Were her parents expecting company? She slowly approached the door and glanced through the keyhole.
A choked gasp scraped her throat.
Two men with brooding expressions waited outside the door. Dark magic slithered around them and bounced against the walls. The loan sharks had come for her. They’d told her she had three months.
Larry and Erwin meant only one thing: whatever time she thought she had was officially up.
A million reactions came to mind, but Tessa stood there instead, fighting to slow her fast-beating heart.
“Answer the door,” her dad grunted. “My blood sugar is getting low just waiting for you.”
She couldn’t just ignore the loan sharks.
Her fingers settled on the doorknob, only to give her a moment to collect her scattered thoughts before she opened the door. With a straight back she looked them in the eye. No matter what kind of warlocks they were—this was her domain—her home. They’d better respect it.
She hoped.
“Tessa?” one of them asked.
“Can I help you?” She could’ve said hundreds of things like, “Could we do this another time?” to “We have enough food for six people. Want to eat?” But she knew very well what the heck was going on so avoiding the overflowing cauldron wouldn’t change a damn thing.
“We have some business to settle with you,” the first man said. “Can we come in?”
“Yes.”
She moved out of the way and the warlocks strolled into her living room. They didn’t sit or join her parents in the kitchen. Thank goodness.
The first warlock, dressed in a black suit, eyed everyone with a pale face that could best be described as expressionless. He simply looked around, taking it all in as if something bad would leap from behind Tessa’s couch and tackle him.
The second warlock, also in black, had a mighty kung-fu grip on a wand strapped to his belt. Between the two, he appeared more badass. The guy had a baldhead and impossibly wide shoulders. Even his rear end had an intimidating girth.
“I don’t have any money,” Tessa said. Why not get to the point?
“Tessa?”
All three of them turned to see Tessa’s mom and dad standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. Her mom’s frown was disheartening.
“What’s going on here, Tessa?” Her father crossed his arms.
Tessa’s stomach clenched painfully. Things just couldn’t get any worse.
Naturally, the door knocked again. Everyone’s heads turned toward the sound.
“I don’t want to repeat myself again. Tessa, what are they doing here?” her mother hissed at her.
Reluctantly, Tessa opened the door. New dinner guests shouldn’t be a surprise anymore.
It was Rob. He wore a cocky grin and had a bouquet of roses. She tilted her chin toward the heavens.
Somebody kill me now.
“I thought I’d surprise you with these. Especially since you say I don’t know how—” His voice trailed off as they heard her mother began to question the loan sharks.
“My daughter owes you what?” her mom spat.
“This is kind of a bad time.” Tessa held the door open to the tiniest crack.
Rob’s lips formed a straight line. He pushed against the door, but Tessa didn’t budge.
“Could you come back?” she begged. Trouble and Rob seemed to be constant dance partners.
“Out of the way, Tee.” Tessa expected his words to be coarse, but this time they were gentle.
“You promise to behave?”
He nodded and offered his hand. It seemed innocent enough.
Tessa’s mother still wasn’t done yet. “When my daughter gets back in here, there might be nothing left for you after I get done with her.”
“We don’t mind waiting,” said the quiet, baldheaded one in a creepy way. “This is rather fun.”
Tessa returned with Rob into the living room and wished a black hole would appear to swallow everyone. “Mom, calm down. I needed some money for operating expenses. Larry and Erwin are here to check up on me. They’re expecting payment in a few months.”
“We’ve been told your time had to be reduced,” Larry said.
Tessa avoided her parents’ face. “The truth is I have nothing to give you. My Smythe Scroll is missing and if I don’t find it, I won’t be able to pay anyone back.”
Her mom gaped her, mouth open wide. “What?”
Even her dad mimicked her mom’s shocked expression.
“There is no money to give.” To say those words made her stomach ache even more.
Rob’s jaw twitched then he turned to Larry and Irwin. “I think you’ve had your say. It’s time for you gentlemen to leave now.”
She closed her eyes, tried to think of anything she could do. All she had was $300 in the apartment. And all of it was a ten-dollar bill here, a twenty there—a far cry from the thousands that were necessary.
Why did this shameful thing have to happen in front of her parents? And Rob, too.
Dad spoke up. “I think you gentlemen should do as this man says and leave.”
The pale one flexed his long fingers as magic gathered around him, sending a strong haze of cinnamon into the air. “We’d been told to collect what is ours from her.”
Rob cocked a grin. “You come try to take the money and see what happens.”
The larger warlock laughed. Rob’s hand drifted toward his satchel. “You’ll never outdraw me in a fight with your little man-purse there.”
Everything happened too fast. Black wands materialized in the warlocks’ hands and Rob’s hand slipped into his satchel. From a pocket he pulled out a white wand.
Tessa’s mom jumped back, apparently dumbfounded that things had progressed this badly.
Her father though, had other things in mind.
“You guys take an American Express check?”
Ten minutes later, four people, her parents, Rob and herself, sat at Tessa’s tiny table.
Even though there was plenty of food to eat, no one really seemed hungry. From under the table, Rob took her hand and gently squeezed it.
