Page 43 of Wrongfully Magicked
Then Darby’s eyes widen, Soren chuckles, while Porter glances at each of us, probably knowing something changed, but not what. When his eyes land on me, I brace myself for more hatred, but his expression is contemplative.
I’m not sure that’s much better.
I shove my hands under the table and clench my fists, snuffing out the flames, and immediately feel cold.
Now that I’ve decided to stay, I don’t want Porter to tell me to leave. I lift my chin as he surveys me, and my breath halts as I wait for his verdict.
“Tell us what you’ve got,” Porter orders, and I breathe a sigh of relief when he looks away from me.
I blink in surprise and blindly turn toward Darby, a warm glow shimmering in my chest at Porter’s silent acceptance. A small smile tugs at my mouth, but I quickly bite my lip to squash it.
I won’t admit it out loud, but I’m glad I won’t be left behind and locked up somewhere while they take care of business. Though nothing could have contained me for long, being discarded would have broken something inside me.
Determined not to get in their way, I remain silent and listen intently as Darby goes over the information MID provided regarding the corpse.
I frown when it’s basically just a location.
Pursing my lips, I glance at the rest of the men, but none of them seem the least bit perturbed. When they rise, ready to leave, I frown at them. “That’s it? Don’t any of you find that even a little bit suspicious?”
“If you’re not up to it, little rabbit, then you can stay here,” Cassius taunts, a cruel smile on his face, and I barely resist the urge to punch him in the dick.
He must have read the intent on my face, because he hastily takes a step back, twisting his hips so it wouldn’t be such an easy strike. Before he can let his temper loose, Porter interrupts our battle of wills. “You suspect a trap?”
“You don’t?” I lift my brows in challenge. “The information you received is pretty slim.”
Porter grunts in acknowledgment but doesn’t immediately deny it. “It’s part of an ongoing case. They know we’re in the area, so it makes sense for us to check it out, but” —he raiseshis hand before I can protest— “it makes sense to take extra precautions.”
I breathe a sigh of relief at his concession, knowing itisa concession, and give him a nod. As I stand, he shoves half the packages he brought with him in my direction, then gestures toward the stairs. “While you get changed, the rest of us will find transportation and collect the rest of our supplies.”
I’m busy grabbing the packages before they can escape my arms and slide to the floor. By the time I look up, the guys have scattered. Funnily enough, it’s Cassius who glances back at me. If I didn’t know better, I would say he’s worried that I might disappear if no one is here to watch over me, which is odd, since he’s the one who wanted me gone in the first place.
As I scramble up the stairs, I wonder if this is a ploy to ditch me, but that’s not Porter’s style. If he didn’t want me with them, then he would have dumped something in my drink to knock me out and left me tied up in my room.
Feeling more confident, I take the stairs with a bounce in my step.
I’ll show them I can be an asset to the team.
I’ll make myself indispensable, so they won’t want to get rid of me.
PORTER
Idrum my fingers against the steering wheel in the truck, the window down to pick up any sign of danger. The chilly bite in the early morning air is refreshing as it sinks into my skin, my shadows welcoming the cold. Information filters through the shadows, ready to alert me to any threats…or if the girl tries to escape.
While part of me wants to let her go—which would be better for us in the long run—the thought of her in danger has my shadows twisting in anger. I peer at the pub, cursing myself for even allowing her to come on an active MID investigation, but the thought of leaving her behind is intolerable.
I suspect if we went without her, she would disappear before we got back.
No, I’m doing the right thing by keeping her close.
I watch the door to the pub, pretending I’m not eager to see Anita in the clothes I managed to procure. It’s not much, but it’s the best I could do under the circumstances. Don’t get me wrong, while I love seeing her in nothing but a shirt—or just my shadows—that sight is reserved for no one else but us.
I didn’t intend to get her anything but the basics, wanting her covered so she wouldn’t draw more attention to us, but my shadows insisted we needed to provide more. Though I don’t understand it, a weird sort of satisfaction heats my chest at getting her things I thought she might enjoy.
To distract myself, I study the guys. Darby is once more lost in his tech as he searches for information on our latest case, though I don’t miss the way he glances up every few minutes to check for the girl. As much as I hate to admit it, she is a good influence on him.
Same with Soren.
Instead of our normal sulking menace, the giant brute hums a cheery tune under his breath, and I have to admit, that’s almost more terrifying than facing down the beastly Cerberusthat lingers beneath his skin. The three-headed creature is a juggernaut in a fight, taking great pleasure in ripping his enemies apart and bathing in their blood.
