He shrugged. “Failed out of college, needed a job, I was a stripper for a little while, but then I needed to get out. Ducky took my spot and I found the job at the motel. It’s not fancy, but it works.”
“Ducky?” I raised a brow. “What kind of name is that?”
“A stage one.”
Well of course, but there was nothing sexy about the name Ducky. “I gathered that. Not one that I’d pick for a stripper.”
“Speak of the devil.” John said and stood, waving to someone else.
It was almost two am, there weren’t many people who were up this late and most of them were paranormal creatures. A man walked over and I knew exactly who it was before John introduced him.
“This is Devon.”
I stood and shook his hand. The moment our skin touched our eyes met and a shock went through me. Heat flowed through me and I tried not to frown at the sensation. “Nice to meet you Devon, please sit down and join us.”
We had no warrant for him yet, we had no verification that he was the child in the picture. I couldn’t do anything but sit there with him and have coffee.
Fate hated me, that’s all I could think. “Why out so late, Devon?”
“I had some business to take care of.” He shrugged and sat in the chair across from me. “What about you? Rare to find a witch out this late.”
“Had a meeting with an old friend and some business to attend to.” I shrugged.
“She works for the state.” John piped up. “She’s been downtown working on something.”
Luckily for John he didn’t realize I was on the main case that was all over the news right now.
“You’re powerful, I’m surprise they don’t have you on the serial case.” Devon met my gaze and I felt like he was daring me to lie to him.
I smiled. “There’s a lot about my job that I can’t talk about.” It was the truth and one I delivered to people I didn’t trust.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” Devon still didn’t break away from my gaze.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the fire roar up out of nowhere. Suspicion rose in me, but I dared not question him at that moment. “Abigail Collins.”
His smile disappeared and the fire expanded in a loud pop. I didn’t move from my seat, though John jumped. Devon kept his eyes on mine.
“You can control fire.” I stated.
He shook his head. “No, my control is lacking. My apologies, the name caught me off guard.”
“Your father worked with mine. I’m sure that there are some ill feelings there.” I sipped my coffee. “I wasn’t aware you were still in town.”
He shrugged. “It’s been a recent move.”
“How long have you been back?” I asked and leaned back in the chair. Nothing to see here folks, just me talking to a serial killer with no warrant to arrest him.
“A few weeks. Why are you so interested?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Just making small talk.” My phone chimed and I pulled it out of my pocket.
Bored, come pick me up.
I smiled at Simon’s text. I texted him back real quick and downed the rest of my coffee. “Sorry boys, I’ve gotta go. It’s time that I get home.”
“Your home or Levi’s?” Devon asked.
Interesting question. “Neither.” I winked and left. I looked over my shoulder to see a look of disbelief on John’s face. I felt bad, because he probably thought we were on a date, but in all honesty I wasn’t going to tell Devon where I laid my head for the day. The fact that he’d supposedly only been in town a few weeks and asked me if I was going home or to Levi’s threw me off.
Of course, if he was a rogue from the Cult he would know about me. I made a disgusted noise and got into my car. I would swing by and pick up Simon then go back to the mansion. I had enough caffeine in me to stay awake past dawn and work on the tracking spells. If I could hunt down my three-legged werewolf, I could confirm what Michele said.
I pulled up to the bar and Simon was waiting for me outside. He got into the car and leaned over the console, kissing my cheek. I froze until he whispered.
“Drive, drive fast and don’t look back.” I could hear the panic in his voice.
I nodded and pulled the car out of the parking lot, gunning it. I could put my lights on if I needed, but that would just make it easier for someone to follow us. I didn’t speak until I hit the highway.
“What is going on?” I asked switching lanes between cars. Aggressive driving wasn’t my favorite thing to do, but I could keep a clear head and do it without killing anyone.
“So a group of people came looking for you. Someone told them that I mentioned that you were going to be picking me up.”
Couldn’t be the Cult. I had a truce with them, Devon didn’t know I was on the case. I shrugged. “I have no guesses.”
“Coven. Said Michele sent them and that you were to be taken under protection.”
Like hell. “I’m a PIB agent, there’s not much that they can do to protect me.” I glanced in the rearview mirror. “There’s been a black car keeping up with me.”
“Told you to not look back.” He growled. “Keep driving, throw them off your trail.”
I switched lanes, cutting over three of them to get to an exit. I put my foot on the pedal. I glanced back and realized that they had managed to get to the exit. My heart pounded. The back roads were dangerous to take this time of night. Wildlife could kill you, or at the very least total your car, especially at high speeds, and we weren’t going slow by anyone’s definition. I knew the back roads though. I took them often when I wanted to do nothing but drive.
“Hold on.” I jerked my wheel and took a road and then turned onto a service road before the other car had the chance to turn. I tucked my car between trees and turned off the lights.
We waited. Nothing. I had seen them pass the service road, but never turn back. I relaxed. “They don’t know the roads, there’s no signs. They’ll be at it for hours.”
“Now what?”
