“Good God, and you agreed to this? Willingly?”
“I had to!” I couldn’t keep from raising my voice, and I jumped when Sara put a hand on my shoulder in a silent attempt to calm me down. It didn’t work. “He’s threatened to bring my family into this. I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t have much choice at the time. I’m trying to do the best I can with what I’ve been given, so at least give me some credit for that. Besides, I’ve got a plan to deal with him anyway.”
To his credit, he at least made an attempt at sounding sheepish. “Sorry. Under the circumstances, it just sounds a little extreme, even for a vamp. He must want something out of you to put you in that kind of position.”
“No kidding.”
“There’s a bright side to this, though, since he didn’t tell you to cut ties with all employees, just with ‘The Circle.’ That means I can still technically help you as long as I’m doing it as your friend instead of as part of the coven, under the corporation’s cover. I’ll waive any fees since I’ve got a personal stake in this anyway.”
Well, fancy that. I hadn’t even thought of Royce’s terms that way. Maybe I did have more slack to work with than I thought, and I was really lucky Arnold was going to help me get through this pro bono. Getting a professionally trained mage to act as your metaphysical bodyguard generally was something only the very well-to-do could afford.
“Thank you.” I felt like ten-pound weights had just lifted off my shoulders. “I’m really grateful for all your help. You’ve already done a lot for me.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Like I said, I’ve got personal reasons for doing this, it’s not all for your sake. Oh, and where is this thing with your family? Are you leaving now? I’ll just meet you there and stick with you until I can figure out a better solution to keep you safe.”
Recalling the dice, the coke-bottle glasses, and the weird T-shirt, I couldn’t help cringing at the idea of having him show up at my brother’s birthday party. They’d probably think I was dating him, and I’d have to go along with it since I couldn’t tell them what he was really doing there.
“This can’t wait just a few more hours?”
He sounded less enthusiastic than I felt. “No. I don’t want to take any chances at having another death hanging over my head. Especially a preventable one.”
“Great.” I sighed, steeling myself for the inevitable twenty questions from Sara, my brothers, and worst of all, my parents. What the heck could be so dangerous as to merit having a mage bodyguard at a family barbeque? “Then you’re going to have to keep quiet around my relatives about what’s going on. And be prepared to deal with my overprotective brothers.” And politically incorrect parents. I sincerely hoped they wouldn’t realize right off that he was a spark. And even more, that they wouldn’t say something offensive.
“No sweat. Give me the address.”
I did, feeling more and more uneasy by the minute. My family hated that I was a PI instead of doing something “safe” like nursing or waitressing or being a secretary somewhere and “letting a man take care of me.” I briefly thought about asking him to pretend to be human, then realized resignedly that would make me even worse than my family for trying to make him be something he wasn’t. Besides which, I doubt he had any way of tamping down the aura that followed in the wake of any actively practicing mage.
“Great, I’ll meet you there in about an hour?” he said.
“Yeah, maybe an hour and a half.” I made a face at Sara as she mimed being love-struck, clasping her hands over her heart and fluttering her lashes goofily. I smacked her in the arm, wincing when she hit me right back. “See you there.”
As I ended the call, Sara once again kicked back in the chair, examining her nails. “You really think your dad isn’t going to notice he’s a mage?”
I shrugged, staring at the phone in my hand. “Maybe not at first. Eventually he’ll figure it out.”
“Guess you better get ready to face the music then.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, rising with a groan to head to the shower. “I guess so.”
Chapter 18
After I was ready, Sara and I drove to my parents’ place on Long Island, swinging by the mall so I could grab a latte and a gift. I felt especially cheesy for getting Damien a gift card and a movie, but I figured he’d get a laugh out of Zombie Cheerleaders from Outer Space and might forgive me if I gave him something cool later. Assuming I lived long enough to get the real gift I’d bought him, buried in a closet back at my apartment.
