I softened my own voice as I always did when talking to Gigi. “Hey, sweetheart. How was your week?”
“Awful. Mr. Bobo got dropped in the toilet and Mama had to wash him in the washing machine and his eye popped off.”
I chuckled, very aware of Violet’s gaze on me as I stared down at my lap.
“Sorry to hear that. But all good now, eh?”
“Yep. When are you gonna sing for me? I need it so bad. Mama tries, but she just doesn’t sound so good.”
“Soon. I promise.”
“’Kay!”
Then the phone was quickly passed back to Layla. “So, I guess you’ll be off the radar for a few days, right?”
She knew I was unavailable around the full moon but never pointedly talked about it. She also knew it was the reason she never saw me in person. Nor did Gigi.
“Yeah. But I’ll call as soon as I get back and make it up to her.”
“I know you will. Gotta get going to dance lessons! Love ya, bye!”
“Love you, too.” Then I clicked it off.
Most people would’ve been polite and casually explained why they’d had to take a call. Especially if it was someone important to them. Someone they obviously loved. And by the questioning look on Violet’s face, she damn well wanted to know. I also knew that she wasn’t going to ask because she was one stubborn woman.
I should’ve been nice and told her who it was, alleviated any misunderstanding, but I was done playing nice. Violet had already put me safely in the friendzone, keeping me at a far distance from where I wanted to be. The only way to get closer was to make her come to me. And I had no problem playing dirty to get what I wanted.
“I better go finish packing.” I casually stood and offered her a hand.
For a second, she just frowned at my hand.
Go ahead. Ask me, Violet.
But she didn’t. Just stuffed her nail polish in her back pocket. I could feel the anger vibrating off her as she cleared her throat.
“Guess I’ll see you when you get back then,” she snapped, looking up at me.
It took everything for me not to laugh. But then she took my hand, and I pulled her up, keeping her close. She peered at me, a storm of emotions sweeping those ethereal eyes. I caressed my thumb over the back of her hand and across her knuckles.
“Be back as soon as I can.”
“No worries,” she said lightly, covering the anger, the envy I’d caught a glimpse of a moment before. “I’ll manage any inventory issues till you get back. You go do your thing. Run wild and kill animals and such.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Do you actually eat raw meat out there? Like animals that you kill?”
“You really want to know?” She didn’t seem the queasy type, but I wasn’t sure.
“Yeah.”
“All the time when I’m the wolf. We get really”—I tilted my head in thought—“primal this time of the month.”
I recognized my voice dropping several decibels and the low growl rumbling against my rib cage. I also realized that she hadn’t pulled her hand away and I hadn’t let her go. She studied my face, gaze darting from my eyes to my jaw to my lips then back again.
“Guess you can’t help it,” she said rather low. “Kind of part of the whole wolf package.”
“Does it bother you?” I stroked my thumb over her inner wrist.
“Uh uh.” A shake of the head, her silky blonde/lavender hair sliding over one shoulder, reminding me how badly I wanted to wrap it around my fist, hold her down, and fuck her senseless.
Damn. Too close to the full moon. My impulses were running riot with my fantasies of taking this woman and making her my own.
“Good thing,” I said. “Don’t think a spell can change that.”
“I wouldn’t want it to.”
Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “No?”
“You can’t help who you are, and I—” She shrugged, slowly pulling her hand out of mine as she dropped her gaze. “I like who you are.”
That was no small admission from the tough girl who rarely showed emotion of any kind. But here she was, being vulnerable. For me.
“Good to know,” I finally answered, voice rusty. And it was. Not everything I wanted to hear, but definitely an admission that would warm me over the next few days in that cabin in the freezing-ass woods.
I was about to reach up and squeeze her shoulder in farewell when her phone buzzed.
Swiping it on, she checked the text and blew out a sigh. She texted back with quick fingers.
“What is it?”
“It’s Livvy. Our cousins and Travis just got in.”
My entire body tensed. Their cousins were cool. Actually, so was Travis. But Travis was also a serious player, and I never knew if his playful flirting with the Savoie sisters was real or not.
“They’re in town for a while?” Okay, that sounded completely casual. No territorial vibes were in my voice even though my wolf was already bursting at the seams.
“Just tonight. They had some business with a liquor distributor in town about their new microbrew line.”
The three of them owned Bayou Brewery located in Lafayette, Louisiana, farther west in Cajun territory. Any time they were doing business near New Orleans, they stopped in to see their cousins.
She tapped a few more lines in a text then sent it. “Guess my afternoon of organizing that damn supply closet is out.”
“Y’all going out?”
She snorted a laugh. “Yeah. Every time they come here they demand we take them out even though they sure as hell know more nightclubs in the city than we do. Well, maybe not Livvy, but still.”
“You don’t have to go,” I offered all nonchalant. Or at least I thought it was till she glanced my way, that simmering smile of hers making me weak in the knees.
“You wanna go? Because I could totally use some help wrangling these asshats. They can get ridiculous when they drink.”
With a microsecond’s time to think it over, I nodded. “Sure. I wasn’t planning to head out of town till the morning. I can even be designated driver tonight.”
“Great!” She walked away backward, grinning. “But don’t be mad at me when their shenanigans aggravate you. With the exception of Drew, who typically plays the role of cackling voyeur, Cole is the devious one and Travis is just a big man-child.”
I smiled back, pretending I wasn’t already riddled with anxiety about going out with these guys. I was feeling the pull of my wolf as the full moon drew closer, but I also knew that I wasn’t about to sit at home and let Violet go out with these guys alone.
If they were truly reckless, then I needed to be there. This wasn’t a city to be too carefree in, especially with the tourists pouring in for Mardi Gras.
“Text me the details,” I called as she turned and walked back across the courtyard toward the back entrance to the shop. She gave me a wave, and I watched her go, one of my favorite pastimes.
I hated leaving her for even three days every month. And something told me that this month it was going to feel colder and lonelier than ever out there by myself.
Chapter 11
~VIOLET~
* * *
“Violeeeeet!” Three gregarious, masculine voices sang my name as I entered the Cauldron.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the doofuses at the bar, apparently already a couple drinks in.
“There’s our girl. Where ya been?” Drew pulled me into a tight hug first, squeezing the life out of me. His positive vibes seeped into me.
He was an Aura like Clara and had that same magnetism, just on a masculine level.
“Yeah, we’ve been waiting forever.” Cole pulled me in with one arm, his other clinging to his half-empty mug of draft beer.
“Y’all do know that I just started my own business, right?”
“That’s why we’re here, gorgeous,” said Travis, spinning me around and bear-hugging the life out of me as he lifted me off the ground. He smacked a kiss on my cheek before releasing me.
“We had to come celebrate since we can’t be here for that street party thing.”
“Y’all look like you’ve already been celebrating a while.”
“You took too damn long,” said Drew, his brilliant smile in place. “Livvy, Iz, Jules, and Clara already came and ate dinner with us. Livvy and Clara just went home to change.”
Jules never went out with us when the boys came into town, always proclaiming to be too old for that crap. Well, I was feeling a bit old myself these days, working so much. But here I was anyway. And I can bet Isadora made excuses to slink away to Dev’s house. She’d rather swim laps in a vat of acid than go out to a crowded bar, and the guys knew it. So they never pressured her to go out.
“Sorry. I had to do a few things before I left the shop. Where’s Evie? She didn’t meet y’all for dinner?”
Travis rolled his brown eyes, combing his auburn hair back away from his face. “That witch broke my heart. Shacking up with a werewolf, I hear.”
“Yeah, Jules said she left town this morning with him for his monthly.”
For some reason, the mention of Evie going with Mateo on his full-moon trip sent a tingle down my spine. And a little longing I pretended I didn’t feel.
Travis snickered like a child. “Sounds like you’re talking about their period or something.”
Cole leaned back against the bar. “Might as well be. They get all temperamental and mean. Just like chicks do when—oof!”
I punched him none too lightly in the stomach. “First of all, stop making fun of werewolves. And second, stop making fun of women. Without women and their periods, you wouldn’t even exist on this planet.”
“Okay, okay.” Cole raised his palms in surrender, then his eyes twinkled as he whispered, “Do you happen to be on your period?” he teased.
Cole set his empty mug on the counter.
“Want another?” asked JJ.
“Naw, man. You can close out our tab.”
Narrowing my gaze at Cole, I then pointed at each of them. “Behave, tonight. Nico is joining us. As a matter of fact, he’s playing designated driver so be nice.”
“Awesome. I like Nico,” said Drew in his ever-pleasant voice.
“Here you go, man.” JJ slid a credit card to Cole and the ticket.
“You want to come meet us out?” I asked JJ. “You’ll be off soon.”
JJ glanced at his Apple Watch, checking a text or something. “Um, no. I’ve got plans.” When he glanced back at me, there was a distinct flush of pink on his cheekbones above his beard.
“Really? A date?” I leaned over, elbows on the bar.
He tossed a bar towel over his shoulder. “None of your business.”
“Since when? You’ve always told me everything.”
He chuckled nervously, glancing down at his shoes.
My eyes bugged out. “JJ, you’re nervous.” Which could only mean one thing? “Does your date happen to be about six feet tall with dark blonde hair and devilish blue eyes and the snarkiest mouth in the south?”
JJ’s complexion turned crimson, and I burst out laughing in complete shock. But before I could demand more answers, he shooed me away with a flick of his bar towel.
“Go have fun tonight. Be safe!” Then he walked away to another customer with a shit-eating grin on his face.
A giddy thrill shot through me that JJ and Charlie might actually be moving out of the friendzone. It also made my thoughts stray to Nico, wondering about our situation. And if I should be considering the same thing.
“Okay, boys! Let’s go.” Livvy and Clara burst through the kitchen door, having come through the back alley exit, which was closest to our house.
“Hot damn!” exclaimed Travis, pressing a palm over his heart and pretending his knees buckled. Drama queen. “You Savoie women are a full-blown smoke show.”
No doubt, Livvy and Clara would turn some heads tonight.
Livvy had on a tight black mini-dress with black thigh-high boots and a red leather bolero jacket that ended above her narrow waist. Her silky black hair and red lipstick alone would be drawing eyes.
