She was a young witch, a Conduit, like Violet’s sister Isadora. Her healing magic gave her the perfect temperament for soothing clients as she worked on them. Violet had told me she came highly recommended by Zaire who’d met her at a trade convention.
“Let me help you,” said Sean, already there wiping up the mess and taking the empty cup. “Name’s Blackwater.” I bit back a smile as he dropped his voice a few levels.
“His name is Sean, and he’s underage,” said Violet, offering her hand. “Hi, I’m Violet. We spoke on the phone.”
“Lindsey Farmer.” She nodded and beamed a nervous smile. “So nice to meet you in person.”
“And this is Nico Cruz. My partner.”
Her gaze swiveled back to me. “You’re my boss?” she breathed out in disbelief.
Her pulse triple-timed. Oh, right. It wasn’t my being a werewolf that had her heartbeat racing. She licked her lips nervously and kept darting her gaze away.
“We both are,” said Violet more emphatically.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Cruz,” said Lindsey, beaming a smile at me.
“And you.” I nodded, returning a polite smile.
“Nico, I’ve got this. I’ll give her the tour. You can be on your way.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Violet was trying to get rid of me.
“You sure? I could stay and help out. Show Lindsey how to use the new stencil machine.”
I’d bought the latest high-tech machine for the shop and had trained myself on it first.
“I can show her,” she snapped before haughtily turning away toward the partition. “This way, Lindsey. I’ll show you to your station. You can meet our other artist, Tom, tomorrow,” she continued, walking away.
I ignored Lindsey’s lingering stare as she slowly followed after Violet. My attention was riveted on the perturbed set of my partner’s shoulders. And that fine, perky ass of hers that somehow looked even better when she was irritated or pissed off.
“You need me for anything else?” I asked, pushing her buttons on purpose.
“Nope. You can go,” she called over her shoulder.
“Cool. I’ve got a gig at the Cauldron and want to rest and get cleaned up.”
“You’re in a band?” Lindsey had stopped following Violet, which Violet finally realized, spinning around and propping a hand on her hip.
“Not a band,” she spat like it was a criminal idea. “He plays acoustic guitar at a few spots around town. No big deal.”
“You do?” she asked, all breathy and still focused on me, not Violet who walked back over to her and was growing more annoyed by the second. “I’d love to see you play. I’m free tonight.”
I turned to Violet, enjoying the tension around her eyes as she glared at Lindsey. “Violet, why don’t you bring her to the Cauldron tonight? She’s new in town and could use some friendly faces.”
Violet’s fire-blue eyes snapped to me, then she cleared her throat. “Sure. Sounds good.” Then she turned back toward the stations, all business. “Follow me, Lindsey, and I’ll show you your setup.”
I shook my head as I left through the back hallway that connected to my private courtyard and led to my two-story house. I had no idea why but that entire scene had me smiling. Perhaps it was because underneath all of Violet’s rough handling and no-nonsense attitude toward Lindsey, I detected a tiny spark of jealousy.
If that were true, then maybe the torture wasn’t one-sided. That would be a revelation. There was only one way to find out.
Chapter 4
~VIOLET~
* * *
“This was a bad idea.”
I glanced down at myself as I walked alongside Clara. I’d upgraded my ripped jeans to dark skinny jeans and a blue long-sleeve pullover that hugged my breasts.
“To hang out with your sister? Someone needs an attitude adjustment.” Clara tapped my arm with that all-patient expression, jolting me with her happy juice.
“Not to hang out with you,” I added, moving over so a couple headed in the opposite direction could walk between us. “But to waste a night out when I have receipts to go over from last week’s shipment and new inventory I haven’t even unboxed yet.”
I was making up excuses, and I knew it. I honestly just didn’t like the way Lindsey had ogled Nico like the prime piece of meat that he was. Nor did I like his response to be overly helpful with her settling in.
“Well,” added my twin with infinite patience, “you look very pretty.”
