“You want to do this now? Can’t we talk about this later?” Gillian didn’t relish the idea of being ordered around by him, but just in case it was some sort of safety issue, she was forced to agree.
He pressed his hand on the wall right above her head and bent closer. His warm breath fanned her cheek and sent her heart racing. “Clearly, this isn’t only about Brooke. What else is bothering you? I’ve always wanted to know why you seemed to hate me.”
“I don’t think this is the time or the place.” She looked away, refusing to meet his scrutinizing gaze. Somewhere along the way, the lines between fantasy and reality became blurred. She didn’t want him to see how much he affected her.
His thumb caressed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “Talk to me, Gillian.” The way he said her name made her breaths come out in short, little puffs.
Gillian tapped her foot, not wanting to get into all of this right now. “You don’t owe me anything, Garrett. This is a fake relationship. We barely tolerated each other up until a few days ago.” The moment the words fell from her lips, she could practically feel the past rise up thick and heavy like a thunder cloud at a picnic. She motioned between them. “Is this some kind of interrogation technique?” He must’ve heard the sound of her heart. It pounded so hard and fast.
“Not one I typically use. Why? Is it working?” He pinned her with a gaze so dark, she felt it down to her toes.
Could he be using this whole fake relationship thing to get close to her? The thought made her chest ache. “Fine, you want the truth? A few months back, right after the investigation on the coven, I auditioned for a slot at a local radio station but I didn’t get the job.”
“I’m sorry. Whoever it was that didn’t hire you is an idiot. I heard your podcast. It’s fresh and entertaining.” His eyes softened in the darkness. “But I’m not following. What does the radio job have to do with me?”
“Not long after the audition, I saw you at the bank talking to the mayor. His brother is the station manager.” She shifted nervously on her feet. “When you both looked my way, I sensed that you were talking about me. Don’t try and deny it, Garrett.”
“You’re right. We were talking about you, but not in the way you think.” His gaze narrowed. “Let me get this straight, you assumed I told him that you were suspected of criminal activity? You think I’d ruin your chances at a job out of spite?”
When he put it like that, it sounded horrible, but at the time, she’d been so sure. “Garrett—”
“It explains your animosity toward me, but it’s not true, never happened. For the record, I’d never do something like that to you.” His face hardened a fraction, and his eyes flared with indignation. Goddess help her, he was telling the truth.
A moment passed and then another with neither of them saying a word. She’d been carrying around this misplaced grudge all this time when she could’ve been getting to know him better. Her sense of self-righteousness deflated faster than a pin popping a helium balloon. “I’m such an idiot. I misjudged you. I was wrong.”
He ran a hand over his mouth. “Why didn’t you say something all those months ago, right after it happened?”
“What was I supposed to do, march into the police station and accuse you of something I had no actual proof of, especially when I had at least five unpaid parking tickets stuffed in my glove box?” She cracked a smile. “I don’t think it would’ve gone over very well.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “True. Although I think I might be able to help you out with those tickets.” He brushed a stray hair off her face, and every nerve ending in her body came to life. “The question remains, where does this leave us going forward?” His voice took on a husky tone, making it clear he wasn’t only talking about the investigation.
“I can’t think about anything until Brooke’s found, but I do want to let the past go. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Apology accepted. I’m glad we finally cleared that up. I think we just had our first fight.” He placed a hand on her hip, and goosebumps broke out along her skin. “I believe this is the part where we kiss and make up.”
His gaze turned scorching hot. He moved his other hand from the wall to the nape of her neck and leaned closer, his lips a breath away. She closed her eyes in anticipation, ready to melt on the spot, when the thunder of a loud engine that could be heard halfway around the block made her jump, breaking the spell.
Garrett took a step back and cursed under his breath. “That would be Teague. His car has a very distinctive sound. We should probably go inside.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” After their near kiss, Gillian needed a drink and a moment to compose herself before they faced their friends.
He motioned for her to walk ahead of him, and she wondered if he wanted to check out her ass. By the time they made it back to Amanda’s, a bright orange car with black stripes sat idling at the curb.
Natalya stood at the front, guarding the door. “Good evening. You two look great together,” she said with a wink. “I’ve been checking everyone’s name to make sure they’re on the guest list. Backup is meeting me here just in case.”
“We should be in good shape,” Garrett said, glancing over his shoulder before turning back around. “Lawrence would be foolish to send some of his thugs into a room full of supernaturals, but better to be prepared if he does.”
A car door slammed. Gillian turned to see Cayden Teague step out of the noisy muscle car. She wondered how he managed to fit his enormous body into the front seat. Dressed in a navy suit jacket, torn jeans, a Metallica concert t-shirt, and black Converse, he held a bottle of Moet Chandon in his hand. His taste in clothing might be eclectic, but his champagne choice was classic.
He waved, and except for the short, spikey blond hair and gray horns, he looked like Chris Hemsworth’s doppelganger. “Good night for a party, huh?” Cayden walked over and shook hands with Garrett and gave her a quick hug.
“Are you running a 340, 4-barrel under the hood?” Garrett gazed at the car in awe, a wide smile spread across his handsome face. Gillian immediately tuned out, not up on any sort of car lingo.
