“Getting wild?” Evan tilts his head to the side.
“Oh hell,” Griffin scoffs.
“What?”
I snicker, realizing Griffin has figured it out. “Obviously, I would be the top,” he declares haughtily.
“What?” Evan asks again, but there’s something in his tone that makes me think the truth may be sinking in. “Hell no, you wouldn’t be,” he counters indignantly.
Griffin shrugs. “Whatever you need to believe.”
“Guys, guys. It’s okay. I was just teasing you. Plus, I can always be the top.” I’m only half a beer in and I’m already getting a little lippy.
Evan makes a face like he’s thinking over the idea. “I’m on board for that.” I lift my beer to him in a toast.
Our food arrives quickly, which I’m pretty sure it has something to do with my company, and every bite is delicious. After nearly cleaning my plate, I toss the fry I just picked up back, too stuffed for another bite. Evan, of course, is already done. “Apparently, we need to feed you more burgers. I’ve never seen you actually eat and enjoy it so much.”
“So good,” is my response. I can’t even argue. “I’m going to run to the bathroom.” I polished off my beer with my meal and have already started another, and my bladder is complaining.
I manage to get up from the table with a little more grace than last time, but in my defense, earlier I’d been sitting for a while after being on my feet all day. Griffin rises as if he’s planning to come with me into the bar. “You gotta go too?”
He just nods and leads me back into the darkened interior. The bathroom is typical for a bar—small and dingy, but not nasty. I do my business and wash my hands quickly. When I exit, Griffin is waiting for me in the same position he was in when I left him. “Did you just wait out here for me?”
“Yes,” he answers, unashamed.
“But you said you had to go. I can go to the bathroom by myself. See? No boogeyman.” I open my arms and look around.
“Indulge me?” He makes it seem like a question, so I drop it. When we return to the table, Evan is already standing as if he was waiting for us.
“Ready?” he asks. I’m a little sad we can’t stay longer, but I understand they have a lot going on, and I appreciate that they took the time to bring me out.
“Yep,” I agree. “I noticed a shop I wanted to check out on the way over. Mind if I run in? It won’t take long.”
“What shop?” Evan drops a bunch of cash onto the wooden table.
“I can’t tell you, and you have to promise to let me go in alone.” I look between them pleadingly.
“No,” Griffin answers, shaking his head.
“Okay,” Evan agrees at the exact same time. They both look at each other, and a silent conversation happens with just facial expressions.
Griffin is the one to give in, but I can tell he hates it by the way his lips are pressed into a thin, hard line. “I have to know what store. You can go in alone,” he offers like he’s doing me a huge favor.
“That will ruin it,” I reply softly. “How about this? I can be on the phone with you the whole time. That way if anything happens, which it won’t, you will know immediately and you can fix it.”
“Fix it?” he repeats with a raised brow.
“Save me, get the bad guy. Scare everyone away from talking to me. Whichever you like.” We exit out of the same garden gate we left through last time. I look up at him with the best puppy dog eyes I can muster. Pleading isn’t my strong suit.
“Fine.” He makes the word sound like a curse, but he reluctantly agrees. I don’t celebrate the small victory because I can tell it was a struggle for him to give in. Instead, I grab his hand and walk down the sidewalk. When we’re a few shops away from the store I want to go into, I stop and release his hand.
Griffin instantly looks back at me as if I might disappear right in front of him. I tug my phone from my pocket and dial his number while he’s watching. He makes a face when it vibrates but picks it up. “Hello.” He doesn’t respond to my greeting. I glance over at Evan, noticing he doesn’t look quite as stressed as Griffin, but he doesn’t appear like he’s excited either. “I’ll keep the phone just like this the whole time,” I tell them both.
“What side of the street?” Evan inquires.
I look to the left on instinct but refrain from looking at the actual store I want to visit. “Over there,” I admit. I hope it’s not obvious.
