“Can you come pick us up at my parents’ house?” she asked, and her tone had me instantly on alert.
“I’m on my way,” I assured her, grabbing my keys from the table and racing toward the garage. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone vandalized my car,” she began.
“In a witch neighborhood?” I asked because that wasn’t very common.
“The police are here, and they say it’s a spell,” she explained. “I think it may be one of your exes.”
I’d slid into the car, and my blood ran cold at the thought that this might somehow be my fault. “Why do you think that?”
“They painted the words die slut and he’s mine on my car,” she replied. “If it was just that, I’d drive it home, but they tampered with the engine and it needs to be towed to the shop.”
“Fuck,” I hissed. “I’m so sorry, Melina.”
She let out a shuddering breath. “This isn’t your fault, Trevor.”
As soon as my name left her lips, I heard voices in the background asking all sorts of questions. From the sound of it, she hadn’t told anyone who she was calling. I wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t told her family about our arrangement.
“I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” I mused.
“It was either have you pick me up or have one of them drop me at your house,” she stated, and then she laughed. The stress was still obvious in her voice, but I was glad she was finding humor in the situation.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I spent the last couple of hours listening to my aunts tell me I need to find a warlock, and that’s after I told them the real reason I was late. They thought I was joking. I was laughing just now because I suddenly found myself wondering why my car couldn’t have been vandalized earlier, so you could come over here to give me a reprieve from the nagging. I must be losing my mind.” This time, her laugh sounded almost hysterical. “I need to go answer all the questions being shouted at me from my nosy family.”
“I’ll be there soon,” I assured her. “Send me the exact address.”
After ending the call, I started making a mental list of any of my exes who might be crazy enough to vandalize Melina’s car.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Melina
The interview with the police had been a nice reprieve from the questions my family was tossing my way. It hadn’t taken long for them to figure out who Trevor was. His pursuit of me had been a big topic of witch gossip six months ago, and my family was a little annoyed with me for not mentioning my relationship with him. I opted not to tell them about the bet.
Things had finally settled down with the family interrogation when my aunt Lil thought of something new to ask about. “So, you weren’t teasing us about being spanked with a riding crop?”
“A riding crop?” Ravie gasped. “Mel! You dirty slut!”
I was grateful when the doorbell rang, and my dad opened the door to Trevor. Trevor ignored everyone, stalking across the room and dropping to his knees in front of the chair I was sitting on. His lips brushed against mine, and one hand cradled my cheek. “Are you okay, honey?” he asked, his eyes filled with worry.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “It’s just my car. The police are going to want a list of any exes who might have done this.”
Trevor nodded and kissed me again. “I’m so sorry this happened. I know you were shaken up when you called. I could hear it in your voice. Are you sure you’re okay now?”
“I really am doing better,” I insisted. Taking a deep breath, I decided to admit the truth. “I started to feel better as soon as you said you were on your way.”
Trevor looked relieved and pleased with my answer.
When my dad cleared his throat, Trevor stood to face him. While Trevor was at least six inches taller than my dad, no one would be foolish enough to believe Trevor was the more powerful male in the room. Still, Trevor didn’t look the least bit intimidated, which I had to respect.
“Ralph Blackwood,” my dad said with a nod.
“Trevor Dupree,” Trevor replied with a nod of his own. “I’m seeing your daughter.”
At my father’s raised eyebrow, Trevor laughed. “That sounded stupid. Of course, you’ve already figured out I’m dating your daughter.”
My dad’s chuckle was a good sign that he liked Trevor, or at the very least he was amused by him.
“When can we expect your affinity test to take place?” Lil asked with a sweet smile.
“In a couple of weeks,” Trevor replied, and I was tempted to smack him. “Melina needs a little more convincing.”
“It can’t hurt to take the test, Mel,” Muri chimed in. “From what I’ve heard, Trevor’s never even considered taking the test before. You might be his one and only.”
I gritted my teeth, knowing Trevor was only telling them what he believed to be true, and I was honestly warming to the idea. After some thought, I didn’t think I could put much stock in Trevor’s belief that he’d effectively tested our magic since we’d both been wearing spelled items. Still, the fact that Trevor had reacted favorably to what I’d believed was an attack by my magic made me wonder if he might be right about us. I’d certainly felt better when he’d arrived at my parents’ house.
Trevor turned, and his eyes landed on me. He looked somewhat vulnerable, and I knew he wasn’t sure how I’d react to his proclamation.
“We’ll let you know the details when we have them,” I finally said.
Trevor moved toward me, ignoring the many questions from my aunts. He reached a hand down, and when I took it, he helped me to my feet and hugged me, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “Thank you for giving me a chance.” His voice sounded choked with emotion, and I blamed the stress of the day for making us both over-emotional.
When Trevor released me and faced my family again, the introductions started, and Trevor looked overwhelmed with their many questions, including several about the riding crop.
“We should let Mel go home,” my mom interjected, saving us from further interrogation. “The poor girl looks like she’s going to drop.”
