He wasn’t sure if she needed him to agree again so Drake kept silent all the while hoping she could accept him and all the facets that came with him being the head of a major corporation and a magical being.
“Chrissy will be ecstatic.”
He brushed back her hair and lifted her face. “I’ve never made my lineage as public as I could but now I don’t care.”
She looked adorably confused. “But you told me.”
“I don’t want any more lies or secrets between us.”
His phone buzzed before he could explain her new role in his life. Mike rose to his feet, the chair creaking beneath his weight. “I’m glad you two are having a moment but none of it explains why the goblin wants her.”
Antonia sat up further but Drake refused to let her go. She glared and he glared back.
“I don’t know what Thomas’ problem is. I’ve been telling him every way imaginable that I don’t want to be with him.”
Drake’s phone buzzed again and he couldn’t ignore it in light of recent events. “Winston.”
“A goblin is on your trail,” Ben announced in lieu of a greeting.
Antonia used his distraction with the phone to climb from his arms and move to the other side of the room. As long as she didn’t leave, Drake wasn’t concerned.
“I know. The goblin’s name is Thomas...” He raised a brow at Antonia.
“Oliver. Thomas Oliver.”
Drake kept his gaze on her. “Did you get that, Ben?”
“Yes. Are you going to come back now? You can’t want to deal with a dark-magic goblin without back-up.”
“I’m not leaving until I take care of this.” Drake hung up in the middle of Ben’s rant.
Mike tucked his pencil and pad in his back pocket. “We’ll start looking for him. There are a few witches I can call on to help. If he’s still here, we’ll find him.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Antonia swiped her hand over her hair. “Okay. I think I’m a believer in goblins now. But allow me a few moments to have a small freak out.”
Drake wished he could have told her in an easier way. Aside from passing out, she seemed to be taking it well.
“What do we do next?” She asked, shoulders thrown back.
He smiled and with a single step eliminated the distance she’d put between them. “I called Kale. He’s reaching out to a witch named Emma. I met her while here. He thinks she’ll be able to help.”
She licked her lips. “Kale’s not human, is he?”
Letting out a chuckle, he revealed a little more. “Kale is a very powerful djinn and one of the richest men in the world.”
“And his wife?”
“Really is a children’s book author. All human.”
She blew out a breath. “Thank goodness. I think I want to sleep on all this.”
Heat blasted through his veins. “Don’t even think you’ll be doing that alone.”
Chapter 15
Toni woke the next morning snuggled spoon style with Drake behind her. This was the second time she’d awakened in this position and found it no less addictive. Carefully turning over, she studied his sleeping face. Tiny lines fanned from his mouth, blond hair stuck out from the sides and he still carried a sexy vibe. How could he have bed hair and make her want to wake him with a kiss?
Resisting temptation, she crawled out of the bed one inch at a time. It was a success when Drake only mumbled and rolled over. He was tired and after the other evening she didn’t blame him. Her gaze strayed to the newly repaired door. Repaired with magic by Drake right in front of her eyes. Thinking of Thomas bursting in again unsettled her.
Toni picked out a change of clothes and headed to the shower. She didn’t get to do more than turn on the water and step inside when Drake joined her. He slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, propping his chin on her shoulder.
“Good morning,” he whispered against her neck.
Toni locked down her surging hormones. “So far it is. I need coffee to confirm.”
Drake chuckled and spun her around. Water rained down on both of them and she decided Drake looked good asleep but he was gorgeous soaking wet.
“We’ll go to the coffee shop together and I’ll have Emma join us there.”
“What about Thomas?”
His features grew dark. “We’ll discuss how to handle the goblin together.”
The fact that they needed to discuss a goblin was farfetched but there was no other way to describe the green monster that had morphed into Thomas while she watched. “Since this is more your thing, I’ll go along with whatever.”
A relieved smile crested his full lips. “Thank you, Antonia.”