“I restored her a few years back,” Cayden said with a note of pride.
Natalya turned to Gillian and rolled her eyes. “I’ve always wondered if men who drive fast cars are trying to overcompensate for something.”
The two women burst into laughter.
Cayden walked over to where Natalya stood and scowled. “Funny, I’ve never had any complaints over the last few hundred years, but any time you want to find out for sure, you let me know, Detective Dubrosky.”
“You really do have the most over-inflated ego.” Natalya threw him a scornful glare.
“I think that’s our cue to join the party.” Garrett grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Gillian glanced down at their joined hands and a shiver slid through her.
“What’s the deal with those two?” Gillian whispered to Garrett once they were out of earshot.
“Long story.”
They walked through the door and right up to the bar. The restaurant gave off a classy, warm vibe. Instrumental jazz music played softly in the background. From the sounds of chatter and boisterous laughter, the party was in full swing. She wasn’t sure who’d they run into first, and a stream of hot anticipation coursed through Gillian’s veins as her gaze darted around the bar. She didn’t recognize anyone, and it made her tense. Could one of these males be an attacker sent for her? She was still skittish from earlier. She reminded herself that the room was filled with cops and agents; she would be safe.
Tilting her head to the side, she took in her surroundings. Candlelight cast a glow in the dimly lit backdrop of silver and white balloons. Fairy lights twinkled from the ceiling, adding to the romantic ambiance.
Gillian placed her bag on a gleaming, mahogany bar and picked up a matchbook with Willow and Alex’s name across the front. Her heart tugged. Will
ow had been through so much in her life and somehow managed to come through the other side, finding love and happiness with a great guy. Gillian wondered if the same would ever be true for her. This whole fake relationship made her head pound with overload, especially now that she knew the truth about Garrett. Did she screw up any chance at having something real with him? Her thoughts spun in a million directions.
“What would you like to drink?” Garrett asked, breaking into her musings. He rested a hand on the small of her back, and warmth seared through the fabric of her dress.
“I’d love a glass of Chardonnay.” A few minutes later, the bartender poured her a glass and set it on a silver cocktail napkin.
“I see someone I need to have a word with about the op. I’ll only be a few steps away, keeping a close eye on you and so will Teague. Excuse me,” he whispered against her ear. After he pressed a kiss to her temple, he walked to the end of the bar with a glass of scotch in hand. The affectionate gesture shouldn’t have made her flush, but somehow it did, even if this was all for show.
Glancing at the door, she was disappointed to find there was still no sign of her friends. It was time to go in search of them, and if nothing else, find the bride to be. Gillian took a long gulp of wine, hoping for some liquid courage, when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Gillian?”
She whirled around to find Ellen, the high priestess of her coven standing in front of her.
“You’re back?” She pulled the petite woman into a giant hug, and after a few seconds, Gillian broke away, not able to believe she was here in the flesh. “I thought you were still on your cruise with Commander Smith.”
“How many times have I told you to call him David? We flew back early. I wouldn’t miss this day for the world.” Ellen wore her flaming red hair in a pixie cut, accentuating enviable cheekbones. She was clad in a long, strapless black sheath dress that showed off her tan and some of her ink. Much like Alex and Willow, she and David had met last year when a serial killer targeted the coven. Despite the gruesome circumstances, they managed to fall head over heels in love.
The memory made Gillian long for a happily ever after. Why couldn’t it have been that easy for her? Well, maybe because she tended to screw things up in that department.
“I’m so glad you’re here. How was the Bahamas?
“The Bahamas are beautiful, and very romantic, especially for new relationship beginnings. Is it true about you and Detective Mulroney? Where is he?”
“He's talking to David.” Gillian pointed to the other end of the bar where Garrett stood amongst a sea of males, some even taller and broader than him. Cayden leaned on one side of the bar, and David, a distinguished-looking demon with reddish skin, jet black horns, and thick, grey hair, stood on the other.
“I can’t say I blame you. Mulroney is a God. You two getting together doesn’t surprise me one bit. I suspected as much the way he was always checking you out and sniffing around the coven.”
Gillian tried to play it off, but the words made her skin flush. “On that note, I think I’m going to find the bride to be.” She’d been wrong about Garrett on so many levels. Could she have missed his interest in her as well? “Do you want to come with me?”
“You go ahead.” Ellen smiled. “I’ll be along in a minute. There are some things I’d like to say to the handsome detective.”
“Promise you’ll go easy on him. Saje already took her shots when he stopped by the shop.”
“I only want the best for you, Gillian. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.” Descended from a bloodline of hereditary born witches, Ellen knew how to create fire at will, which she used for divination and spell casting. But it also made her a force in high heels that few would mess with. “Besides, you’re the closest thing I have to a daughter.”
The words made Gillian blink back tears. Ellen had been a mother figure to her after her mom passed away. Despite their differences over the years, it was a relationship she treasured.
Before she smeared her freshly applied make-up, she headed into the dining room and bit back a gasp. Silver and white tablecloths, floating candles, and small vases of white roses adorned the tables. Crystal chandeliers glittered brightly overhead, their prisms picking up the glow from the fire sparking in an elegant brick fireplace.