I shook my head on a laugh. “Thanks.” I blew off a strand of my long bangs that had strayed over one eye.
“Now let’s tackle the real issue.”
“Which is?”
“Why don’t you like your new hire?” She flipped her long braid over her shoulder. Clara always let her hair grow out much longer than me, now past the middle of her back.
“I like her fine.”
Clara laughed in that way that screamed liar without her saying a word.
“According to you,” she continued kindly, “she was Zaire’s top recommendation, and you practically begged him to help persuade her to uproot her life in Texas to move here. And now you’re complaining about having to show her a little hospitality on her first night in New Orleans.”
“Damn, C.” I stopped right outside the doors of the Cauldron and faced her, the acoustic strings of Nico’s guitar speaking to me in that intimate way his music always did. “Am I really that much of a heinous troll?”
“Yes.” She beamed, squishing my cheeks between her palms and saying in baby-talk, “But you’re my heinous troll.”
Rolling my eyes, I pushed past her to open the door, unable to hold back my smile. I swear, I wondered sometimes if it was her magic as an Aura—a positive energy pusher and emotion reader—that made her so damn likeable. Or if it was just Clara herself. It was impossible to get angry at her.
“Hey,” I said suddenly, stopping at the entrance before we stepped inside. “Do you still feel like the tattoos are enhancing your Aura ability?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Yes! I swear. The auras are more immediate and the emotions more intense. Even the other day, this sweet old lady came into the shop, looking depressed, said she was looking for a tea to help with stress. Her aura was this super sad gray. I hadn’t even touched her, just thought about zapping her with my happy spell, and it was like a ray of sunshine swept over her, transforming her mood and her aura. That’s never happened before.”
Biting my lip, I studied my sister. “And you really think it was one of the tattoos I gave you?”
She nodded, reaching to open the door. “Sure of it. I felt the tingle along my hip where you put the last tattoo. That was the winner, I know it.”
Feeling a bit happier, I sighed with relief. Especially after having that vision today when I tattooed Nico. It was like my magic was giving me the solution to the wolf problem with a vision of witch sign. I still needed to think on it, but my intuition told me this was good.
Clara had been letting me practice my tattoo charms on her using ultraviolet ink, which was invisible to the naked eye. She didn’t want to be covered in ink, but she’d wanted to help me, so the UV ink was our solution. And thank goodness because I’d had to practice a lot until finally reaching what I believe now was the right spell for an Aura witch.
The pub was pretty packed. Thursday nights were half off imports and our cousins’ beer, Witch’s Brew. Cole and Drew couldn’t make it for the Empress Ink grand opening coming up but said they’d be visiting soon and would be bringing a special new microbrew with them to add to the party.
While I was excited they were coming into town, I also dreaded it. No one could do peer pressure like my cousins and their roommate/business partner, Travis. They lived perpetually in party mode, and my mind was too preoccupied with getting Empress Ink off the ground right now. Somehow, I knew that would be no excuse to them.
Belinda was waiting tables along with my replacement, Finnie, who had been pr
omoted from dishwasher. Finnie was a college kid and easy on the eyes, so he was doing well for himself. I told Jules I’d still work busy weekends and holidays when she needed me. After all, I still owned a sixth of the business.
Jules had congratulated me on my new venture and didn’t once make me feel guilty, but I did anyway. I was devoted to my family, and leaving this place had taken a lot longer than I’d planned.
I wove through the tables to the bar, catching a glimpse of Nico out of the corner of my eye. Fucking hell. That damn man.
His black Henley was pushed up to reveal the tantalizing ink on his forearms, his long fingers strumming wickedly as he sang his own sultry rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” His voice was achingly soulful, which apparently had a direct line to my libido.
And now I realized why I really hadn’t wanted to come tonight. Because Nico at work was distracting. But Nico in his natural habitat—a dimly lit bar where his voice resonated in the air like a dark angel—was temptation incarnate.