They finished their shower and dressed, Drake dragging Toni to his room for clean clothes. He made it clear she was not to be out of his sight. Considering that there was a monster aka Thomas on the prowl, Toni didn’t put up much fight.
They arrived at the coffee shop and due to the early morning hour there was a nice crowd standing in line to place orders. Every table was taken except one in the back with four chairs. Drake headed directly toward it and pushed Toni into a seat. He didn’t join her but his mouth pulled down into a fierce frown. “Don’t move. I’ll bring your coffee.”
She risked a quick glance around. “Is this a warlock thing? Are you going to magic me so I can’t move?” Could he do that?
Drake sighed. “Magic you? I don’t want to know what that means. Stay here.”
As he walked away, Toni thought about barking like an obedient dog but he looked far too serious for a joke right now. She chose to call Chrissy.
“Anything before noon is early for me. This better be life or death, Toni.”
Hearing her friend’s sleepy voice gave Toni her first blast of normalcy. “I don’t know where to start, Chrissy.”
Rustling sounds then a huge yawn came across the line. “I’m pretending to be awake. Spill.”
Toni didn’t hesitate. “Thomas is here.”
“What!”
“And he’s a goblin or something which is bad because he’s stalking me. I should be fine because Drake is a warlock and he has witch or djinn friends to help.”
Silence.
Toni checked the line and three customers waited ahead of Drake. She lowered her voice anyway. “Chrissy, did you get all of that?”
“You lost me when you said not only is Drake rich but now he’s got hot and sexy friends. Side note, it’s always been hinted that he was otherworld. Where have you been living—a cave?”
“That’s what you focus on? Thomas is a monster.”
Chrissy hummed in agreement. “I’ve been telling you that about him all along.”
“Chrissy!”
“Okay, okay. Seriously though, why won’t you come home and get away from Thomas the crazy goblin? I knew something was wrong with him so it’s not a stretch to think of him as a nightmare creature.”
Toni slumped back in her seat. “I know. I’ll be home. Soon, I think. Drake has a plan.”
One he hadn’t really shared but she would ask for details after she had something in her stomach to still the butterflies.
“Toni, if you weren’t the sweetest person ever.” Chrissy broke off on a sigh. “I’m giving you one more day to come home or else I’m calling in the big guns and telling your mom.”
Toni gasped, forgetting about Drake. “Don’t call my mother!”
Her mother was a worry wart. She lived in North Carolina and begged Toni not to move to Florida after she graduated college. The opportunity to get away from home and her family was too good to pass up. If Althea Hendricks knew her daughter met a strange man from the internet and had sex with him she’d die.
“Then you better get your butt home soon.”
She didn’t get a dial tone but the two sharp beeps let her know Chrissy had hung up on her. Toni’s chest tightened. She’d rather fight a goblin then listen to her mother.
“Here you go.” Drake sat d
own across from her and handed over a steaming white cup.
Toni set the cup down and reached over the table to grab his free hand. “We have to take care of this mess with Thomas or my mom’s going to be involved.”
She knew she sounded paranoid but as an only child she’d dealt with her mother’s hysterics on plenty of occasions and didn’t take Chrissy’s threat lightly.
***
Drake sensed the change in her manner. It was too much to expect that this situation wouldn’t frighten her. He squeezed her fingers. This was a lot for anyone to take in. Having a goblin after you was a serious issue.
“I’m going to make sure you’re safe. I won’t let him hurt you.” The reassurance was etched in steel. No one was getting close enough to harm Antonia.
The door to the coffee shop opened and in walked the woman Drake had met when the glass had broken on the door to the bookstore. Beside her was a dark haired man. This was Kale’s help.
The witch, Emma, smiled as soon as she reached the table. “I had a feeling our paths would cross again. This is my husband Garrett.”
“Antonia, this is Emma. Friends of Kale’s.” Drake performed the introduction.
Emma and Garrett took the remaining seats.