Though I wasn’t comfortable about it, I stuffed the belt and perfume into my duffel and put on the necklace before I left. The bag was perched in my back seat, and I felt a little better knowing I had some manner of weapon with me, even though I didn’t know how I’d ever bring myself to use it.
The street was shaded with old oaks and elms, the yards wide and deep, with lots of kids running around and riding bikes up and down the steep hill. I loved the view from up here; the balcony at the back of my parents’ house looked out on the water less than a mile away. The smell of salt was thick in the air and the sky faintly overcast, but it was clear and warm enough that it wouldn’t stop my dad from firing up the barbecue. It would probably rain tonight. Just what I needed to improve my mood.
Arnold was there already, though I almost overlooked him leaning against a high-end sports car, which probably had a monthly payment higher than most people’s mortgages. He hadn’t struck me as the type to drive something so flashy. Surprise, surprise, he was also wearing presentable jeans and a nicely unassuming black button-down shirt under a leather jacket, with the hint of a white T-shirt showing at his collar. Somewhere along the way he’d lost the glasses. He looked like a totally different person, and made me feel like a heel for thinking that someone that worked for a company as high profile as The Circle wouldn’t know how to dress.
“Hey, you made it,” I said. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Not long.” He turned to Sara, who was eyeing him from my side. He extended his hand to her in greeting. “Hi, I’m Arnold.”
“Sara.” She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Arnold.”
“She’s my partner.” I noted the strange look he was giving us and rolled my eyes. “My business partner.”
From the way his expression immediately cleared up, I knew he had been thinking Sara and I were an item. Ugh. Moving right along.
“Do you want to tell me now what you couldn’t say over the phone, or after you deal with my prying siblings?”
He frowned at me like I was foolish for asking. “I don’t think this is a good place for it. Why don’t we discuss it after we leave? In the car, maybe?”
“You planning on leaving your car here?” I asked, incredulous. I mean, not that there’s tons of crime in this neighborhood, but you don’t just leave a car like his sitting out in the middle of the street, even in suburbia.
He sighed, now obviously annoyed. “I thought I’d be driving, since I’m supposed to be watching over you, not the other way around. There are probably some people on the streets looking for you right now, which means they’re also going to be watching for your car.”
“Oh.” Brilliant. And here I thought I knew what I was doing, being Miss Bad Ass PI and all. “Okay, you’ve got a point. I’ll see if I can leave my car in my parents’ garage for the week, but I’ll need a cover story.”
“That’s easy enough,” Sara chimed in. “Just tell them that we’re all going to my place in the Hamptons for a week and you don’t want to leave your car in the garage at the apartment. Didn’t someone steal your radio a month ago?”
“More like three, but yeah. Good idea.”
With that settled, I headed toward my parents’ house. It was a fairly decent-sized two-story colonial with a vibrantly green front yard, whitewashed walls, and dark green trim. My mom likes traditional décor and my dad loves the rustic look, so along with antique furniture and plush carpeting, they have trophies and hunting equipme
nt hung up all over the place.
Someone had left the front door open, and I could hear a football game on the big screen in the living room. The three of us walked up the wide steps and through the screen door. My mom, who was an older, shorter, curvier version of me, poked her head out of the kitchen to see who was in the hall. She brushed a few faded red curls out of her eyes and smiled, a reflection of my own amber eyes glinting back at me.
“Hey, honey, you’re just in time. The potato skins and hot wings will be done in about five minutes. Who’s this you’ve got with you?”
Arnold peered over my head, lifting his hand in a friendly wave and smiling. “Hi there, Mrs. Waynest. I’m Arnold, hope you don’t mind my dropping in with Shiarra.”
“Not at all.”
She stepped into the hall to usher us in and give Arnold a warm handshake and a once-over. Not to mention shoot me a questioning look. There was something close to guilt behind it that made me instantly suspicious, though I couldn’t exactly say anything about it in front of Arnold.
“Is Janine coming?” Mom asked.