“Now we get back on the highway and get to Levi’s. Once I know Mason is awake, I’ll call him and catch him up.” I kept my lights off and started back to the highway.
Simon sighed and put his head against the window. “This is crazy. Why is the coven after you now? I know they don’t like you, but damn.”
“Because Michele told me everything I needed to solve the case, but the problem is, she can be prosecuted for helping in a binding spell. Since they are illegal now.” Though not at the time she had helped perform it. “I wasn’t going to pursue it, but it seems she might be scared that I’m going to reveal her involvement in all this.”
I flicked my lights on when I merged back onto the highway. I drove at the speed limit. “I’m sorry that you got wrapped up in this.”
“You kidding me, you make my life look dull.” He chuckled.
I started to say something when the loud screeching of metal sounded and my car jolted to the left almost into another car. The car to my right hit me again and we spun until we were sideways in traffic.
A glowing rune appeared on the back windshield. “Fuck. Out, Simon. Out!”
I grabbed my bag from the floor and we both clamored out of the car, I pulled him close. Wrapping my arms around him I conjured a circle. My car exploded in a fiery blaze and a blast that echoed through the night. Cars screeched to a halt, some of them crashing into each other. Once the explosion was done, I pulled the circle back into myself.
“The bastard blew up my car!” I screamed. How the hell did he know it was my car? He was surprised to know that it was me at the coffee shop. Of course my license plate alone told people it was a government car. He probably did it just to piss someone off.
Though that didn’t answer the question of who the hell sideswiped me. I grabbed my bag from the ground and ran across the highway. I could hear the sirens wailing close by, on the other side of my car I saw the car who had hit us.
Two of the priests from the cov
en were standing nearby. I lost it. I rushed to them and clenched my fist. I was about to strike when Simon caught my wrist.
“Now is not the time.” He reminded me. I took a deep breath and the fire behind us seemed to lower. I glanced at it and then to Simon. No. I couldn’t be an Elemental. I already had too much on my plate. I swallowed and tried something I didn’t expect to work.
I took all my anger and propelled it towards the fireball that was my car. It creaked and crackled and then jumped. Simon and I jumped back, he put an arm out as if to protect me. It was a sweet gesture, but I suddenly felt like I was going to need protection from myself soon. Why hadn’t this surfaced earlier? Neither of my parents were Elementals. It would have had to be further in the past for me to inherit it.
I thought back to Devon. Did touching him bring on the talent? Was it just dormant? Now was not the time to think about this. I turned back around to the men. “What the hell?”
“You need to come with us.” Jack said and held his hand out to me. “Michele said your life could be in danger.”
I looked back to the car and then to Jack. “Ya think? Does anyone realize that I deal with this on a daily basis?” I took a deep breath and looked to Sean. “I’m not going back. You tell Michele that I have a job to do and a mess to clean up.”
“Our job is to protect you.” Sean met my gaze. “Please.”
“You hit my fucking car and activated a rune that tried to kill me.” I shook my head. “Not happening.”
A few officers walked up to us and I smiled politely at them. “Agent Collins. I’m sorry to cause such a mess. Someone cursed my car.”
“Happen often to you?” The officer raised a brow and looked at Sean’s car. “And you?”
“He side swiped me because he’s an ass.” I smiled sweetly. “That’s what activated the spell.”
The firefighters started to work on the fireball that was my car. I tried to focus on the officer in front of me as he talked, but my mind was focused on the fact that the fire seemed to react to me. Just like the fire at the coffee shop reacted to Devon. I didn’t want to admit that something else just landed on my plate and I didn’t know any Elementals to ask. They tended to keep to themselves because the government liked to study them.
“You have someone you can call to pick you up?” The officer asked and I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“We’ll talk to witnesses and get this mess cleaned up. If we need to talk to you, we’ll get ahold of you.”
It was going to take forever to get this mess figured out with insurance, thank the Goddess that Levi had another car I could borrow. I looked at Simon, who was watching me intently. “I’ll call Clarissa to take us home. Unless you have someone else we could call.”
“Nope.” He sighed. “You sure Clarissa won’t just take you right to the coven?” He asked and we walked further away from the officers talking to Jack and Sean.
“I trust her with my life. She wouldn’t dare take me there.” I called Clarissa and didn’t get an answer.
I frowned. “How far is your house?” I tried again, and it went right to voicemail.
“About five miles, give or take, but my car is at the mansion.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s see if the officer will give us a ride and then tomorrow we’ll have Levi come pick us up.”
Simon rolled his eyes. “Yippee. Two hours listening to you getting lectured.”
That was pretty much how it was going to go. “I could call my uncle.”
“Oh yes, because that’s a better alternative.” He shook his head. “I’ll talk to the officer. You stand here and don’t piss anyone else off.”
Yep, my life was so much fun.
The officer was nice enough to drop Simon and I off without any questions. I worried about Clarissa, but if the coven had given an order to bring me in, she was probably doing her best to not comply. I hated it, but I didn’t want to get her in trouble. Simon fell on the couch and let out a huge sigh.
