Page 50 of The Magic of Discovery
I nodded uselessly, Kai already too in the zone to notice.
“Yeah, she’s a real gem,” Sloane muttered under his breath, back to being the resident grump.
“Shut up, Captain Cuke-zuke,” Cam teased as he slipped his hand into mine. “Come on, little witch. Let’s not keep your gran waiting.”
I allowed him to pull me in the direction that she had disappeared, Sloane and Fish following behind us.Overall, I think that went better than I could’ve hoped.I mean, I didn’t expect her to show up dressed like that, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Gran was savage.Let’s just hope we all make it through this little gathering without anything too crazy happening.
Even with that last thought, my inner witch was already laughing at me. She knew just as well as I did that the chances of that happening were slim to none.
My brothers had all lost their nuts, and I’d bet I’d find them if I checked Red’s pockets. She was smooth, I’d give her that. That woman had infiltrated my group in a little over a week. She’d embedded herself so deeply that she could honestly have a job at Radical if Larson ever needed an undercover agent. Even I was starting to warm up to her. The guys were happy; Fischer particularly had a lighthearted look in his eyes that I had rarely seen. It was obvious we all needed a break from work, and I was willing to take the load so that they could spend time with their girl. Blow off some steam, fuck her out of their systems, and then we would move on again. Women never lasted long around us. We never stuck around long enough for that to happen, and even if we did, there had never been anyone who we came close to considering, and there was no reason to think that this time would be different. That was the nature of who we were and what we did.
It was luck, I realized, that we were here for work because something was definitely up with this witch and her property, and I hada lotof questions. On Friday, when Fish had brought her home from their date, I had dipped inside to use the bathroom.
My mind was moving a mile a minute, trying to put this puzzle together. Why the fuck would demons be messing with someone as sweet and innocent as Red? Yeah, I’d been suspicious of her, but I was suspicious of everyone. Even that fat ass pug Baked Potato who strutted around in a CovenFit tank top. But I just couldn’t see Red as being malicious, no matter how I tried to make that work in my mind.
After I got done pissing, I washed my hands and looked in the mirror, giving myself a pep talk.Do not be a dickhead to your brothers’ girl.Groaning, I looked for a towel to dry my hands but came up short. The hook where one should be hanging was bare. Not seeing anywhere extras might be stored, I headed into the hallway.Bingo.Opening up the built-in closet across the hall, I snatched a gray towel, a photo fluttering to the floor and landing on my boot.What? Why the fuck would that be in there?Drying my hands, I bent down to retrieve it, freezing in place when I registered who was in the picture.
Laura. The woman we were searching for was standing right next to Red in front of the magic shop, her gran taking up her other side.What the fuck?My eyes bounced from Laura to Saige to Gran and back. Sweat rolled down my spine as my body processed what my brain already knew to be true.Laura is Saige’s mother.Flipping the picture over, the year 2010 was written and underneath that, ‘Bette, Saige, and Laurie.’ I quickly snapped a couple of pictures of the front and the back and then returned the damning photo to its place. Spinning on my heel, I tossed the clean towel on the hook in the bathroom and walked out of her house.Holy shit.
Of course, I’d texted Larson the moment we’d gotten back to the apartment. If Red could lead us to wherever her mother was, this assignment would be over real fucking quick. Larson had called me immediately, sounding excited about this discovery, but I detected a hint of wariness in his deep voice. After filling him in on the guys and the relationships they’d built with Saige, he ordered me not to tell them what I’d found. Since they were now emotionally involved with Red, their professionalism could be compromised. Being so close to the mark, he couldn’t expect them to do what might need to be done.
I kept my mouth shut about what I’d discovered, promising my loyalty and silence to our boss. A little voice in the back of my head tried to protest, but when the time came to leave this place, they’d thank me for protecting them. This was definitely for the best. Now I just had to keep the mission moving forward so we could get this wrapped up. Larson asked me to retrieve one of Red’s hairs so that he could run a test to verify her relationship to Laura, and that was what led me to this moment.
Cam and Red were hand in hand, heading outside, her head tilted up as she laughed at whatever he was saying.Ugh, when this goes south, my brother is going to be fucking wrecked.My hand landed on Fischer’s shoulder, his stride coming to a stop as he looked at me in question.
“I’m gonna take a piss. I’ll be out in a few,” I told him, running my hand down his muscular arm and giving a gentle squeeze.
“Sure. Bring out a few more beers when you come.” He pulled away, heading after the others.