“No, I’m afraid not,” Sara said, amused.
My mom loved Sara and had taken her under her wing and wanted desperately to do the same with Janine. She invited her to everything and Janine always said no, except once when she unexpectedly showed up at a Superbowl party. Mom took the opportunity to try to pair her up with Damien, but it was a disaster and Janine never accepted another invitation again. Though we never knew whether it was her general fear of men or something about my brother (his horrible taste in movies, perhaps) that drove her off, I couldn’t say I was sorry not to have her along today. My mom still persisted in cheerfully inviting her to every family shindig we had. She was nothing if not tenacious.
“I think she’s still in London, but I’ll tell her you asked after her the next time I see her.”
“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Well, the boys are all in the living room watching the game, why don’t you go on in there and relax? I’ll bring the finger food out in a few minutes, and I’m sure Rob will be firing up the barbecue soon.”
“Sounds great,” Arnold said, giving me a sidelong look and a smile that bordered on sly. I couldn’t imagine why, and it made me even more uneasy.
“Thanks, Carol. Do you need help in the kitchen?” Sara asked.
“No, everything is just about ready. Go on inside, I’ll join you kids in a few minutes.” She hurried off into the kitchen, almost like she was trying to avoid further conversation. Usually she’d ask Sara and me to help or at least stand around and talk for a few minutes to see how we were doing. Weird. Especially since I’d brought Arnold. Every other time I brought a boy to the house, it always started with twenty questions, usually ending up with me embarrassed, if not the guy, too, so this was a nice change of pace.
Glad that we’d passed the first hurdle smoothly, I sincerely hoped my dad and brothers would be equally easy to deal with as I led the way to the living room. Damien and Mikey were avidly watching the game on the TV, and it looked like Mikey’s girlfriend, Angela, had curled up on the couch next to him and fallen asleep on his shoulder. I glanced to the side as I walked in and almost tripped over my own feet at what I saw.
My dad was in the corner playing chess with my ex-boyfriend.
Chapter 19
“Hey love, nice to see you,” Chaz said as I froze in horror in the doorway.
He looked just as good as ever, bright eyes as blue as the summer sky, blond hair sticking up in short, gelled spikes, and utterly oblivious to the cold spring winds outside, in a tight tank top that matched his eyes and did an admirable job of showing off his slightly hairy but firmly muscled arms and chest. Everyone but Angela looked up as Sara and Arnold came to a dead stop behind me, and I could almost feel the attention riveting on Arnold the second he appeared.
My dad rescued me by standing up. I know some gears must have been turning but he showed no sign as he wrapped one of his tree-trunk arms around my shoulders.
“Glad you made it, girls. And who’s this?” He didn’t let go of me as he extended his free hand to Arnold.
Arnold didn’t flinch at putting his much smaller hand in my dad’s, and I tensed in anticipation of it getting crushed in Dad’s grip. He used to play football, worked in construction for over twenty years, and was built like a truck. His thinning yellow-reddish hair was straight but almost as long as mine. He liked to tie it back at the nape of his neck, making him look like an aging heavy metal drummer or retired Hell’s Angel or something. Thankfully, Dad generally isn’t a “mutilate first, ask questions later” kind of guy, and he didn’t destroy Arnold’s hand when he shook it.
“Mr. Waynest? I’m Arnold. I’m a friend of Shia’s.”
“Nice to meet you, Arnold,” he said, glancing down at me before hastening into introductions. “I’m Rob. That’s Chaz at the chess table, and my boys Michael and Damien on the couch. That’s Mike’s girlfriend, Angela. Why don’t you come on in and have a seat?”
They each gave a little wave, except for Chaz, who looked like he was fighting an inner battle not to launch himself across the room for Arnold’s throat. He’d always been the jealous type.
Sara immediately headed to the far end of the room, plopping into one of the recliners and watching the rest of us with interest. I felt like a bug under a microscope as Mikey and Damien scooted over on the couch, making room for Arnold and me. Mostly it was Chaz making me nervous. What the hell was he doing here? I’d told my mom we’d broken up almost two months ago.