I looked at him. “At least we weren’t driving your car.” I offered. “I mean, that would suck.”
“Isn’t your car government issued?”
I shook my head. “No, I paid for it, I licensed it and everything. I was very specific about the car I wanted.”
“But you still had the special plates on it.”
“Which is probably why it was tagged.” I sighed. “I’ve had a hell of a night. I’ve had too much coffee to really sleep and I don’t want to work the tracking spell unless I’m at the mansion.”
Simon patted the couch next to him and I sat down. “Come sit down and we’ll watch some stupid TV. Unless you want to study until you fall asleep again.”
“Not tonight. I’ve had enough magic and runes for one night.” I sat next to him and snatched the remote up from his side of the couch.
My phone rang and we both let out a groan.
“Can’t you be off duty for one night?” He sighed.
I shook my head. “I’m never off duty, but it’s Levi.”
Simon gave me that look that told me I better answer it so he wouldn’t get in trouble. I slid the answer icon over and then put the phone to my ear. I didn’t even have to say anything before Levi snarled.
“Your car blew up!”
I blinked and flipped on the TV to the news. Sure enough my car was there. I wasn’t aware that there were reporters at the scene. I could be seen talking to the officers. I muted the TV so I wouldn’t have to hear the news anchor.
“Yeah, it’s gone. You want to know another fun fact? Apparently it was the murderer who tried to blow it up. Great, huh? Oh, better yet, he’s a rogue Cult member.”
“I’m being serious, Abigail, how did your car get blown up?” He snapped.
I rubbed my eyes. “As far as I can tell, the rune was scratched into my back window. It activated when I was side swiped by Jack and Sean.”
“From the coven?” Levi confirmed. “Michele called me looking for you. I had no idea where you were. She thought maybe you had made it back here.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Tell her to fuck off if she calls you back. I’m not going under their protection.” I glanced at Simon and then stood. “I’ll be right back.”
I stepped outside. “Levi, we have a couple bigger problems.”
“What is bigger than someone trying to kill you?”
“The murderer is an Elemental.” I took a deep breath and leaned my head against the door. “I met him at a coffee shop by coincidence. He didn’t know who I was and I caught him by surprise. The fire flared.”
Silence on the other side.
“Levi?” The problem with vampires is they didn’t always breathe, I couldn’t hear even the occasional breath on the other end.
“Did you touch him?”
He knew. “Yes, and then something happened at the fire of the car. You’ve known all along that I could possibly hold that ability.”
“I did. It wasn’t something I was going to introduce to you until later.”
I wanted to scream at him, but that wasn’t going to do me any good. “This isn’t something someone can teach me to control.”
“I know, you’ll have to practice in the chamber.” He sighed. “You have too much on your plate.”
I closed my eyes. “Levi, I am not a child.”
“No, but you are still young, most witches don’t reach your level before the age of forty.” He growled. “I am doing the best I can to help you control your abilities.”
I knew he was, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t be angry with him. “If you had warned me, then I could have avoided shaking hands with strangers.”
“I know. We’ll deal with it when we can. Where are you now?”
“I’m at Simon’s, I couldn’t get ahold of Clarissa to drive me up to your place. I was hoping you could come get us tomorrow night.”
Silence again. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Some literal footwork, sleep, and wait for Mason to tell me we hav
e a warrant on Devon.”
“I will be there after sundown.” He disconnected. He knew I wasn’t happy with him and wouldn’t want to talk any more.
I walked back in and Simon had put something on the television. I sat back down and laid my head on his shoulder. “You still going to buy me that vacation when this case is done?”
“Yep. Promise.” He laid his head against mine.
There wasn’t anything sexual in our motions. Just two friends leaning on each other. It was nice. I let everything fade away and focused on the action movie he had turned on. I needed just a night and a morning to relax and forget about everything.
Eventually my eyes closed and I let sleep claim my body and mind.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I woke up with a blanket wrapped around me and the smell of eggs cooking.
“Morning, sleeping beauty.” Simon called from the kitchen. I wasn’t exactly sure how he knew I was awake, but I assumed that it had something to do with being a werewolf.
“Morning. I fell asleep watching television, didn’t I?”
He chuckled and came in with a plate. “Sure did. You’re awfully cute when you sleep.”
I took the plate when he offered it. “What time is it?”
“It’s about noon, and don’t worry, your phone has been super quiet all morning. I’m assuming that they all saw your car on the news and decided that you needed the morning off.” He sat down next to me.
“You eat already?” I turned on the TV and found the news again with my car on the headline. I shut it off and closed my eyes.
“Sure did, I was hoping the smell of food would help you wake up. Which it did.”
I picked at the eggs. “I can’t believe he blew up my car, Simon. First a barn and then my car!”
“I’m just glad we got out of it and that you can conjure a circle without drawing one.” He crossed his arms. “Though you know who’s going to be all over this?”
I groaned. “Stephanie. Can’t someone eat that woman already? What’s the headline going to read? Youngest Witch in PIB loses control?”
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