Page 12 of Fortune's Favor

Until I curled up with Alex. Then the warm, masculine scent of him tickled my senses and before you knew it, I was sound asleep.

He’s done it again. I can’t believe how relaxed and happy I feel right now!

But as I get closer to the door, I can hear him talking and it sounds bad.

Like real bad.

“What the hell do you mean she had a nightmare about a snake, a giant snake at that, but that it was really there?”

“I was in that bedroom this morning before I went back to bed. I saw what that room looks like. I saw that scale under the bed. It was fucking as big as my hand and it glowed green. Whatever that thing was…and believe you me, I don’t like to think what I’m thinking, I think it was there. I think it attacked her while she was sleeping. What’s more she said that it didn’t speak English but that she understood it even though she doesn’t know any other languages! There’s just no way that’s possible. Is it?”

There’s a sigh through the phone and then Jerry sighs. “Yeah, it’s possible. Anything’s possible.”

I see Alex’s head shake and he growls, “I don’t believe in supernatural. I’m a cop. I believe in what I can see. In what I can feel around me. I don’t believe in psychics and giant snakes, dammit!”

“I didn’t either. Until I saw Gypsy at work. Her mother was one that faked being psychic. When it came out what Gypsy was, she tried her best to figure out how to use her own daughter in the best way for her. And she didn’t care if Gypsy got hurt in the process. All she cared about was making a buck and having just as much control of her daughter as she could. I swear sometimes I think she was jealous of Gypsy because she wanted what Gypsy had. The power. It all meant something to her. It didn’t mean a damn thing to Gypsy. All she wanted was someone to love her.”

“I don’t know how I feel about all this. But I can tell you that I care about her. A lot.”

“Then you’ll figure out what to do. But until you do, I have a friend. A white witch. I’ll send her out there to you. She usually doesn’t do house calls but this circumstance calls for one if nothing else does. You need familiar surroundings. Strong ones that carry your vibrations.”

My brow lifts when I hear the Chief’s words. I didn’t realize I had made such an impression on him that he’d met other supernaturals.

“She’ll be there in half an hour. There’s a lot to go over. I’ll come over too and we’ll see where we are with this thing. If it was just some crazed nutter I’d let you deal with this yourself, but this is different. And I think you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

I turn back to the bedroom, my heart pounding when I think about that scale. I’m not sure that any help is going to get me out of this without some damage.

I don’t just mean to my body now. I think my heart is in just as much danger.

Chapter Ten

GYPSY

The doorbell rings and I jump. Alex looks over at me, his brow lifted. “It’s just the Chief to go over a few things with us. Don’t worry, sweetheart.”

That’s easy for him to say. He doesn’t have a nine-foot snake convinced that he’s the thing’s wife!

“Hello, Gypsy,” my step-dad says and then he hugs me lightly. “How are you doing, honey?”

“I’ve been better.”

“Okay. Well, we’ve got some information and that may cause you to rethink everything you know. But it’s interesting.”

The Chief comes inside, his salt and pepper hair curling lightly on his distinguished head in the sultry heat of the day.

But the person behind him is what gives me pause. Her long hair is braided in a bunch of little twists and she’s wearing a soft white caftan. Her smile is as radiant as the sun and her pale gold cheeks are pink with pleasure.

And her eyes are on the Chief.

Hmmm. What is going on there?

The door closes behind them and the tiny woman smiles at me gently. “I see her around you now. That’s what he’s come for. Her. And she wants to go to him. She loves him.”

My eyes widen and I stare over at Alex and Jerry. “What are you talking about?”

“That’s why you could understand him when you were asleep. She took over. She would willingly go to him but she’s trapped right now with you.”

“She doesn’t need to be. She’s free to go and get her groove on with him. I don’t care.”

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