“Your name is Rob, right?” her mom asked quietly. “Tessa never told us about you.”
“I see.” Rob kept his gaze focused on her. Almost as if he expected her to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to get in the middle of her mess.” Her mother took a sip of her wine, her hand gripping the handle tight enough to break the stem.
Her dad coughed. He should’ve made some joke about his pending low blood sugar, but he merely scratched his chin.
Rob finally took a bite of his food. The tension in Tessa’s shoulders eased with each of his movements, yet her face still reddened with shame. Rob had told his family about her, but she hadn’t done the same.
“These kinds of things happen to good people,” Rob said. “I hope Tessa does the responsible thing and takes care of her debts.”
“That’s all we can expect,” her dad added.
“Rob, these are my parents, Gertrude and Clark.” Better late than never, right?
Her mother’s eyes formed slits. An unavoidable, private conversation about money was coming in a few days. “I think introductions have already been covered.”
Rob’s grip on her hand tightened. With him staying strong at her side, Tessa thought she was done feeling disappointed. Especially in herself.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Dating Tip #14: Intimacy in a relationship is a natural progression. I highly recommend that two consenting adults establish a relationship so that you don’t ruin things when you realize the spot on the nape of her neck isn’t a mole but a magical goiter that talks back if you poke it.
Rob was silent for several days. Far longer than she’d preferred.
During the time her quiet apartment left her wary, especially after Dagger had left them in Limbo. She got a text message out of the blue: Back in town, want to see u at the diner near Central Park.
A
t first she was irked. Hell, he’d been so supportive back at her apartment when she’d gotten into trouble, but disappearing for days at a time without so much as a phone call was rude. If he was at the hospital or doing work for the military, a short message would’ve been welcomed.
It was rather hard to hate a man like Rob, doubts aside. Especially when he looked so good leaning against the counter. He was chatting with Lindy when she arrived.
The waitress smiled. “Nice to see you again, Tessa.”
“Likewise.” She scanned the busy diner with patrons in all the booths. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“Dinner time is always like this. I have to check my tables.” She kissed Rob’s cheek then whispered something in his ear with sad eyes.
Was something going on with Lindy? Or with Rob?
After leaving, they decided on a movie, but not before she bought another pair of stockings. She’d ripped hers on the way to the diner. Normally, she would’ve gone bare without any, but she didn’t feel the outfit worked without it.
“You don’t need panty hose.”
“Yes, I do. You’re not qualified to make these kinds of decisions.”
“I’m qualified when it means I get easy access without those things in the way.”
“As if that would stop you from tearing through them anyway,” she said with a laugh.
He wrapped his arms around her and dazzled her with a devastating kiss. Right there in the middle of the busy sidewalk as pedestrians walked by. The kiss felt like it never ended, leaving her hungry for the night ahead. She’d never been kissed in public like this. And after an episode like that, she didn’t mind the minute-long show they provided.
“Are you sure you want to go see a movie? We could always practice making one.” His finger ran along her chin, before he planted a kiss on her cheek.
“We have all night and I want to see this movie. Danielle told me Ursula’s been raving about it all week.” She pulled him forward. “We’re almost to the convenience store. I could use some quality time with my boyfriend.”
“So I’m your boyfriend now, huh?” He flashed a grin.
His reply brought a blush to her cheeks and made her bite her lower lip. Was this how real relationships outside of matchmaking went? “Don’t tease me, Rob. I’m serious.”
“I know you are.” He placed a peck on the back of her hand. “I’d like to spend time with my girlfriend, too.”
The convenience store had a few customers. Some of them browsed the liquor aisle for their next fix.
Rob followed her with their hands intertwined. The selection of panty hose in the third aisle wasn’t the best, but a cheap pair would hold her over until he destroyed them back at her place. She grabbed a pair and made a beeline for the cash register. She almost made it. She shouldn’t have passed the candy. With a gentle yank, he pulled her back.
“We can get candy in the theater,” she protested.
“With those prices, I’d rather donate a body part to science.”
She needed to renew her mood with a sappy romantic comedy, and Rob wanted to spend the next two hours scouring the candy rack as if the national security of the US depended on it. The line for the checkout was nonexistent so Tessa left his side and tossed the panty hose on the counter. The tall, lanky clerk with a large nose ring smiled briefly before ringing up the purchase. If Rob didn’t hurry up they wouldn’t make it on time.
The clerk frowned. “It was declined. You got cash?”
Declined? She tapped her fingers on the counter. Remain calm, a simple error. “There has to be some mistake. Could you run it again?”
He tried again and shook his head.
“Here.” She fished in her purse and pulled out her corporate bank card. If this was empty, she’d seriously drop dead in the middle of this convenience store. Especially after the episode with the loan sharks.
An impatient couple behind her with handfuls of chips and beer huffed.
“Sorry,” the clerk said. “No good either.”
Tessa didn’t bother taking the panty hose back. The store faded away as she shuffled to Rob. There had to be a mistake. A bank error. A robbery based on a fake identity attempt. Didn’t she hire an accountant to track her money… She could hardly breathe in air as the realization hit: something had happened to what little money she had left. And now she had nothing.
