by Wendi Zwaduk
Tommy gawked at her. Any other woman seemed to cower around him. No one stood up to him like her. The nerve of Cian to act so flippant. Although, he liked her honesty, it seemed he was thinking about liking her a lot. He switched his attention to Havan, who shrugged.
“I played with the kittens last night. They’re fine.” Havan picked up the beads. “You’d better go. She’ll take your cruiser and leave without you.”
“Thank you. I had the feeling this was a huge misunderstanding.” He smiled and sprinted out to the sidewalk. Go figure Cian’s friend would back her up—a good friend should. He withdrew his keys from his pocket. “You’ll have to ride in the back. The computer and my stuff is up front and there’s no room.” He opened the rear door.
Cian flounced onto the back seat. She folded her arms and crossed her legs.
“I bet I’m one of the few innocent people to sit here.” She met his gaze in the rear-view mirror. “Maybe not.”
Tommy shook his head. She’d be the death of him and oddly enough, he wanted to see what would happen if they hooked up. “You’d be surprised.” He pulled out of the parking spot and made his way across town. He sped down the gravel road leading to her house.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” she asked finally. “Or does my being a witch freak you out?”
Tommy parked in her driveway then looked her in the eye via the rear-view mirror. “I’m investigating missing kittens. I need to know what you did or didn’t do with them or if you’ve even got them. What you are doesn’t bother me.” He climbed out of the driver’s seat then opened the back door. “In fact, I’d rather you be innocent. I don’t get the vengeful vibe from you.”
“Because I’m not vengeful.” Cian exited the car. She waved. “Come on. Back here.” She marched down the stone path beyond the house to the barn.
Instead of being the ramshackle building he’d expected, the red structure featured sturdy, clean windows and thick steel doors. She withdrew a set of keys then opened the front door.
Once inside the barn, he noted the carpeting on the floor, the cheery blue paint on the walls and the waist high counter in the foyer.
“Welcome to my secret in the woods. My cat sanctuary.” She pushed the bottom half of the Dutch door open and led him back to a larger room behind the foyer. A couch and five armchairs were spread around the space in addition to a long perch along the windows. Black cats roamed while others slept on the various pieces of furniture. There was a cardboard box to the side with balls of black fur nestled in towels.
Cian knelt and picked up one of the cats. “This is—”
He cut her off. “Blackie?”
“No,” she snapped. “His name is Lester. He’s my cat.” Cian rubbed her face on the top of the feline’s head and stroked his fur. “He was my first rescue. I found him on the side of the road, covered in oil and cinders. The poor thing had been thrown out of a vehicle. I got the license number, but the sheriff’s office failed to investigate.” She cradled him in her arms. “Look around. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Tommy slid his flashlight from his belt and proceeded to investigate the rest of the barn. In the second room he found a gigantic structure covered in carpet with various levels and perches. Two cats lay curled up together on one of the platforms. Another cat darted between his feet and chased the beam of light from his flashlight. Just as he suspected, she provided for their every need. He suppressed a groan. Pete’s claim about the theft was bunk. Good, he liked knowing she cared about the critters.
“That’s Spaz.” Cian’s voice filtered in from behind him. When he turned around, she leaned on the door frame. “He loves to chase lights. Lasers, flashlights, reflections off shiny things… He’s a nut.” She smiled and watched the cat streak across the room.
“Where do they do their business?” Maybe that was where she did her ‘business’ with the cats? The words came to mind, but he didn’t believe them. A person who wanted to do nasty things to animals wouldn’t go to such lengths to keep them happy. He put both hands in the air. “Sorry. If I don’t investigate every angle, something will come back to bite me in the ass. So far, I believe everything.”
“I knew you weren’t a total asshole.” She plopped Lester—at least Tommy thought the cat was the one she called Lester—on the carpeted structure. All the animals looked the same. How she kept them straight was beyond him. “This is the throne room. I teach them to go back here so I can contain the mess. There are some accidents, but they’re pretty good about it. They like running through the cat flap. It’s like hide and seek for them.” She opened the door to the kitty litter box room. The scent of cat urine and feces wafted to him and the cat flap at the bottom of the door clicked.
Tommy pinched his nose. Despite the gross scents of cat, he didn’t notice the smell of death or decay.
All in all, the place was too clean, too tidy and orderly. This wasn’t the sight of a kitty massacre. Someone had given the department bogus information.
“It’s not as rotten as it could be. Neil and my friend Greg helped put in the ventilation system. Without that, I’d never be able to clean all the boxes.” She tapped the cat flaps, then closed the main doors and strolled back into the larger space. “Let’s go into the petting room. Lester and the rest of them could use some human interaction.”
“Cian, give me the full story.” And her phone number. Or at least a longer conversation not involving her potential as a thief. He bit his tongue to keep from saying something he’d regret. When she pursed her crimson lips, he wondered what she’d taste like. He shouldn’t be attracted to her. A cop and a witch couldn’t mix…could they? He didn’t believe in spells or sacrifices. He expected logic and order, but he couldn’t deny the attraction.
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About the Author
I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line.
I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.
I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals.
Email: [email protected]
Wendi loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com.
Also by Wendi Zwaduk
Learning How to Bend
Must Be Doing Something Right
My Immortal
You’ll Think of Me
Tangled Up
Careless Whisper
Please Remember Me
What Might Have Been
Ever Fallen In Love
Someone Like You
Love Remembers
When You’re With Me
Sunshine of Your Love
Firelit Magic
Clandestine Classics: The Phantom of the Opera
Treble: Savin’ Me
Switch: Still the One
Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him
Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence
Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On
Wild After Dark: Taken In
Heart Attack: Over My Head
Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby
Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic
Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate
