by Amy Boyles
“Let’s hope it doesn’t,” I said.
Pearbottom swung his hand into a clap. “Anyway. I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’m sure you have a lot of work to do if you’re going to find Polly.”
He headed for the door, but a thought ticked in my brain. “Pearbottom?”
He turned. “Yes?”
“What made you come here? How’d you get wind of our involvement.”
“Oh right,” he said, wagging a finger at me. “Someone confessed to Lucinda’s murder and talked about the two of you being involved.”
My interest piqued. “Someone confessed? Who?”
He smirked. “It’s too early to really give names, but the suspect has motive and a watery alibi.”
“Sounds pretty open and shut. Is it Flynn Stone?”
Pearbottom cocked his head. “No. It’s his wife, Vera.”
TWENTY-TWO
I jumped on Roman when I saw him at the house. Literally. Into his arms. “Vera Stone turned herself in as Lucinda’s murderer.”
Roman took a step back. “And that has you pouncing on me like a cat in heat?”
I scoffed. “I did not pounce on you.”
“Darlin’, from where I’m standing, that’s exactly what it looks like.”
I released his forearms. Okay, maybe I was clutching them a little tightly. Maybe my knuckles were white. So what? Vera Stone had confessed to murder. Murder.
“I mean, don’t you think that’s weird?”
He sat and pulled off his boots. “Why? She had motive. Plenty of it.”
I nibbled a hangnail before spitting it out. “I just didn’t peg her for a murderer.”
He leaned back. “I didn’t either, but it’s not my murder investigation. It’s Pearbottom’s.” Roman slid his hands down his thighs. “Now. Do you want to hear about my day?”
“Of course. That’s what I live for.”
He studied me, a slow, delicious-looking smile coiling on his lips. “Goes both ways, darlin’. But anyway, Flynn wasn’t at the house. He was gone. Didn’t show up at all. I broke in and searched. It was abandoned except for a stained mattress.”
“Sounds like a honeymoon destination.”
He chuckled. “Hardly. Flynn’s gone MIA.”
“Not good.” I stared at the wall while my brain filtered all the information. “Let me see if Grandma knows another way to track him.”
“Sounds like a plan. Otherwise we won’t be getting Polly back anytime soon.”
I winced. “And that could be disastrous.”
“Agreed.”
I left my home and walked the short distance to the house I’d grown up in. I turned the knob and entered.
For some strange reason, feathers were flying in the air.
I waved them from my face. “What’s going on?”
Grandma entered the room with a feather boa around her neck. “Dylan, we are packing.”
“Packing? Where are y’all going?”
She dropped a cloth duffel bag by the door. “Why, to Monkey Town.”
“Monkey Town?”
Sera entered wearing yoga pants, a T-shirt and sneakers. “Yeah, we’re going there for the rest of the weekend. Be back early Monday.”
My gaze darted from Grandma to Sera. “Why?”
“Just to go. Talk about things,” Sera said.
Nan entered with the broadsword under her arm. “Should I take it or should it stay here?”
“Stay here,” Sera and Grandma said.
“Brock has his elite guard,” Sera said. “You’ll be able to relax, Nan. You don’t have to work. We’re getting away.”
What was going on? Sera had been so ticked at Grandma, I couldn’t believe she was going globe-trotting with her. Or in this case, Monkey Town trotting.
“Is Reid going?” I said.
“No, I’m staying here,” came a voice from the couch. I glanced into the living room to see my baby sister stretched out across the cushions, her phone in hand.
“I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you,” I said.
Reid scowled. “I’m a grown woman.”
“Of nineteen.”
“That’s grown enough.”
Sera opened the door and took her bag to the porch. I followed her. The ancient floorboards groaned under my feet. The air, though it was late summer, was still warm and humid. I could feel a sheen of sweat collecting on my upper lip without me even lifting a finger of exertion.
“What’s going on? You were so angry at Grandma.”
Sera pulled her glossy hair into a band. “She said that I needed to talk to Brock. She and Milly would come with me, give me the courage to admit my fears.”
I pulled her into a hug. “Let me know how it goes, okay?”
She sniffled and ran her hand under her nose. “I will. I’ll keep you posted. Dylan?”
“Yeah.”
Her eyes blazed with fire. “Watch Reid. She’s been acting weird.”
I scoffed. “She’s been acting weird for a while.”
Sera shook her head. “No, this is different.”
My pulse ticked up a notch. “How?”
“She’s been really tired. When I’ve asked her what’s going on, she just says she’s tired.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, not really understanding how it was so important.
“When I ask her if she slept okay, she says that she slept fine. Went to bed early.”
“But she’s tired.”
“Right.” Sera glanced toward the house. She lowered her voice. “It’s just weird because she’s acting like she was in all night and slept, but the circles under her eyes tell a different story.”
I squeezed her arm and gave an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch her.”
She hugged me again. “Thanks.”
The screen door screeched open and out walked Grandma and Nan. Grandma flicked her wrist and glanced at her watch. “Better get a move on, Sera. We told Milly we’d be at the house in ten minutes. You know how your grandmother gets her support hose in a wad whenever anyone’s late.”
Sera yanked her bag from the porch. “I’m ready. I’ve been waiting on y’all.”
“Likely story,” Nan said.
“No, it’s true,” I said.
“Well,” Nan said, sniffing. “I had to figure out what weapons to bring. I need to be discreet but ready to kill at any moment.” She raised her hand to stop Sera from arguing. “I’ll turn my weapons over once we reach Monkey Town, but I must be prepared. We could be attacked during magical transport.”
“Unlikely but it’s good to be prepared,” Grandma said. “Dylan. Watch the house. If anything suspicious happens, tell your husband. He’ll know what to do.”
My jaw dropped from the insult. “Are you kidding? I know what to do too.”
Grandma looked at me as if I were three years old and threatening to take on a dragon. “Of course, dear. But now, we must fly. Is everyone ready?”
Sera and Nan mumbled yeses. Grandma glanced at me. “Are you driving us?”
“I hadn’t planned on it.”
“Nonsense,” Grandma said, hooking her hand in my arm. “Take us to Milly’s. It’ll be fun.”
“It’ll be something,” I mumbled. “Not sure about fun.”
But I did. I texted Roman to let him know what I was doing, and hauled my family over to Milly’s. I didn’t wait around to see them off. Instead I headed back to the house.
“I’m home.” Silence greeted me. “Apparently my entire family is leaving for the weekend. Going to Monkey Town.”
He wasn’t in the living room or kitchen. I stuck my head in the bedroom and found him on the phone. I immediately stopped talking and watched.
He was shirtless, which was of course an awesome thing. But his shoulders were tense, his brow ridged, and his jaw tight.
“Where exactly?”
There was silence as the person on the other side spoke.
“You’re sure?”
M
ore silence.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
Roman canceled the call with his thumb and dropped the phone to the bed.
“Who was that?” I said.
“Jeremy.”
“Reid’s boyfriend?”
“The one and same.” He opened a drawer and slipped on a black T-shirt. Covering up his sculpted chest was, in my opinion, indecent, but I kept my mouth shut. I could drool over his chest anytime.
“What did he want?”
Roman slid on a shoulder holster. He slipped his .45 into the cup and snapped it closed. “Jeremy said he heard from Flynn. Flynn’s supposed to be at a rough club a little later on.”
“What club?”
“It’s called Hellfire.”
I cringed. “Sounds very rough.”
“It’s on the way to Atlanta. According to Jeremy, Flynn’s supposed to be selling something to a buyer there.”
I quirked a brow. “Polly Parrot?”
“That’s my guess.”
I moved to the closet and looked for a good nightclub dress. I found something black and flowing. “Think this’ll look good?”
Roman frowned. “You’re not going.”
“What do you mean, I’m not going?”
Darkness washed over his features. Pain flared in his eyes. “You’re sitting this one out. Hellfire can be dangerous. I’ve been before. No one will bother me, but I can’t do what I need to with you there.”
Hurt speared me. Pain squeezed my heart. “I don’t understand. We’re partners.”
He gripped my shoulders. “I know. We are. But this place… If you come with me, I can’t promise I’ll be able to protect you. It can be dangerous. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I bristled. “I can protect myself.”
His voice hardened, became stern like he was my father. “You’re not coming. Not tonight. Maybe another time. But if Flynn is there to deal, there will be weapons. More than magic. Probably guns.”
“But what if something happens to you? You’ll be all alone, Roman.”
He shook his head. “I have a few friends who work there. I’ll touch base with them the moment I arrive.”
“But,” I said weakly.
“No buts.” He kissed the top of my head. “Stay here. Watch your sister.”
I sank to the bed, defeated. “I’m not going to win this one, am I?”
He wrapped me in his arms. “Darlin’, I love you more than anything. I don’t want something to happen to you.”
I wedged back from his grasp. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, either.”
“It won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
He sighed heavily. “Like I said, I’ll check in with a few people.” He grabbed a slip of paper and a pen. “Here’s the address so that you’ll know where I’ll be.” He wagged a finger at me. “But no following. Promise?”
I snatched the paper and rolled my eyes. “Promise. What time is Flynn supposed to be there?”
“In a few hours. It’ll take me a little while to drive over. Stay here. Stay safe. I love you.”
“I love you,” I mumbled.
He left a short time later. Roman was fully geared up and wearing his leather duster. That thing could hold an arsenal of weapons. Roman didn’t disappoint. He was armed and dangerous. I just hoped he stayed safe.
I fingered the address before stuffing it in my jeans. I might end up needing it. I stared at the empty walls and decided I’d rather be in the company of a grumpy sister than alone and worried.
I locked up the house and headed next door. Reid answered after a few knocks.
“What’re you doing here?” she said.
I hitched a shoulder. “I’m here to play dress up, dollies, and maybe do makeovers.”
A smile broke on her face. “That sounds fun. You gonna do all that by yourself?”
“No. You’re joining me.” I brushed past her and headed toward the living room. “You coming?”
“I’m still mad at you.”
“Can it. Just for one night. Roman might be in danger and I’m worried.”