I sat down next to Damien and we hugged. “Happy b-day, little bro.”
Damien grinned at me, a younger, thinner version of my dad with my mom’s eyes and hair. He usually kept it cropped short and bleached it a little so it wasn’t a shock of fire red ringlets like mine and Mom’s. Mikey was the one who inherited the softer, straight coppery hair and green eyes of my dad, though both of them were built like him and took after him in the sports department.
“Thanks, sis. Hey, so, Arnold,” he said, leaning forward to peer around me at the mage, “what do you do?”
My mom walked in with a tray of goodies, throwing me a pained, apologetic look as she set it down on the coffee table. That made me about ninety-nine percent sure that she was the one who invited Chaz.
Arnold reached out to grab a potato skin. “I’m in security. How about you? Oh, and happy birthday, man. I didn’t realize or I would’ve brought something.”
Damien chuckled and took a hot wing. “Don’t worry about it. Security, huh? You and Shia must be like peas in a pod then. I’m a firefighter.”
Mikey added, “I’m a lawyer. Angela here is a paralegal. She’ll probably talk your ear off about it once she wakes up.”
He and Damien shared a grin, and I couldn’t help but add to it. Angela really is a chatterbox. A very blond, very cute, and very smart chatterbox. I hope the two of them get hitched soon; they’ve been dragging things out way too long.
Chaz made a move on the chessboard and got up, heading for the snacks. His movements were even more sinuous and snakelike than I remembered. I guess when Weres thought someone was horning in on their territory, they started acting more predatory.
“Any of you boys want a drink?” my mom asked, edging away from the table.
A chorus of “yeahs” came up from around the room and my mom skittered off back to the kitchen.
Chaz didn’t take any food but stood close, next to the couch, and kept his gaze riveted on Arnold. Even with his hands pocketed in his jeans, the air of suppressed violence made me glad I was sitting between two guys, even if there was nothing they could do against an angry werewolf anyway.
“So. How long have you two been together?”
Hoo boy. This didn’t bode well.
Arnold answered before I could even open my mouth. “Not long.” His tone of voice said “drop it” but it didn’t look like Chaz was about to back down. I couldn’t believe that Arnold was playing along with it li
ke we were an item.
“Guess you two met and sparks flew, hmm?”
I started at that emphasis, wondering how Chaz could possibly know he was a mage. Arnold leaned back, putting one arm up on the back of the couch and the other over my shoulder. I shot him a horrified look, but I think the only person who saw it was Sara, who looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.
“Something like that,” Arnold replied, his own tones as casually biting as Chaz’s. “That’s why we’re headed out of town after this. She mentioned being tired of being up at all hours, especially with the full moon coming. Wants to get away from all the furballs and fanged things coming out of the woodwork for a few days. Can’t say I blame her.”
I could have just about died right there. I could not believe a werewolf and a mage were having a pissing contest in my parents’ living room, veiled or not. Feeling this was getting way out of control, and far too fast, I cut in, a little desperately, “Um, Dad, how much longer before the barbeque? I’m starving.”
My dad looked up absently from the chessboard, though I knew he had been paying close attention to everything being said. He was a smart cookie; it would be a small miracle if he hadn’t realized what was going unsaid in the conversation just a few feet away. Mike was frowning and Damien just looked amused.
“I’ll go fire it up now. Mikey, Damien, come give your ol’ dad a hand.”
The boys got up, Mike carefully dislodging Angela so she could curl up on the couch. She stirred a bit but didn’t wake. Chaz stayed where he was, and I just sat stiffly next to Arnold, who was all too relaxed. The two Others sized each other up silently as my dad and brothers shuffled out of the room.
Once they were gone, Sara spoke up first. “Chaz, stop being a jerk. She broke it off with you two months ago. Why are you even here?”
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