Through the corner of her eye, Gillian spotted Willow and Alex talking to two men that were the spitting image of the striking special agent. Both stood over six feet tall with wavy, black hair, olive skin, and dark eyes. She’d heard about Alex’s good-looking single brothers. Ordinarily, she would've gone over to flirt, but now all she could think about was Garrett and the possibility that this thing with him could lead to something real.
“Congratulations.” Gillian walked up and kissed Willow on both cheeks. She went to do the same to Alex, and he pulled her into a bear hug.
Last year at this time, Willow had been fatally injured after a blast from a demon fireball. Gillian, along with the other witches from their coven, had used an ancient form of magick to bring her back from the other side. Now she was about to start her new life with the man she loved. Envious as she was, Gillian could think of no witch who deserved it more.
“You made it,” Willow said with a wide, beaming smile.
She looked stunning with her reddish hair pulled back in a side-swept knot. She wore a cream-colored, figure-hugging dress, and a gleaming sapphire ring on her finger. Thankfully, she also looked distracted. Gillian hoped she didn’t pick up on the churning worry in her gut.
Gillian motioned around the room. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything. It’s good to see you. I can’t remember the last time we worked together.”
While planning her dream wedding, Willow had taken some much needed time off from the store. Now she spent her days working with troubled teens at the youth organization she and Alex had founded, Hope House.
“Are you here with Garrett?” Willow asked, curiosity lacing her voice. “I hear you two are a thing.”
She nodded. “We came together, but after Ellen gets done grilling him, I’m sure he’ll be looking to make a hasty escape,” she said, forcing a chuckle. Too bad it sounded fake. Once again those pangs of guilt came rushing back, only tenfold. Tonight she’d be forced to lie to her friends, but it was for their safety, she reasoned.
“So it’s true?”
Gillian turned to the familiar-sounding female voice. Delilah, one of her coven mates, made a grand entrance in a short aquamarine cocktail dress that matched her eyes. She wore her blonde hair piled on top of her head. “You’ve completely ghosted us, Gillian. Do you expect us to believe this thing between you and Mulroney is real?”
Moving on shaking legs, Gillian took a step closer, her lips twisted into a smile. She told her friends everything, especially when it came to men, which made the whole Garrett thing totally out of character for her. But she had to sound convincing, not just for the sake of the investigation and Brooke, but for their safety as well.
“Good evening to you too.” Gillian squared her shoulders, put a hand on her hip, and pretended to be offended.
The overhead chandelier shook as sparks of magick lingered in the air, vibrating with the power of witches. The rest of her coven mates, Nadia, Arabella, and Belinda strode into the party like they owned the place. Dressed from head to toe in tight, black dresses, their eyes darted in her direction as they crossed the room.
She stole a glance over at Garrett, whose eyes warmed when they locked on hers. She only wished he could be at her side, helping her face them, but she understood the need to work on his cover for the Brotherhood. “I’m sorry for not telling all of you myself, but let’s face it; you guys are a lot to take in. This relationship is still very new. I didn’t want you scaring him off. And, what can I say? The line between love and hate is but a pendulum swing.”
Delilah smirked. “I think the real question is how does Mulroney’s pendulum swing?”
All the girls laughed.
“How’s the sex?” asked Arabella with a wicked smile.
“What’s it like to play house with a vampire?” Nadia chimed in. “Are his fangs sharp?”
Belinda crossed her arms over her chest. “You could’ve trusted us to have your back and not judge your decision.”
Gillian supposed it was time to give up the goods, but she hated to lie. “We wanted to see where things went before we announced it to everyone.”
Saje walked into the dining room looking dressed to kill in a black tuxedo jacket and matching pants. Her expression brimmed with confidence, draining some of the tension away. Backup had arrived.
“I can sense the conflict in the air,” Saje said, gesturing around the room. “What gives? This is supposed to be a party.”
Belinda held up a hand and her bracelets jingled together. “Hold on, we just wanted to hear about Gillian’s new man.”
A giggle came from Arabella. “And the sex! We’re there’s conflict, there’s passion. ”
Groaning, Gillian gave Saje a pleading look. “Can I talk to you for a second, like now?” She angled her head toward the exit.
Saje linked an arm through hers, and they walked out of the dining room and into an empty banquet room. Gillian shut the door and let out an exaggerated breath.
“It looked like the Colosseum in there and you were about to be devoured by a pack of lionesses.” Saje sat down in a chair. “Nick refuses to tell me anything, but I sense something big is about to go down. He’s glued to his computer, and he’s always on the phone. I noticed a bag packed at the top of his closet in case he needs to go out of town in a hurry. It’s either the case, or there’s another woman.”
Gillian shook her head. “Not a chance. Nick’s crazy about you.”
“Hopefully you’re right,” Saje said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent. Any news on Brooke?”
“Funny you should ask.” Gillian began to pace. “The vampire who attacked me talked, and now, Garrett’s convinced he’ll be able to find her. What I need to know from you is if you found anything in one of the Grimoires to break a blood bond.”
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