“We’ll stay on the side of that building.” He points across the street to the last shop in the row before a side street separates it from the next set of buildings.
“I think you guys are overreacting a little bit, but fine.” A little aggravation seeps into my tone. I’m down for a lot of things, but being treated like I can’t do anything or go anywhere by myself isn’t going to fly for long.
I drop the phone to my side, leaving the call going while we head to the crosswalk. Griffin keeps his phone to his ear as if he’s listening intently.
“Be right back,” I tell them, waiting for them to go around to the side of the building so they won’t be able to see the sidewalk or the store I’m going to. I almost just want to drop it at this point and shop online, but I feel like I would be giving up more than just the shopping trip.
“Phone,” Griffin grumbles, reminding me to put it back to my ear. Once I can’t see them, I speed walk toward my destination, looking over my shoulder to make sure they aren’t peeking when I open the door.
Dashing inside, I tug the door shut quickly behind me. My heart is beating fast with adrenaline. Once the electronic bell alerting my arrival dies, the store feels hushed. I take a deep breath, looking at the interior. The thick carpeting and wooden walls make it feel like an upscale boutique.
A man enters from the back of the shop with a pleasant smile plastered on his face. “Hello,” he greets.
“Hi.” My face is probably red, and it feels rude to be on the phone while he’s addressing me.
“Are you just browsing or is there something I can help you find?” The man’s eyes roam over me, but not like he’s leering, more like he’s trying to place me.
“I think you’ll be able to help me. This is going to sound so strange, but I’m trying to keep this a secret from the person I’m on the phone with. I need to keep them on the line though, so can I point to what I would like to see?” My shoulders rise slowly, I feel super sketchy. I should have thought this through better and shopped online like a normal person.
The man shakes his head slowly but gives me a small smile. “Okay.” He draws out the word.
“Thank you, I appreciate you playing along.” I make my way over to the glass cases and look past all the glittering jewelry until I come to a section that might be engagement rings and wedding bands. Surprisingly, there aren’t very many, but then I remember this is Bakersville, and most of the population are supernaturals. Rings are more of a human sign of commitment. I scan the selection, feeling like maybe this isn’t the best idea after all, but then a glint of color catches my eye.
“That one.” I point down at the glass directly on top of a ring that looks to be made from wood and epoxy or resin. The moment I see it, I know it’s perfect for Evan.
“This is taking too long,” Griffin grumbles into the phone.
“Hold your horses. It’s been like two minutes,” I mutter distractedly while the man hands me the ring. I turn it to the light and see it is in fact wood, and there’s a break leaving a space that’s been filled with resin in a way that makes it look like the ocean.
“Pardon?” the jeweler asks.
“I’m sorry, not you. Impatient.” I motion to the phone. “I would like this but…do you have something I can write on?” The man walks toward a cash register then returns with a notepad. “Perfect.” I jot down the word ‘big’ on the paper. It’s only now I realize I have no idea what size Evan’s or Griffin’s fingers are.
“For Mr. Winters?” the man inquires hesitantly.
> “How did you know that?” I step back.
He tilts his head like he’s rethinking allowing me in his store. “Unless it’s for another gentleman, perhaps Mr. Stone?”
“How the heck?” I’m a little freaked out. Then it dawns on me—he can smell them. “Oh.” I look down, unable to meet his gaze. “Yes, it’s for Mr. Winters,” I answer him.
“What’s happening?” Griffin’s tone is hard.
“Everything is fine. I just need a few more minutes, I’m almost done.”
“These are custom made by a local” —I jerk the phone down and bury it against my chest in an effort to keep Griffin from hearing what he’s saying— “artisan. I can see what we have in stock.”
Placing the phone back against my ear, I say, “Good, thank you.” The man heads to the back of the store, and I whisper, “It’s so weird that everyone knows I’m with you guys before I even say anything,” into the phone while looking through the rest of the cases.
