Thanks to the spell, Fred’s prints sparkled a bright purple. To a normal person passing by, they would look no different. Another paranormal was unlikely to be able to see the glow even if looking for it. I wasn’t worried about being discovered.
Once under the blanket of the trees I increased the power fueling the spell. Fred’s footprints were distinct, and I followed. I wasn’t worried about losing my way. I could just as easily follow the prints back.
I picked up my pace and jogged, the blood rushing through my ears as I allowed the spell to take over. My mind was a blank, the trees a blur as I moved. I ran for a long time. My strained calves told me a decent amount of time had passed when I reached the end of the line.
I had no idea where I was. The building to my right – a sagging two-story barn – was past its prime. I bent at the waist to catch my breath, my nostrils flaring when a distinct scent assailed my olfactory senses.
Blood.
I jerked up my head and glanced around, my heart continuing to pound, but this time for a different reason. The drumbeat eventually settled, leaving me with nothing but the faint rustle of leaves and a light wind brushing against my cheeks.
And the blood. I could definitely smell it.
I swiveled in a circle as I searched for the source. I had no idea who the blood belonged to, if it was even human, but it was too much of a coincidence to ignore. Fred was definitely here. Did he leave? Probably not of his own volition. My senses told me he’d met his end here and then was transported to the spot behind the library.
I needed more than that. I needed evidence.
“Well, well, well.” A voice sparked from the spot to my left. I recognized it.
My gaze was sour when I slowly turned to find Flint standing amidst the foliage. He wasn’t exposed – or open to attack – if I wished to unleash my magic on him. It was as if he’d purposely put a tree between us.
“This must be my lucky day,” I drawled, raising a hand and freezing Drake in his tracks with a small burst of magic. It wasn’t that I sensed him as much as I understood that Flint wasn’t brave enough to risk meeting me in the woods without backup. “I just keep running into you guys over and over.”
Flint’s eyes went wide when he realized his friend wasn’t moving. “What did you do to him?” He peered around the tree, concern settling into lines at the corners of his eyes. “Is he … dead?”
I laughed at the suggestion. “No. He could be. Is that what you want?”
“No.” Slowly, Flint shook his head and stepped away from the tree. I could almost smell his fear, but the realization that his buddy hadn’t been frozen for all eternity seemed to embolden him. “What are you doing out here?”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
“I asked first.”
Flint laughed, delighted. “You’re feisty.” He wiggled his hips in a sexually inappropriate way. “Have I mentioned I love feisty women?”
I didn’t change my expression. “Did I mention I would rather rip your tongue out than talk to you for another second?” I smirked at his visible gulp. “You guys are starting to be real pains. I mean … you have no idea the things I want to do to you. For the record, I felt that way before Fred turned up dead behind the library, but your actions today are really ramping up my animosity.”
Flint was back to acting innocent. “What does that have to do with us?”
“Oh, please don’t insult my intelligence.” I shook my head. “Fred showed up right before you last night. He disappeared into the woods, drawing Gunner away. I’m guessing that was the plan all along so you guys could get me alone.”
I slid my eyes to Drake and found him still as stone. He was completely frozen, except for his eyes, which roamed back and forth as he desperately tried to break free.
“You’re going to give yourself an aneurysm,” I warned. “You can’t break the spell. I’ll release you as soon as I’m done talking to your buddy here. Not a moment before. I don’t particularly trust people who try to sneak up on me in the middle of the woods.”
“That’s not what we were doing,” Flint protested, outrage on full display. “We just happened to be walking and stumbled across your path.”
What a load of crap. “In opposite directions?”
“I … .” He trailed off. I clearly had him.
“It doesn’t matter what you say,” I offered. “I won’t believe you. This game you’re playing of showing up everywhere I go and acting as if it’s a coincidence, it’s getting old.”
“What makes you think we even care about you?” Flint shot back, causing Drake to emit a muffled groan.
Hmm. That was interesting. “If you’re not interested in me, that means you’re chasing Gunner.” That was easy enough to deduce … and it sort of made sense. “Of course, you could be messing with both of us. It hardly matters.”
I decided to take the conversation by the horns, so to speak. “I’m sick of seeing you guys around,” I continued. “I mean … so sick. I’m done dealing with it. I have other things to worry about … including solving Fred’s murder. And, make no mistake, I will solve his murder.”
I took several steps back, waiting until I was behind Drake to release the spell. I was feeling a bit mean so I added some extra oomph, causing him to pitch forward and hit the ground face first. It took everything I had not to laugh. Flint didn’t even bother trying to swallow his mirth.
“Oh, that’s hilarious.” He slapped his hand against his thigh as he belted out a hearty guffaw.
For his part, Drake was clearly furious. He rolled until he was facing me, steadfastly refusing to wipe the dirt from his cheek. “I hardly think that was necessary.”
I hunkered down so we were eye to eye. “Don’t try sneaking up on me again. I can do much worse.”