Reid appeared in the doorway. She studied me for a minute. Burgundy curls framed her beautiful face. Her upturned nose twitched as she watched me. “You want to order pizza and watch a movie?”
I sighed into the couch. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Two hours later and you never would’ve known my sister and I had a feud going on. We were laughing and joking like old times.
She had the remote pointed at the TV. “Oh, I want Attack of the Killer Bees.”
“No, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” I countered.
She shot me a look. “Are you kidding, that movie’s terrible.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, and your pick isn’t.”
“It’s a classic.”
I grabbed a pillow and hugged it. I hadn’t heard from Roman, but I wasn’t worried. “Watch whatever you want.”
Reid dropped the remote. It clattered to the floor. My sister rose. She didn’t move to pick it up.
“Reid? Are you okay?”
She turned toward the door without saying a word and walked toward it.
“Reid, Reid, are you okay?”
She didn’t answer. Instead my sister stared ahead blankly. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she were under some sort of spell. I extended a hand to grabbed her shoulder and noticed the bracelet, the one Jeremy had given her, was glowing.
I shrank back. “Oh no,” I whispered. My gaze darted to my sister’s blank expression. My stomach turned over. A queasy feeling invaded it, and I felt vomit creep up the back of my throat.
“Reid,” I said again, but she ignored me.
I heard someone on the front porch. I cowered behind a wall as Reid approached the front door and opened it.
“Hello, my love.”
Jeremy.
Reid didn’t answer.
The floorboards groaned as he stepped inside the threshold. “The boys have been dispatched to Hellfire to deal with that stupid Roman Bane, which means I’ve got you all to myself. You and I have a date on Sycamore. Why don’t we see if you can get that stupid parrot to reveal its secrets to me, shall we?”
I peeked around the corner and watched as Jeremy led Reid from the house and shut the door behind them.
TWENTY-THREE
I watched from the window as Jeremy led Reid to his car. I shut my eyes as hard as I could, hoping to blot it all out. That wouldn’t do me any good. I had to delve deep and find my strength. My family was in serious doo-doo, and I was the only one around to help.
I took a deep breath. First things first. I raced to my purse and fished out my phone.
I dialed Roman. “Come on. Pick up.” It went straight to voice mail. I tried again, but the same thing happened.
“Dang it!” I threw the phone in anger. It landed on the couch.
Put your thoughts together, Dylan. You can’t fall apart now.
Roman was in danger. Jeremy had an ambush planned for him. I glanced at a wall clock and realized Roman would just now be arriving at the club and walking straight into a trap.
Yes, my husband was an experienced fighter. Yes, he was awesome with firearms, but I was worried. Jeremy was more dangerous than we’d given him credit for.
And Reid…I knew where Jeremy was taking her, but I couldn’t save her and Roman both at the same time.
Or could I?
I dashed to the antique buffet, opened the drawer and grabbed the box. I exhaled. Thank goodness Grandma had left it. I hipped the door shut and opened the lid.
The unicorn horn sat exactly as I had last seen it, cushioned in velvet. I curled my hand around it and ran to Grandma’s bedroom. I straightened her full-length mirror and crossed my eyes until there were two of me.
Then I inhaled a deep breath, pressed the tip of the horn to my sternum and split myself in two.
It hurt. Like fire raging through my veins. Tears stung my eyes, b
lurring my vision. My breath hitched. In fact, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow air. It was like I was stuck in a frame. I couldn’t move forward or backward.
And all the while, every cell in my body burned.
This crap better be worth it, was all I could think.
I still pushed on, working the horn down to my stomach and farther. When I reached the very bottom of my groin, a severe flash of pain ripped through me. It was like eating wasabi—it hurt like all get-out for about five seconds and then disappeared.
I sucked air into my lungs and blinked away the tears. Standing in front of me was—another me.
“Good job,” she said.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I was at a loss for words. What was I supposed to say to myself?
She gripped my shoulder. “I’m going after Roman.”
Jealousy flared in my gut. “But he’s my husband.”
She shot me a look that said seriously? “He’s my husband, too. Now, where’d we put that paper with the address on it?”
“On the dresser at our house.”
“I’m headed there. You go after Reid.”
With that, my doppelgänger scattered from the house, leaving me alone.
TWENTY-FOUR
I raced from Grandma’s house back to mine. There was no time to think about the fact that there were now two of us—two Dylans. I couldn’t focus on that and save my husband. My brain might explode in the process.
Thank goodness Grandma wasn’t here to distract me.
I charged inside, scurried to the bedroom and snatched the piece of paper from the dresser and held it in my hands.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered.
I pressed it to my forehead and concentrated on the address. A swoosh of magic flared in my core, washing over me like a wave. The power surged and heightened. Then as quickly as it came, the feeling vanished.
I stood outside a booming nightclub. The word HELLFIRE pierced the night sky in flaming red letters. A throng of people milled about. Men wore suits and women wore scanty leather and spandex clothes.
I wore yoga pants and sneakers.
“I really should’ve thought this through,” I mumbled.
My gaze scanned the crowd for Roman. He was nowhere to be seen. I checked the parking lot and spotted his SUV.