“Are you done now?” Griffin ignores my comment.
“No.” I make a loop around, and near the corner, there’s a section of jewelry that seems to be a little more mismatched. There are a few pendants and rings among bracelets, and even a few earrings. I slow down when something black catches my eye. Near the back is a small tray of rings. It almost looks like estate jewelry, or even costume stuff. I see a black ring. It looks jagged with several irregular facets all around the band.
I kneel down to get a better look, and the man comes out of the back with a velvet lined box in his hands. “These are what we have, but we can order something if none of them are what you’re looking for.”
I pop up, and he places a box holding several rings similar to the one I picked out before me. I look for the largest one and nab it, hooking it over my thumb. There’s tons of room to spare. I can only hope it will fit. If not, we’ll come back and get Evan measured for one—that is if he’s willing to wear it. After examining it and making sure the colors and feel are the same, I nod. “This one, and may I see that?” He hovers his hand over several different trays until he gets to the one I’m interested in. “Yes,” I say quickly.
I reach for the black ring as soon as he places the tray near the other box. Upon closer inspection, I can see gray or white swirls that almost make the ring look like it’s made of smoke. “What is this?” I murmur.
“Carbon fiber,” the jeweler answers. I slip this one on my thumb too. It’s not as large, but there’s definitely some wiggle room. “Do you have more of these?”
“I’m afraid that’s the only one I have.”
I picture Griffin’s hands and all the rings he already wears, most are silver metal. This one would stand out, not to mention it just feels like him. “I would like this one too.” I don’t think to ask how much they are, that’s what credit cards are for.
The man puts the tray away and moves the box to the back counter before taking his time and packaging everything up. I start to shuffle my feet and have to change what ear the phone is on. “I’m about done, can I hang up now?”
“No,” Griffin snaps quickly.
“Geez, grumpy. If you’re not nice, I won’t give you your present,” I singsong.
“I’m about to come hunt your ass down,” he threatens.
“I don’t need the bag, thank you,” I chirp to the jeweler when he turns around to look at me. His eyes are wide as he darts a quick glance at the door. It makes me think he heard Griffin speak through the phone.
I grab the two boxes, shove them in my purse, and issue another, “Thanks,” over my shoulder while heading to the door. “No need to ruin the surprise now. I’m coming.”
Griffin presses his thumb against the screen the moment I round the corner. Evan’s shoulders relax as he tries to look casual, but I think he was almost as anxious as Griffin. Heck, it was probably Griffin who made him anxious.
“I’m ready.” I look at my phone before putting it away. “I told you it wouldn’t be long, under fifteen minutes.” I’m pretty proud I was able to get both of them rings that feel perfect for each of them in that short amount of time.
“Too long,” Griffin grumbles under his breath.
Chapter 24
Griffin
I’m still on high alert when we head back to the car. My beast hasn’t gotten the memo Quinn is fine yet, so every sound and every scent is amplified. If not for that fact I may have missed the sweet aroma of Quinn’s blood… I freeze, and everything stops except for my breathing. I drag in another lungful of air just to make sure I’m not imagining it.
Quinn looks up at me with big eyes. “What is it?”
I search her face, her neck, but I know the scent isn’t coming from her, yet somehow, it’s her blood I’m scenting.
I look at Evan. “Do you smell that?”
Evan opens his mouth and inhales while Quinn delicately sniffs the air. Evan’s head jerks to the left. “What the fuck?” he curses.
“What is it?”
I’m torn. I want to hunt down where the scent is coming from, but I need to stay with Quinn, and I don’t want to risk taking her into a dangerous situation. A second later, the dank musk of marijuana covers the aroma of Quinn’s blood.
“Oh, now I smell it.” Quinn wrinkles her nose, unaware of the more worrisome odor.
“We need to find out who has that and where it’s coming from,” Evan announces, already stomping his way toward the scent.