He turned to her, his hands stuffed with candy bars. He glanced at her empty hands. “You need some cash? I got a few bucks.”
A few bucks and some change was the least of her problems right now.
She glanced at the cash register and froze. A man wearing a skull-cap pulled out a gun and jabbed it at the clerk.
“Open the register and gimme me the money!” the robber spat. The clerk’s arm jerked as he pressed buttons on the register, his eyes never leaving the barrel.
They were a few feet away. Close enough for Tessa to smell the guy’s overpowering aftershave. Her left leg moved back. She was in mid-step when Rob’s hands locked on her waist.
“Don’t,” he warned.
The gun twisted in their direction and her mouth popped open like mailbox. Her heart thundered in her chest. Using magic right now in front of the clerk, robber, and all the patrons wasn’t an option she could risk.
“Don’t even think about moving.” The thief turned to the man frantically grabbing the meager amount of bills in the register. “C’mon, I don’t have all day!” Once the money was stuffed into his pocket, the thief bolted for the door. She expected him to flee, but he stopped in front of them.
Dark eyes flashed to her purse.
He reached out and tried to snatch it from her hands. For some reason, her stupid fingers disobeyed and they locked on the expensive handbag as if it were a precious child. The man’s face contorted in rage as Rob’s voice was heavy and angry against the back of her head. “What the hell are you doing? Give it to him.”
She released the purse as the robber pointed the gun at her shocked face. The handbag fell to the floor. The sound of the released safety echoed in her ears. The instant he tried to fire, Rob shifted behind her, reaching forward with his right hand to touch the barrel.
“No,” Rob whispered.
A surge of power coursed from Rob’s hand like a missile into the robber’s firearm. The burst of magic raced along the gun into the thief.
The snarl on the man’s face faded as his eyes drifted upwards and his body collapsed on the floor. Dumbfounded, the clerk leaned over the counter to see the robber knocked out.
This day wasn’t getting any better.
Rob snatched the purse off the floor and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her out of the store. “Don’t look back and keep moving.”
As they ran from the store, her heartbeat fluctuated from troubled to furiously pounding. One block down the street turned into many. She didn’t even pay attention to the street signs. Anger blanketed her fear as they slowed down to stop at a busy intersection.
His released her wrist touched her face. “You all right?”
“I wish I was.”
Not only had they witnessed a robbery, but her business bank account was empty, too. That only meant one person was behind this.
She tore through the purse, tossing out anything that kept her from finding her phone. Her hands trembled as she flipped it open. She should’ve called 911. Her aunt was gonna need an ambulance after she was done with her.
Rob turned to her with a frown. “Tessa, what’s wrong?”
Her mouth struggled to form words. “That vindictive…” Aunt Daisy.
When the light turned green, Tessa darted across the street and dialed the number for the twenty-four hour line for her corporate bank account. As the electronic voice gave her balance—a negative one—her heart dropped to the pavement. When she switched to her personal account, she knew what was coming. The blow wasn’t physical, but her gut twisted when she heard the words every person dreads: You have insufficient funds in your accou
nt, please contact customer service to take care of this matter. We thank you for being…
Rob’s phone rang and he stepped to the side to offer her some privacy. She glanced around, not realizing she’d stopped in front of a storefront. Another call needed to be made and she might as well do it right now. She pressed the buttons on her iPhone screen hard enough to hurt her fingertips. Her aunt’s office line rang and rang. She wouldn’t be in, but who knew when bitter family members who stabbed others in the back put in their hours.
Aunt Daisy’s cell phone went to voice mail on the first ring. Her cheerful voice echoed through the phone, sending Tessa spiraling into a pit of fury.
“Daisy Kilburn, whatever did I do to you?” she spat. “Call me tonight. Not tomorrow. We need to resolve this once and for all.” She ended the call. It took every ounce of willpower not to throw her iPhone into the street.
A warm hand touched her shoulder. “What’s going on?” Rob asked.
A tear slid down Tessa’s face. Her voice broke. “The shit’s hit the side of the cauldron pot. I’m broke.”
Twenty minutes later, a text message from Daisy read: In town, meet at the Café Du Monde in Midtown. She was in town? Well, won’t that make the happy family reunion even better?
Rob asked Tessa multiple times if she wanted him to accompany her to meet Aunt Daisy, but she declined his offer with a heavy heart. She wasn’t sure what the outcome would be tonight, but afterwards, she had a feeling her mood would be too sour for anyone to endure. And anyway Tessa might need somebody to bail her out of jail if she got arrested for assault.
Not long after trying to calm down, Tessa walked into Café Du Monde, an upscale coffeehouse. The place resembled a luxury Starbucks for clientele that desired cups of coffee from organic farms in exotic locations. A rather nice place to visit, but not in her current mood.
Tessa spotted her aunt at a booth reading a Danielle Steel novel. It was rather hard to miss her—she wore a wrinkled sundress that was two sizes too big and a misshaped hat to cover her over-processed curly blonde hair.
After she slid into the booth, a waiter stepped up to the table to take her order.
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