“I’m sorry we’re meeting like this.” Emma gave Toni a warm nod then faced Drake. “Alright we have a little pest problem. A goblin on the loose.”
If Kale said Emma was good, Drake trusted him. His only interest was in how to stop this Thomas guy.
“I didn’t know he was a goblin. I’m trying to digest all of this.”
Emma’s gaze warmed. “I can bet.”
“Drake says you’re a witch.” Antonia fiddled with the cup of coffee she’d yet to drink. She kept her gaze on Emma as if expecting her to fly off on a broom any moment. They’d talk later about the misconceptions humans held.
Thank goodness the statement didn’t offend Emma. “Yes.”
Everyone at the table gave Antonia time to absorb this. “I know there are shifters, djinn, and others. The world has been existing peacefully with paranorms forever. I guess it’s not farfetched to believe in witches after what I’ve seen.”
“Would you mind if I touched your hand, Toni? I think I know the problem already. Or at least how you attracted a goblin’s attention.”
Drake froze and slid his chair closer to Antonia’s, the instinct to protect guiding him. “What do you mean?”
Emma ignored him and extended her arm over the table, waiting for Antonia. They clasped hands and Emma blinked before letting it go a moment later. She turned to Drake, expression tight. “You’ve leaked magic all over her. I can sense it sitting across the table from her but touching her is like touching you. She’s coated in enough for someone to mistake her as otherworld.”
“Leaked magic on me? What’s she talking about?” Antonia turned in her chair, expecting an answer from him.
Emma stared at Drake but his thoughts were going a hundred miles an hour. There was only one way for his magic to attach itself to her. It was a deliberate choice the men in his family made and only done when a warlock found his other half.
“Did you mark her?” Garrett asked, his eyes narrowed.
This explained everything. When had his feelings for Antonia shifted? Then it hit him. Six weeks ago. They’d known each other for months but six weeks ago during one of their chatting sessions she’d said something to him. It had been a small remark but it hinted at her feelings for him. Drake hadn’t called attention to the comment, sensing her embarrassment when she began talking about a barrage of other topics.
He’d let it go. Or at least he thought he had but that night he’d dreamed of Antonia. Not an ordinary dream but one of sex and passion that left him with a swollen and aching erection when he awakened. His magic had started faltering the next day.
All because he was sharing it with Antonia in a subconscious attempt to mark and protect her because she was his other half. He’d been blind to how deep his own feelings had grown.
“Hell,” he burst out. “This is all my fault.”
Antonia gripped his shirt sleeve, knotting the fabric. “What is she saying, Drake? What did you do to me?”
Fear glinted in her eyes and he responded instantly. He stroked a hand through her hair to calm her. “It’s nothing to worry over. My magic is on you and probably called attention to the goblin.”
More like a definite since magic attracted goblins. Thomas obviously thought Antonia was otherworld and targeted her to steal the power she possessed. Except she didn’t have any. She was a walking target for anyone who couldn’t sense the human in her.
Drake curved an arm around Antonia and she rested her head on his shoulder. He’d been afraid she’d pull away after hearing all of this. He faced the witch. “Tell me what I need to do.”
Emma smirked. “I left a message at the center of town. Our goblin buddy can’t miss it and should join us shortly.”
Garrett extended his legs beneath the table. “I’m here for muscle. I’d never let Emma face this alone.”
Antonia directed her next question to Emma. “Is there a way to get his magic off of me?”
Drake hid his wince. The leaked magic would fully revert to Drake once the two of them committed to one another. In the meantime, what he was sharing served as a warning to other men to know she was taken. Only certain otherworld beings sensitive to the nuances of magic would notice. Antiquated and outdated but warlocks in his family couldn’t stop the innate need to mark their other half.
“I believe Drake can help you with that. It’s pretty easy.” Emma tossed him a taunting smile.
“Dr—”
Whatever Antonia was about to ask broke off and her eyes grew wide. Garrett leaped to his feet and turned around as the plate glass window at the front of the coffee shop shattered inward. Drake stood, curling around Antonia as people in the store screamed. Emma jumped up, staring at the giant green creature stalking toward them. With each step, glass crunched beneath his feet.