There’s a park halfway down the block just off one of the side streets. It’s easy to follow the odor there. Right out in the open, two males are passing a joint back and forth. Neither of them even look in our direction as we head toward them.
“Are you going to bust them?” Quinn sounds slightly nervous.
One of the boys eventually looks up, and his eyes are lazy for a brief moment until they flare with recognition. He coughs roughly, and a billow of white smoke spews from his mouth. “Shit.” He beats on his chest, dropping the joint. I snatch it out of the air before it hits the ground.
“Holy shit,” the other male exclaims. I bring the weed up to my nose but can’t smell Quinn’s blood over the cloying odor of the drug.
“Where the fuck did you get this?” I snarl and fist the still lit joint.
One of the boys looks at the other, clearly hoping he’s going to be the one to explain. “It’s his,” he blurts, throwing the other boy under a speeding train without even giving him time to confess himself.
“I got it from some chick,” the other boy says.
“Who?” Evan demands.
“I don’t know, honest. She said she was from the school.”
“Give me everything she gave you,” I order.
The kid reaches into his pocket faster than what should be possible, but the blood in his system is helping him along as he pulls out a bag with three more joints. He drops it into my hand and steps back quickly.
I crack the seal and place it under my nose. The smell of Quinn’s blood is faint but unmistakable. I close the bag and pocket it. I’m fairly certain these boys are not from Havenfall, proving this problem extends far beyond the schools.
I reach for the boy who was holding the drugs and grab him by his neck. His entire body locks up except for the frantic beat of his pulse under my hand.
“Griffin!” Quinn yelps.
“I could kill you right now.” I hum. “Snap both of your necks before you could even blink.” The boy makes a weak attempt to pull my hand from his throat.
“Griffin,” Quinn calls, this time with a little more panic in her tone.
“I’m going to let you live,” I state more for her benefit than the boy’s, “because you are going to tell everyone that if I find them with drugs like these again, there will not be a second chance.”
The boy’s eyes are watering, and he’s making a wheezing noise as he tries to draw in air. I don’t let up. “Our laws are very clear that blood must be freely given. This was not.” The other boy starts shuffling his feet a
s if he’s thinking about running. I turn to look right at him and let him see just how serious I am. “I only need one of you to live so you can warn everyone.”
I release the boy’s neck, and he falls to the ground, coughing and heaving as lines of drool and spit leave his lips. I can see the red ring around his throat from my hand. Good, I hope the evidence stays for days to prove my point.
“You need to tell me about this girl, the one you got it from,” Evan instructs as I take a few steps back. I don’t really trust myself not to kill the kid, it would work as a far better deterrent than just threats.
Quinn is hovering off to the side, as if she doesn’t know what to do. I don’t look at her directly because I don’t want to know what she’s thinking about me right now.
“She…was blonde. Thought…she was better…than everyone,” the kid on the ground pants.
“Was she with anyone?” Evan inquires. I’m sure he’s already arrived at the same conclusion I have—Michelle.
The boy presses his hand to the ground and uses it to help him stand before brushing his fingers off on his pants. I have the urge to shove him back into the dirt. I even take a step forward, but Quinn stops me with a light palm on my arm.
“Maybe, but I haven’t seen her with anyone.”
“You got a name? Where she’s staying? Anything?” Evan pushes. “How about you?” He looks at the other boy.
“I’ve never met her.” He holds his hands up in surrender.
“I’m going to leave you with a number. You see her, you call,” Evan commands, then pauses for a second. “Get your fucking phones out. I know you won’t remember it if I tell you,” he barks.
Both boys scramble to pull their phone from their pockets and look up at him, waiting. Evan rattles off his number quickly. “Your friends may be tempted to think you’re lying or dismiss you when you tell them to get rid of the drugs. Let them know the blood in the dope comes at a very steep price, one we are both willing to kill over.”
Havenfall Harbor Book Two: Paranormal Ménage Romance MFM Page 25