Clara was her complete contrast in a pale pink mini-dress that showed a vee of creamy skin and lots of leg. Her brown leather boots made the outfit more casual, though she typically wore cute flats most the time.
“Oh, hell,” I exclaimed, realizing their footwear signified where we were headed. “We aren’t going to the Quarter, are we?” Boots were protective gear for the filth on the streets of the Quarter, which was highly trafficked by drunkards.
Travis barked out a laugh. “We always end up in the Quarter.”
I rolled my eyes. “Y’all. It’s Mardi Gras season. It’ll be packed with tourists. Let’s stay on our end of town.”
“Your werewolf is here,” said Cole with a tilt of his head toward the door.
Before I could ask why Cole would call Nico my werewolf, my head swiveled to the door as the man himself stepped into the bar, looking fine as fuck. Dark jeans and shirt with a brown leather jacket. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But the disheveled, wild look about him, the intensity of his gaze as he found me across the bar was wreaking havoc on my body parts. Specifically the ones below my waistline.
He walked up with confidence and gave each of the guys a manly handshake. “So, where are we headed?”
“I’ve got a cool new place for us.” Livvy grinned far too excitedly. A pulse of magic radiated from her, followed by the sudden urge to agree with whatever she said.
“Stop using magic to try to make us follow your plan,” I ordered.
“No worries,” said Travis, grinning. “I’ll follow you anywhere, Livvy.”
Cole slapped the back of his head. “Stop looking at my cousin that way.”
“I always look at them this way. They’re gorgeous, man.”
I’d noticed Nico easing closer to my side. Right now, he was partially behind me, his chest pressing into my left shoulder. I was getting all the possessive vibes even though there was no need. I mean, they were my cousins. Travis might not be, but I looked at him like a brother. Still, I was enjoying his proximity, so I’d just let it roll.
“Who’s with me?” asked Livvy, ignoring the boys bickering.
“Me!” yelled Travis.
Cole shoved him in the chest toward me and Nico. “No, you’re not. I am. I want to talk to her about some social media stuff anyway.”
Cole was an Influencer like Livvy. Even as his broody self, he still wore an aura of magnetism just like she did. What he didn’t have was her skillset in promotion on social media, so every time we were together, he liked to pick her brain for the brewery.
“I’m parked out front,” said Nico, nudging my hip toward the door.
“Come on, beautiful,” said Travis, offering an arm to Clara, “come keep old Trav company.”
She laughed, looping her slender arm through his as they headed toward the front.
“I sent you a text where we’re going,” Livvy called to me.
We strolled out into the brisk night air. Nico made a point to open the front passenger door and nudge me into the seat with a palm to my back. I didn’t comment, even though I knew he was trying to corral me farther away from good old Trav.
Once we were buckled in and headed out, I checked the address and plugged it into my Google maps.
“Where we going?” asked Nico.
“The Brat Pack? Never heard of this place. Keep going straight.”
I stayed focused on the road while Travis carried on loudly in the backseat. “Seriously. Give me your hand.”
I twisted around. “What are you doing?”
“Reading her palm.”
Clara gave me a questioning look. “Can he really read palms?”
Travis was a Seer, but what worked for one seer might not work for another.
“I don’t know. Can you?”
His aggravated look was amusing because the man never looked serious and he was trying so hard to look stern and offended.
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“I can. I’m a fucking psychic.”
“I’m a psychic, but I don’t read palms,” I argued.
“You’re better at scrying in water,” he admitted. “And I’m not good at that, so it is what it is.”
Turning back to my phone and the road, I directed Nico on the next turn even though my Google maps chick gave the audible directions right after me. We were heading toward the central business district while they gabbed in the backseat.
“This must be a new place because I’ve never heard Livvy mention it before.”
Nico was quiet. Tense. Broody.
“You okay?”
He glanced my way, unable to remove his scowl quickly enough. “Yeah. Just, uh…” He peered up through the windshield and pointed a finger upward. “Getting close, you know?”
I nodded, because I actually did. The closer it was to the full moon, the stronger the wolf was, urging the man to let go and let him take the reins.
“You sure you can handle coming out with us?”
That earned me a condescending look. “I’ll be fine.”
My Google maps chick said in her robotic voice, “You’ve arrived at your destination.”
We were outside a high-rise with a long line wrapped around the corner. The Brat Pack was illuminated in a neon sign over the black double-doors.
“There’s a parking garage right down here.”
Nico zoomed ahead, turned into the garage two blocks down, and stopped to take a ticket at the gate.
“No way!” Clara’s laughter pulled my attention to the backseat while Nico found us a parking spot.
“What?” I twisted around.
Travis held her hand, grinning at Clara’s laughter. “Damn, you give much better happy drugs than Drew.”
He was obviously referring to the blissful feeling people felt when they touched Clara. She couldn’t help but exude her magic when someone touched her, like it was innate to zap them with joy. Just in case they needed it.
Ignoring his comment, Clara beamed as she told me, “Travis said I’m going to live a very long life.”
“Like how long?” I asked.
“Over nine hundred years!”
Witches Get Stitches Page 12