My mom went up on tiptoes to kiss Trevor’s cheek. “Take care of my baby,” she said in a no-nonsense tone. “She’s not nearly as tough as she likes to think she is.”
Thankfully, after that, we were able to collect my familiar, who was thrilled to see Trevor, and head home. After sliding into the passenger seat of Trevor’s car, I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“I’ll always come for you,” he said with sincerity, and then chuckled. “Is it just me, or did that sound perverted?”
I laughed. “You are such an ass.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Trevor
Yesterday had been an emotionally trying day, and I was grateful we didn’t have anything planned for today. I was curled up on the sofa with Melina, watching some truly awful chick flick, but I honestly didn’t mind as long I could spend the day with my witch. The police had phoned me shortly after we’d gotten home and taken the names of every ex who might be crazy enough to go after Melina. They’d done nothing to hide their shock at the number of names I’d given them.
It wasn’t until the doorbell rang that I remembered the plans I’d made with Allie and Dylan. “Damn,” I muttered.
“Are you expecting someone?” Melina asked.
“Dylan and Allie,” I admitted. “I was going to tell you so you could decide if you wanted to hang out somewhere else while they visit, but then one thing led to another and I was spanking you. In case I haven’t mentioned it yet today, that was hot.”
“You’ve mentioned it,” Melina replied with a laugh. “There’s no reason for me to go somewhere else. If they haven’t heard about me staying here yet, they will soon enough. My aunts are not good at keeping secrets.”
I watched her delectable ass sway back and forth as she left the room, presumably to open the front door. After a brief hesitation, I followed her.
Allie’s bright smile turned to a frown of confusion when Melina answered my door, and I couldn’t blame her. Even though Allie had subtly encouraged me to try to talk to Melina at the wedding, she’d probably assumed Melina had managed to avoid me since we hadn’t once been seen together. As near as I could tell, Dylan’s mom was the only one who knew I’d tracked down Melina that day, and Dylan’s mom was good at keeping a secret—when she wanted to, that is.
“What are you doing here?” Allie asked.
Dylan was grinning from ear to ear, and I knew he’d already figured it out. “I am dying to hear this story, Trev. Last I heard, Melina was avoiding you, and now she’s in your house. I’d say you must have kidnapped her, but she doesn’t appear to be here against her will.”
“So, we’re the first people you’ve talked to since you got back?” Melina asked.
“I talked to my parents, and Allie called her mom,” Dylan replied.
It was no surprise Allie hadn’t spoken to her father since they weren’t very close.
“I’m staying with Trevor for a little while,” Melina admitted.
“Why?” Allie practically gasped and then gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Trevor. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m just surprised that Mel moved in with you so quickly.”
“I didn’t move in with him,” Melina argued.
“You live here,” I reminded her.
“How about if we take this inside instead of giving your neighbors a show?” Dylan suggested.
“Good idea,” I agreed, and led them into the family room where I’d been watching the movie with Melina.
Allie took one look at the movie paused on the screen and cringed. “Oh, Trevor, you’re never going to convince Mel to stay by making her watch these movies. She hates them.”
I quirked one eyebrow and looked at Melina. “Is that so? What kind of movies does she like?”
“Action films with a lot of killing,” Allie replied.
“You’re trying to punish me for what happened to your car!” I accused.
“Maybe a little,” Melina admitted with a grin.
“I’ll deal with you later,” I warned and didn’t miss the fine tremor that ran through my witch’s body. Her reaction had me wondering how long I had to visit with Allie and Dylan before tossing them out.
Allie’s cheeks heated, and she pretended to fan herself. “Oh, my! I guess I don’t need to ask if this is platonic.”
As a succubus, Allie could easily pick up on the sexual tension between me and Melina.
“What happened to Mel’s car?” Dylan asked.
“It was vandalized by a witch,” Melina explained.
“One of my exes,” I added when it seemed Melina wasn’t going to point the finger at me.
“How do you know it was one of your exes?” Dylan asked. “It could have been a witch upset with her about the portrayal of witches on Night High.”
“What they painted on her car made it obvious this was about our relationship, not the show,” I explained. “So, it’s my fault some crazy witch went after Melina. As I made the list of possible suspects for the police, it occurred to me that I have far too many crazy exes.”
Melina let out an annoyed huff. “I already told you this is not your fault.”
“Yet you’re punishing me with this movie,” I reminded her. “Clearly, you blame me, even if you won’t admit it.”
“Fine,” she snapped, and her magic lashed out at me, nearly making me come in my pants. I’d convinced her to stop wearing anything to dampen her power around me, so I was in a near-constant state of arousal now. “I’m mad about this, and I feel the need to punish someone. I’m being a bitch because, logically, I know this isn’t your fault. You’re not an asshole who intentionally hurt the witches you dated in the past. You didn’t dare them to come after me, and I could have walked away from you in the beginning if I had a problem with you having so many crazy exes.”
“We both know I basically trapped you into this arrangement,” I argued.
Melina snorted. “Trapped me? Bet or not, I could walk out of this house anytime I want.”
“What bet?” Dylan asked, not surprisingly latching onto that one word.