Thoughts of the first night we’d met flashed to mind, the kiss he planted between my legs that haunted me in my wettest dreams. There was no question that the man would likely overshadow every lover before and after him if I’d let myself go there, but I was also aware that he was practically family now besides being my business partner.
Whenever I got the urge to say fuck it and jump his bones, I remembered those fateful three cards—Death, Three of Swords, the Tower.
Having magic was a responsibility. If I ignored my magic and did whatever the hell I wanted, I wouldn’t just hurt myself. I could hurt Nico, too. I might be selfish sometimes, but I wasn’t that selfish. The man felt things deeply, and I wasn’t about to subject him to the burning Tower of chaos that would be our relationship if we went there. So I had to be the stronger one in this scenario. I was the psychic.
So I ignored the urge to grab a table right in front of him and swoon like a fan-girly teenager and forced my way to the bar where Lindsey was already waiting, smiling at something Charlie was saying.
Charlie was JJ’s best friend, and also one of mine. JJ had been tending bar for us for years. They were part of our “human” family who knew who and what we were and kept our secrets.
Charlie and JJ were also the kind of best friends who should’ve crossed the friendzone into manland a long ass time ago. But they were stubborn bastards, both pretending they didn’t want to tear each other’s clothes off on a daily basis. Or perhaps JJ was in deep, deep denial.
Sounded a little like me. My gaze instinctively found my own temptation, crooning into the mic with his eyes closed.
Fucksticks! Why was he so hot?
It might be easier to ignore my craving for the man if I didn’t know what his mouth felt like on my pussy. But unfortunately—or actually SUPER fortunately—I did know. That, in addition to everything else, including his perfect hard-jawed, wide-mouthed, green-eyed face made resisting him so much harder.
I was the kind of woman who typically followed my instincts and spontaneous desires, never denying to sit on a pretty face when I wanted to. And let’s be real, Nico had a face worth sitting upon.
But! I couldn’t go there for all the reasons previously discussed. Also, everyone knew it wasn’t smart to mix business with pleasure. I mean, I wasn’t saying I had a magical pussy or anything, but men had been known to stalk me a time or two after a night in my bed.
Sex complicated things. And Empress Ink was my brainchild, my little dream taking flight. It didn’t need complications. It needed simplicity and success. So, there would be no sitting on Nico’s fuckable face.
“Hi, Lindsey.” I greeted her with a warm smile, feeling like an ass for being a bit rude to her earlier in the day. What could I say? I wasn’t fond of her immediately falling in love with Nico. But I couldn’t blame the girl either. “This is my sister, Clara.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.” Lindsey beamed sweetly.
“And you, too,” said Clara, shaking her hand. “Lindsey, I have to tell you this. You have the prettiest pink aura I’ve ever seen.”
“Do I?” Lindsey blinked rapidly at Clara. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
“Definitely. It means you have an optimistic spirit.” Clara sat on a stool next to her while I meandered to the other side of Charlie and leaned on the bar.
“How are you doing, new business owner?” he asked, sipping his Blood Orange Old Fashioned, one of our most popular drinks at the Cauldron.
“Tired.”
“Well, sit up here next to Uncle Charlie and take a load off. Enjoy the scenery.” He put his hand on the crown of my head and twisted it to check out the stage.
“Ugh. Stop, Charlie!”
JJ sidled up with an Old Fashioned for me as well.
“Thanks.” I took a sip. “Hey, tell your bestie to stay out of my sex life.”
“Interesting, because I thought the problem was you had no sex life.” Charlie sipped from the cocktail straw, his blue eyes blinking all sweetly. I wondered if he was taking lessons from Clara.
“Why do I tell you guys anything?”
“I don’t understand what the big deal is.” JJ planted his hands on the bar, arms straight which flexed his biceps nicely. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. “I mean,” JJ continued, “so what if you work together. Scratch that itch and get it over with.”
“Interesting advice coming from you.” I glanced at Charlie, who suddenly had found the ceiling very interesting, then over at Lindsey who was still immersed in conversation with Clara.