Drake’s magic flared. The goblin stopped at the center of the shop, his thick neck turning until his round head and bulbous eyes met Drake’s gaze. Then it landed on Antonia. Confusion flashed then understanding. Stubby fingers clenched into fists at his side.
“I knew you were connected to magic. I could sense it on the surface of your skin the first night we went out together. Now I know why.” His voice reeked of bitterness.
Chapter 16
The attractive man, who begged her to go out and stalked her, looked nothing like the nightmare in front of her. Toni hovered in the corner where Drake shoved her and stared at the broad, green-skinned creature panting in the middle of the place.
“Thomas, you need to stop this.” She hoped her words would make him see reason.
“Not until I suck off the magic he left on you. Then I’m going to drain him.”
“Like hell,” Drake muttered, shifting Antonia closer to the wall.
Her back was already pressed against it. She glared at him but he never took his attention off of Thomas. A quick glance around revealed some of the patrons in the place had fled but others remained trapped inside. They stood waiting as tension flowed about the room. Two of the teenagers duck and hid behind the counter. Innocent people could get hurt.
Drake left Toni’s side and prowled next to Emma. The chains on his boots clinked, drawing her eyes down. His jeans molded to his legs and the crisp shirt he wore had the sleeves rolled up.
“You can’t win here, goblin. Leave while you can,” Emma announced.
The dark-haired woman didn’t look anything like a witch. She was beautiful and confident. Her slender body angled forward and she held her hands up in warning. A warning Thomas chose to ignore as he roared and charged them. Emma pointed at a table then Thomas and the round top flew in the air to slam into his shoulder.
Thomas didn’t slow or stagger. Emma didn’t have time to get out of the way as he lifted her high over his head and tossed
her behind him. Toni gasped but Garrett rushed forward. He caught Emma in his arms and rolled with her as they crashed into another table and hit the floor on their backs. Drake’s arms moved quickly in the air and a shimmering wall of light formed, blocking Thomas from continuing.
Toni tucked her hands beneath her arms and looked around for a weapon. Every breath pinched her chest as it squeezed and terror took hold. Garrett helped Emma to her feet but both of them appeared shaken and Emma cradled her right arm to her chest. The only thing standing between Toni and the mountain of green was Drake. To make matters worse, Thomas poked at the wall with long claws and small rips caused it to flicker. His thick lips twisted into a cruel slant.
“Not enough juice, warlock.” Thomas plunged his fist through the magic wall and the light blinked out.
Garrett withdrew a knife and attacked. He clung to Thomas’ back and sliced upward with the blade, bringing him down to his knees. Drake ran to Toni and grabbed her hand. “We have to get out of here.”
Flashes of colored lights burst from Emma’s fingertips, swirls of smoke shooting around them. None of it stopped Thomas as he slammed his back against a wall, crushing Garrett. He yelled in pain as the sheetrock caved beneath their combined weight. When Thomas moved, Garrett lay sprawled on the floor, blood dotting his forehead.
Toni’s throat locked as she thought of people injured because of her. Drake hurried her along and they were almost to the door when Thomas tackled them. Drake’s hand was torn from hers and she slid across the floor and hit a bookshelf.
“Antonia!”
Books tumbled into her lap as Toni frantically climbed to her feet. Emma yelled something and lightning crackled around the cafe. Thomas ignored the dangerous bolts and snatched Toni up by the front of her shirt. She swung her fists as his chest but in this form he was much stronger than she expected.
Thomas licked her cheek and Toni almost hurled. “The magic he left on you tastes good. Strong.”
Toni slapped at his face but he didn’t budge as he drew her closer and banded his arms about her waist. Pressed up against his body, he added pressure on her ribs and she fought to draw breath.
Wicked Lover (Magical Lovers Book 2) Page 10
