusing. He rolled his eyes, looking away when I tried to see if what I’d said had caused a reaction. Of course it wouldn’t. I wasn’t a full witch, we weren’t allowed to date. Not only that, we were both messed up. Big time. Well, him more than me, just to be clear.
“So… We just have to sit here and wait until we’re allowed out?” My skin warmed as Kingsley fell asleep against my neck. He could always comfort me.
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