“What does that mean?” JJ wore a perpetual scowl. With his broad brow, deep-set eyes, and super masculine jaw beneath his beard, it made him look rather menacing. So opposite of clean-shaven, neat-as-a-pin Charlie. Also, JJ was an idiot.
“Nothing.” I rolled my eyes, noting that Charlie had gone silent. Not the norm for him at all. I promised myself I wouldn’t interfere, so I wouldn’t.
JJ left to serve a customer. Charlie decided to take that moment to stare at me with his stop-kidding-yourself-and-fuck-the-werewolf face.
I shrugged. “It would just make things weird and awkward once it was over.”
Plus, grinning skeletons and stabby swords through hearts and burning towers!
“If you say so. Then again, maybe it would be more than sex.”
I scoffed, turning around to lean back against the bar and face the stage. “You mean, like a relationship?”
He swiveled on his stool to face the room with me. “Foreign concept for you, I realize, but these things do exist.”
Yes, I knew. And I wished he was the one, but that asshole fate had other plans apparently.
“You should take up stand-up comedy, Charlie. You’d do so well.”
“You should stop sowing your oats and plow some fields. Maybe something would grow.”
“I thought the guy did the plowing.”
“Depends on the guy.” He surreptitiously glanced over my shoulder at JJ before resuming watch of Nico on stage.
I narrowed my eyes on him. “You are such a hypocrite.”
“What?”
I laughed. “You do know that I’m a psychic, right?” I tossed my cocktail straw on the bar behind me and took a big swallow. “I’ve done a reading for you, ya know.”
“You didn’t!” He looked excited and terrified at the same time, which was the typical look I got when people wanted a certain something to show up in the cards.
“I did. On my own. Because I had to know if I was right. I was, of course. And I know good and well that you two”—I gestured between Charlie and JJ serving beer at the other end—“need to get the party started.”
His brow pinched together into a frown. “You’re deflecting again, darling. The topic was whether or not you have big enough balls to actually engage in more than a one-night stand.”
“I’ll have you know I’ve dated a guy for a solid month before. And my balls are plenty big, thank you very much.”
“A
whole month?” Charlie gasped in wide-eyed exaggeration, clutching his invisible pearls. “Well, then. What was I thinking? Call Dr. Phil. You’re the relationship expert.”
“Dr. Phil?” I snorted. “Is he even on TV anymore?”
“Personally, if I knew that someone I was hot for was hot for me, I wouldn’t be waiting around and wasting time.” Charlie’s gaze on the stage grew dreamy. “I mean, just look at him.”
Nico was singing a slow and smoky rendition of “Lovely” by Billie Eilish, the tenor of his voice wrapping my chest in a vise. It made me agitated. And horny.
“Well, you’re not me, now are you?”
“Thank the heavens.” He turned to face me, brows raised, eyeing my head. “I wonder if I gave you a good whack if it would slap the stupid out of you.”
“Harsh, Charlie.”
“You can take it. But also, I mean it. So what if you run a business together? Even if you give it a go and it doesn’t work out, you’re both mature adults. You’d just go back to being friends. I’m sure you could still work together without too much awkwardness.” He glanced at Nico then back at me. “Well, one of you is mature. I see the dilemma now.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re just mad that I know you’re in love with your best friend.”
“Need another one, Violet?” JJ asked from behind us.
Both of us jumped like we’d been caught with our hands in the cookie jar.
“What’s got you two spooked?” JJ grinned, eyeing both of us.
“Nothing,” we said in unison. Then I added, “No, I’m good.”
“Killian’s Red,” said Belinda, sidling up to the side of the bar where the wait staff placed drink orders.
JJ slid a Killian’s Red onto the bar top in front of Belinda right as I heard Nico telling the audience he’d be taking a break. My psychic magic pinged me, letting me know I was right.
“Belinda, that for Nico?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll take it to him.”
“Awesome. These tables are running me ragged.” She slid it my way and dashed into the kitchen.
Witches Get Stitches Page 5