“We weren’t going to hurt you,” Flint shot back. “We were just … curious. You’re obviously more than a witch.”
“I am,” I agreed, rolling my neck and standing. “I’m more than you boys can handle. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can take me. Better men have tried … and failed.”
“We’re not afraid of you,” Flint challenged. “I think you’re all talk.”
“You would be wrong, but go ahead and test me again. You’ll be getting the business end of the spell next time. I have a specific one in mind for you. I can’t wait to unleash it.”
Flint’s face drained of color. “I … we weren’t doing anything!”
He always went back to proclaiming his innocence, but he was a terrible liar.
“Stay away from me,” I warned, heading back in the direction I’d come from. “If anyone else dies in Hawthorne Hollow, I’ll be coming after you. You’ve been warned.”
“Don’t you need evidence to accuse us of something like that?” Drake challenged.
“I have evidence.”
“How could you?”
“As your friend said, I’m not a normal witch. Be careful. You’ve pushed me about as far as I’m going to let you.” With those words, I strolled into the trees. I didn’t look back. It was cooler not to look back.
Nine
I was feeling okay when I returned to my cabin. A show of power as means to boost my mood wasn’t always a good thing. In this particular case, though, it made me feel better.
Flint was big on false bravado, but he couldn’t hide his fear. As for Drake, I sensed more anger from him than fear. He was the real power, so I found his response interesting.
I knew the blood I’d scented in the clearing would have to be checked a second time, but it wasn’t going to happen with witnesses present so I put it out of my mind ... at least for now. It might make more sense to send another member of the team out because Drake and Flint were apparently obsessed with following me. It was logical ... and yet I hated ceding control.
I was surprised to find Gunner sitting on the front porch when I pulled into the driveway. I probably shouldn’t have been — he had an unerring ability to
show up when he felt I might need a sounding board — but the fact that he’d let himself into the cabin to collect Merlin to keep him company grated.
“Hey.” His smile was hard and flat as I yanked off my helmet. “I expected to find you hiding under the covers.”
The statement only served to further agitate me. “I don’t hide under the covers.”
“Perhaps that was a poor choice of words.”
“Perhaps,” I agreed, stomping up the steps. Merlin, who appeared to be in ecstasy thanks to Gunner’s clever fingers stroking him, gave me an odd look. “Traitor,” I muttered, earning a full-fledged smile from Gunner. “Don’t you think it’s rude to let yourself into someone’s home without being invited?”
Gunner shrugged. “I was worried.”
“My bike clearly wasn’t here.”
“No, but I wanted to make sure your things still were.”
That’s when the true root of his fear hit me. “You thought I was going to run.”
“I assumed that you would be upset because you’re a suspect in a murder,” he clarified. “Anyone would be. There’s no shame in it.”
“This is hardly the first time I’ve been a suspect in a murder. It goes with the territory. I wasn’t upset about that.”
He pursed his lips. “You’ve been a suspect in a murder before?”
“We don’t always work with the cops in Detroit,” I reminded him. “We often have to work around them. That means we’re noticed at scenes and sometimes our curiosity isn’t exactly welcome.”
“Ah.” He nodded in understanding. “We have that here occasionally when the state police claim an investigation instead of my father.”
“I’ve never been charged with anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. Well ... I guess I was charged with a mischief offense a time or two when I was a teenager. Nothing serious.”
He laughed. “We all have mischief offenses on our record. It comes with the territory.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Your father arrested you?”
“More than once.”
That made sense given the things Graham said to me. I let out a sigh as I slipped into the chair next to Gunner, the anger I’d been hoarding at his invasion of my property seeping out. I had bigger things to worry about. “If you’re going to yell about me going out ... don’t. I’m not in the mood.”
He slanted an unreadable look in my direction. “Why would I yell?”
“Because you have a loud voice and you’re bossy.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you’re bossy, too.”
“Yes, but I’m bossy in a demure way.”
His warm chuckle washed over me, alleviating some of the tension I was feeling. “You’re definitely demure. That’s the first word I thought of when I met you.”
We both knew that wasn’t true. Our first meeting didn’t exactly go smoothly. Yet, despite that, sparks flew that day. That’s how we ended up here. “I went back to the beach.”
Gunner shifted in his chair and I didn’t miss the glint of agitation in his eyes before he clawed back his emotions. “Did you find anything?”
I was instantly suspicious. I expected him to be angry that I didn’t invite him along for the ride. “You’re really not going to yell?”
“Nope.”
“That doesn’t seem like ... you.”
“I’m pretty sure that yelling is the quickest way to alienate you,” he replied. “It’s possible that’s what you’re looking for because part of you wants a way out of this. I’m not giving you that opportunity.”
“You make me sound like a coward.”
“In this particular instance, you are.” His teeth gleamed as he smiled at my frown. “I don’t blame you. Your background makes it difficult for you to trust. I’m hoping you’ll get over that. Either way, you’re an adult. I’m not your boss. If you feel the need to investigate something, that’s certainly your prerogative.”
