by Rose Pressey
Chapter Nine
“Whatever he says, don’t believe a word of it.” Nicolas pointed at Liam.
The men stared at each other in a showdown.
I stepped between them. “Nicolas hasn’t told me anything yet. But I think it’s about time someone tells me what’s going on around here.”
Nicolas folded his arms in front of his chest and flashed a smug smile at Liam. If he thought I was only talking to Liam, he was dead wrong.
The men continued to stare at each other, neither one budging on giving me an answer. I glanced over at my mother. She looked quite awkward with her mouth gaping open and one eyebrow.
Who was I supposed to believe since both men were warning me about the other? If Nicolas wouldn’t tell me why he felt this way, and Liam’s lips were sealed too, then what was I supposed to do?
“I won’t ask Liam to leave.” I glared at Nicolas. “If you can’t tell me why he is so dangerous, then I can’t ask him to leave.”
“You told her I was dangerous?” A look of utter disbelief covered Liam’s face.
“For two men who don’t know each other, you seem to have quite a few warnings. Let me guess, you have a gut instinct about each other, right?” I asked, exasperated.
This seemed too dangerous. I should have asked both of them to leave, but something made me ignore my logical warning… it was that same strange pull that I couldn’t shake. They remained tight-lipped.
I looked at Nicolas. “I’m supposed to take your word for it that Liam is dangerous?”
Who did Nicolas think he was anyway? He showed up in the middle of the night looking like some kind of movie vampire and was now giving me orders? That took a lot of nerve. But was it a legitimate warning? How would I know?
“This guy doesn’t know me. He’s just spreading rumors. I don’t know what his beef is with me.” Nicolas gave Liam a brutal, unrelenting glare.
Should I mention that I’d overheard their conversation? What was the woman’s name that Nicolas had mentioned? Oh yes, Mara. Who was Mara? And what was the Underworld? Were they involved in something illegal? I decided to see how this scene played out before I mentioned what I’d overheard.
“If anyone shouldn’t be trusted, it’s him.” Liam pointed at Nicolas.
“Is everything all right?” my mother asked. “Do you know these men, Halloween?”
I hesitated, but knew I’d have to tell her the truth. “They are both bed-and-breakfast guests.”
Her expression said it all. “Oh, was the breakfast bad?” she asked the men.
I hardly thought they were fighting because of my burnt pancakes. They were bad, but not that bad.
“The breakfast was good,” Nicolas offered with a smile.
Apparently, my mother wasn’t immune to his good looks because she smiled in return.
Liam, not to be outdone, said, “The food was delicious, ma’am.”
My mother blushed and widened her grin. She was enjoying the attention.
“This is my mother, Annette.” I gestured toward my mother. She’d stopped blushing, but interest in the men hadn’t waned.
“If both of you aren’t happy with each other, I can change your rooms so that you’re farther apart. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can do.” I tried to disguise my annoyance.
Nicolas remained quiet. I supposed he wasn’t going to give me a straight answer, just vague hints about how he didn’t trust the guy.
The same went for Liam. All he could offer was a lame excuse that he thought Nicolas was talking badly about him when he supposedly didn’t even know him. I had to get to the bottom of this. There had to be a way to find out who these men were and why they’d popped into my life.
Without saying another word, Liam stormed out of the store. Would he leave LaVeau Manor after this heated exchange? That would probably be for the best, even if I needed the cash. The men had issues that I didn’t want to deal with.
I looked at Nicolas. “Maybe it’s better if you leave. I can speak with you later. I need to help my mother now.”
Nicolas reached out and touched my hand. I sucked in a quick breath. My body tingled, although I tried to will away the feeling. Why did the simple touch of his hand against mine feel so intimate? Why did his spicy scent send shivers across my body? He smelled of rich woods and sweet musk. Years of working at my mother’s shop had fine-tuned my sense of smell. Every time Nicolas looked at me it was as if he couldn’t take his gaze off me… and as much as I tried to deny it, the feeling was mutual. But maybe I was just imagining things. After all, I hadn’t slept much. And that weird sensation from the book was playing tricks on my mind.
“Please be careful,” Nicolas said.
“I’m always careful,” I said.
“When will you return to the manor?” he asked.
I looked at my mother.
“I’ll need your help all morning,” she said.
It was completely up to her and how much help she needed today. It was like I was sixteen again and asking my mother if I could date boys all over again. Except this was definitely not romantic. It was strictly business.
I looked at my watch. “I’ll be here until at least after lunchtime.”
“I’ll see you then.” He paused and smiled, then walked out the door.