Melina ignored Dylan and continued. “If I told you I was done and asked you to let me go, you’d do it.”
“I’m not so sure you’re right about that,” I insisted. “Common sense and reason have nothing to do with the way I react when I’m around you.”
“She’s right, Trevor,” Allie agreed, looping an arm around my waist to hug me. “You’re a good guy. I am so happy for you both!”
“We aren’t technically a couple,” Melina said and then cringed when she looked at me. “I mean, things aren’t set in stone yet. Anything could happen.”
“Stop,” I told her. “I get that you’re not ready to admit to what we have. I’m happy with what you admitted yesterday, so stop before one of us says something stupid.”
She was getting ready to argue when my phone rang, and I was relieved that we weren’t going to be able to continue this discussion. Melina could be the most infuriating woman. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to carry her back to my room and fuck her senseless. In fact, fucking her senseless sounded like a great way to end this argument. Instead, I pulled my phone from my pocket and answered the call from a number I didn’t recognize.
“Hello.”
“Is this Trevor Dupree?” inquired a gravely male voice.
“Yes, it is,” I confirmed.
“Mr. Dupree, this is Detective Anson, and I’d like to speak with you about the death of a witch by the name of Lindsey Mason.”
“Lindsey is dead?” I asked, genuinely shocked by the news. While I knew Melina hadn’t heard from her since she’d failed to show up for filming nearly two weeks ago, I hadn’t given much thought to where she might be. In all honesty, I’d just been glad she wasn’t harassing me or Mel.
“Yes, Mr. Dupree,” the detective replied. “Can I come by now? I’ll give you more details when I arrive.”
“Of course,” I told him. “I’m home.” I rattled off the address, and the detective told me he’d be here in about fifteen minutes, meaning he probably already knew where I lived and had been on his way when he’d called.
“What happened?” Melina asked immediately.
I shook my head. “I have no idea. Lindsey is dead, and I can only assume that since the police want to talk to me, something horrible happened.”
Dylan looked concerned. “Do you need me to stay in a legal capacity?”
“No,” I replied. “You and Allie should head home. We’ll get together another time.”
“I think we’ll hang out here until this is over,” Allie jumped in. “Dylan should be here in case you need him.”
I was about to argue when Melina pinched my thigh. I looked at her. “Are you pinching me because you want Dylan to stay? Or, do you just like abusing me?”
“Both,” she replied. “Allie is going to worry if you make her leave, and Dylan obviously wants to be here in case you need him.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” I insisted. “Plus, I’m also a lawyer, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client,” Allie added.
“Fine,” I relented.
When the doorbell rang, Dylan and Allie headed toward the kitchen, while Melina followed me to the door. “You can always go to the other room with Allie and Dylan.”
Based on the glare directed at me, she was not going to leave me to talk to the police alone.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Melina
My eyes narrowed, and I aimed one of my scarier looks at Trevor for his idiotic suggestion.
“Or, you could stay with me,” Trevor wisely added as he opened the door.
There were two shade detectives standing on Trevor’s porch, and they were certainly an odd couple. Shades had no body of their own, so they either created one,
or they possessed a human. Since possessing humans was illegal, the police created a form to their liking. The first detective had a slovenly appearance, complete with a rumpled brown suit. He was short with thinning black hair, beady brown eyes, and a pudgy belly. The other detective was tall, with light auburn hair resting at his broad shoulders. He had stunning green eyes, and full lips. His perfect form was encased in black dress pants and a green dress shirt that matched his eyes.
“Mr. Dupree?” the slovenly detective inquired. When Trevor nodded, he continued. “I’m Detective Anson and this is Detective Morelli.”
“This is Melina Blackwood,” Trevor introduced me. “She’s staying with me.”
Detective Morelli’s perfect mouth curled into a sensual smile as his eyes landed on me. “How fortuitous,” he remarked in a formal tone. “We had hoped to speak with Ms. Blackwood, as well.”
“Ms. Blackwood,” Detective Anson, greeted with a nod.
“Shall I interview the lady?” Detective Morelli asked in a silky voice.
“You interview Dupree,” Detective Anson responded.
I looked over, not sure how Trevor would react to a man who probably had women throwing their panties at him flirting with me. Trevor seemed amused by the whole thing.
“I’m sure Ms. Blackwood would feel much more comfortable if I were the one interviewing her,” Detective Morelli insisted, and I couldn’t help myself. I laughed at his arrogance. Maybe it was my years of experience dealing with actors, but I found myself unimpressed with his pretty-boy attitude. It was nothing like Trevor’s sexy confidence.
“Actually, I’d prefer to be interviewed by Detective Anson,” I said. “First, can you tell us what happened to Lindsey? She didn’t show up for work almost two weeks ago, and no one at the network has heard from her since then.”
“She has a history of that sort of thing,” Trevor added, before correcting himself. “Had a history.”
“Some time in the last seven days, she was murdered,” Detective Anson began. “When her family couldn’t reach her by phone for several days, they went by her house and found her body. Someone had painted on the wall in the room where she was found.”
Shamelessly Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 2) Page 19