Backtracking to the kitchen, Kai was bent over, sprinkling all kinds of bullshit over the meat. He looked like a fucking flavor fairy, coating his meal in fairy dust with a dramatic flick of his fingers. Shaking my head, I strolled right past him without him even noticing.Now, where would the princess sleep?Spotting the stairs straight ahead, I bounded up. One door at the top of the landing was cracked, and I poked my head inside.Oh yes, this is definitely her bedroom.
So many goddamn plants filled the green witch’s space, I felt like I’d fallen intoThe Jungle Book, but when I looked closer, many of the green leaves were turning brown. I was about to check her pillow for loose hair, but then I noticed the en-suite. Perfect. On the counter sat a brush, and I quickly stuffed a clump of her hair in the zip-lock baggie I’d stored in my back pocket. She’d never even know. After the bag was tucked away in my pocket, I took care of the last step: notifying Larson.
Larson: Good work, son. Now, I want you to earn this woman’s trust. Work your way into a relationship with her just like the others.
My eyes flew over that text message several times, my body stiffening as his words infiltrated my brain. He wants me todateher? That little voice was back again, telling me all of the ways that this was despicable, especially because of the way my brothers felt about her.
Me: Sir, with all due respect, I don’t exactly think that’s a great idea. When the guys find out about all of this, I think they’re going to be really upset. I don’t need to be romantic with her in order to make this assignment a success.
Larson: It’s a direct order. While you may be able to get the job done otherwise, it’s not something I’m comfortable risking. Not being this close.
Fuuuuuck. This wasn’t good. They would probably be able to forgive me for keeping my particular orders a secret since that was just the nature of our careers. We took orders, then we executed them. An operative was worthless if he broke his boss’ explicit directives.They’d be heartbroken and pissed when they discovered I’d known about Laura being Saige’s mother, but there was just no fucking way they’d be able to avoid raising suspicion if I told them. That would put the whole assignment at risk, and I wasn’t willing to do that. Larson was right; they were too invested now to be able to hide their feelings.
Groaning, I ran my hand through my hair, swiping the strands out of my eyes. Knowing that Larson wanted this mission to be a success, I decided that this could be an opportunity to push and get something that we wanted in return.
Me: They are taken with her, sir. If I do this, I’d like to request permission for a personal assignment. One that helps Cam finally get some answers, sir. The opportunity could go a ways toward mending the bridges that will be damaged by this.
I held my breath as sweat broke out across my forehead.Damn, I probably overstepped. Just as I was about to pocket my phone, Larson began typing his response.
Larson: Fine. I will grant you and the team leave to pursue whatever you need to. They won’t harbor any ill feelings toward you. You’re doing this for them. For him.
Me: I’ll get it done. Expect the hair to be delivered on Tuesday. I’ll send it first thing tomorrow morning and overnight it.
Stuffing the phone back into my pocket, I slipped back down the stairs and stopped at the fridge to get some more drinks. I nearly dropped them a moment later when I saw the picture from the other night stuck on the freezer door with a magnet, Laura ripped clean out of the frame.Appears to be some family drama. Fuck, I love drama. Not in my personal life, but in my work? Fuck yeah, keeps my blood pumping and my brain working.
Kai was gone, so he must’ve finished his marinating meat masterpiece. Passing through the kitchen, I made my way outside, nearly dropping the beers for a second time when I found Saige’s Gran practically grinding up on K as he laid the steaks on the grill. Cam was losing it, and Red was perched on Fish’s lap, his arms wrapped around her hips, matching smiles on their faces while they watched Kai as he soaked up all of Bette’s attention. He shook his ass right up against hers and spun her under his arm before dipping her in a dramatic move that had her hooting.Dude loves attention, doesn’t matter who it’s from. Dicks, chicks, or old ladies in this case.
Fischer’s eyes locked on mine as I sank into my seat, my eyes flicking to where Red’s hands were running through his dark, thick curls, and Imighthave put the beer down on the table with a little more force than necessary.Fuck. I’m feeling out of control, and I need to process.Does it bother me that Fischer is seeing Red and cuddling up with her like a puppy? No.But shit, even as I thought that my stomach rolled uncomfortably.What is going on with me? I don’t get jealous.Did it bother me that I saw this ending only one way, with all of my brothers being heartbroken? Yes, yes, it fucking did. Maybe Saige had nothing to do with her mother? I’d never heard her mention her. We had only been invited to meet Gran, and I wondered if one of the others had any insight to that.