I hated that he sounded so reasonable. It made me want to match his tone, unheard of for me. “I needed to think, too,” I admitted. “It’s been a busy morning.”
“And you blame yourself for what happened to Fred.”
“I don’t blame myself. I ... okay, I blame myself a little.” It was hard to admit. I maintained a crusty external shell for a reason. Being vulnerable gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.
“I’m glad you could admit that to me.” He shifted so he was looking directly into my eyes, the kitten cradled against his chest. For some reason, it only made him more appealing. I mean ... who doesn’t find a strong, masculine guy carting around a kitten hot? It was infuriating.
“Apparently I admit all sorts of things to you that I wouldn’t to others under the same circumstances,” I grumbled, causing his grin to widen. “It’s not because you’re special or anything. It’s because ... well ... it’s just because.”
“Uh-huh.” He didn’t look convinced, which only made me feel more of an idiot. “I really am glad you feel you can confide in me.” He was serious. “You need someone to talk to. I like listening because I find you fascinating.”
“I find myself fascinating, too. We have that in common.”
He barked out a laugh. “See. How is that not fascinating?”
“My narcissism?”
“I like to think of it as self-assuredness. And, frankly, there’s nothing sexier than a woman who doesn’t need constant reassurance.” He stared at me for a full minute before sobering. “If you need reassurance, however, I want to be the person who helps you with that, too. You don’t have to be one thing. It’s okay to be many things.
“And I understand that you feel you need to be strong at all times,” he continued, his voice soft. “You were on your own for a long time. You were abandoned and you have no idea why. You have insecurities whether you want to admit it or not. I’ll be here for all of that.”
Ugh. He really was charming. It made following my head all the more difficult. “Have you considered that I might not be good at this?” I challenged, opting to lay all my cards on the table. “I don’t doubt you’d be good for me. What are the odds I’ll be good for you?”
He didn’t back down. “Let me worry about that.”
“But ... .”
“No.” He shook his head, firm. “You’ve already been good for me. My father even mentioned it when I picked a fight with him outside of the health department. And, yes, we got into a huge argument. I think demanding a blood sample was out of line.”
I should’ve seen that coming. “You picked a fight with your father? That’s just ... so unnecessary. I’m not guilty. We have nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, well, I’m willing to place a wager that all the innocent people who still found themselves in prison felt the same way. I would rather not take unnecessary risks.”
He had a point. “Well, it’s done with now. You didn’t need to fight with your father.”
“That wasn’t really my point. I probably wouldn’t have admitted having a fight with my father if I had my druthers. You don’t need to know about that. What he said to me at the time is germane to this conversation.”
“And what was that?”
“He said he was glad to see me putting someone ahead of myself. Ever since my mother ... well, you know the story.”
I nodded to encourage him to continue.
“Ever since that happened, I’ve had a tendency to put myself above everyone.”
I didn’t believe that. “I’ve seen you with your sister. That’s not true.”
“Fine. I care about my sister. As for other people ... I’m like you. I prefer it when it’s easy to walk away. That’s not what I feel here.” He moved his finger between us, causing Merlin to bat at it. “I care enough about you to see where this goes. I need you to do the same.”
“I ... do.” I struggled with my answer. “I’ve always been a runner when my emotions get involved. I can’t help it.”
“And that’s exactly why I broke in
to your cabin. I wanted to make sure you didn’t run, because if you had it would’ve been easier to track you down the sooner I started. Once I saw your stuff — and Merlin — I knew you were still around. If you promise not to run without telling me, I promise not to invade your personal space again. Deal?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth to buy time. “I could just curse the property to keep you out,” I warned. “I’m more than capable of doing that.”
“You could, but you won’t. That would put a damper on our end-of-date kisses, and nobody wants that.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “Fine. I promise not to run.”
“Thank you. I promise not to let myself into your cabin again without an invitation.”
“Great.”
“Good.”
We lapsed into amiable silence. After a few minutes, he reached over and linked his fingers with mine. It was a perfectly sweet moment ... which completely threw me for a loop.
“This is weird,” I said finally, causing him to chuckle.
“Not a hand-holder, huh? You’ll get used to it.”
“I just ... it’s weird.” I craned my neck and glanced around. “You don’t think anyone is watching us, do you?”
“Why would someone be watching us?”
“I have a Peeping Tim ghost.”
“Who only cares if you’re naked. If you want to get naked, I’ll work up the energy to care. Otherwise ... shush.”
“Maybe you should shush.”
“I’m trying to shush and enjoy the moment. You keep talking.”
“I ... .” I forced myself to be quiet and focus on the woods. After another few minutes — which were honestly pure torture for me — I decided to change the subject. “I ran into Drake and Flint again.”
Gunner narrowed his eyes. “Are you kidding me? They were back out at the beach?”
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