“Well, what was that all about? I’ve never felt that much tension in the air. There was some kind of magic going on.” My mother waved her hands through the air as if trying to shoo the magic away.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“Didn’t you feel it?” she asked with a tint of anxiety in her voice.
“I may have felt something.”
She let out a heavy sigh, not hiding her disappointment.
I didn’t want to tell her that I’d felt a lot of heaviness since I’d discovered that book. It was almost like I’d unleashed something when I’d opened its cover. Had something happened with the spell last night, bringing these men to LaVeau Manor?
“Where did these men come from?” She stirred her latest concoction.
There was no way I was going to tell her they had just shown up. I’d tell her that they’d booked the nights well in advance.
“They had reservations. I believe they have business in the area.” I moved items around, pretending to be busy.
She raised a suspicious eyebrow. “I worry about you. Maybe having a bed-and-breakfast isn’t such a good idea.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said as placed the soaps in their designated spots on the shelf. “It’s just part of the business.”
She should know running your own business wasn’t easy. You had to deal with a lot of things that you wouldn’t normally want to handle. This just happened to be one of them.
“I don’t think they’ll stay long,” I offered, trying to make her feel better.
It was a lose-lose situation though. My comment showed her that she wouldn’t have to worry about the guests for long, but also that I wouldn’t have income coming from the bed-and-breakfast for long either.
I found it difficult to concentrate for the rest of the morning. My thoughts were consumed by the men and what was happening at LaVeau Manor. Would Annabelle want to stay over until they left? Who was I kidding? She could barely set foot in the place, much less spend the night. I didn’t want to push her. She was doing well to put her phobia aside and come into the place.
Finally the clock hit twelve and I grabbed my purse. “I have a ton of work at the manor. I’d better go.” It wasn’t a lie. I did have a ton of work. I had to find out what my guests were up to.
“Just be careful,” she said as her one painted-on eyebrow slanted into a frown.
“You know I will.” I waved cheerfully as I walked out the door. There was no need to let on to my apprehension.
I climbed in my car and headed straight for the manor. My mind was filled with trepidation. Part of me was afraid of what might be going on, but another part of me felt exhilarated and e
xcited.
Pebbles crunched under the weight of my tires as I pulled down the driveway. Every time I saw the manor I felt small and insignificant under its shadow. Liam’s car wasn’t parked in front and neither was Nicolas’. Was Nicolas really having his car repaired? Maybe that had all been a lie? Maybe they’d both checked out. That would be for the best if they did. I didn’t like drama in my life. I had enough to worry about with my substandard witchcraft.
When I stepped into the manor, the only sound came from the faint tick-tock of the grandfather clock. It was like the silence that flooded a church after Sunday service. The cat meowed softly at my feet, voicing his displeasure with me. I had to know if the men were still there. They hadn’t left their keys on the table. I placed the roses on the hall table and made my way up the stairs, pausing when I reached the landing. I took in a deep breath, turned the corner and headed for Nicolas’ room. I wouldn’t look in the room if it was locked of course. If the door was still locked I’d know that he was still there. But if the door was open, I’d take a tiny little peek to see if his bag was still there.
I tiptoed down the hallway, trying to keep the floorboards from announcing my arrival. When I reached Nicholas’ door, it was standing open. My heart sank. If he was staying, he probably would have locked the door when he left.
With my foot, I pushed the door open even further. I could say that I’d accidentally kicked it with my foot. That wasn’t snooping, right? It was just an accident. The bed had been made… okay, it was made as well as any typical guy would make it. He’d done a fairly decent job though.
My heart beat faster as I stepped into the room. What was I worried about? I owned the place. But I had rented a room to this man. I shouldn’t be snooping. I would tell him that I came to straighten up his bed if he happened to show up. If I’d been thinking clearly, I would have brought extra towels for him.
I stepped into the space and looked around. Where was Nicolas’ bag? Finally I spotted it to my left, sitting on the floor. My heart did a little dance. Why was I so excited? I needed to get a hold of myself. He was a customer and that was all. My thoughts floated to Liam. Was he still here? And again what did I care? He was just as mysterious as Nicolas. Unfortunately, I was intrigued by both of them.
I stepped over to the bag. Did I dare look inside? No, it wouldn’t be right. It was definitely the wrong thing to do. No matter how much I wanted to know about him. Besides, how much would I really learn just by looking in the bag? Whether he was a boxer or briefs fan? Intriguing as that might be, I would have to leave it to my imagination.
When I glanced to my left, I spotted papers on top of the bureau. I guessed if I happened to look down while walking by them that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It wouldn’t be my fault if I happened to see something. Maybe the papers would be a clue as to what type of business Mr. Marcos was in town for. I stepped over to the dresser.
“Did you lose something?” the male voice said from very near behind me.