Not Her Gargoyle: Shifter Romance (Not This Series Book 4)

by Annie Nicholas

  Landing on Ruby’s fire escape, he found the window cracked open for him. He smiled at the small gesture of kindness. She was one of the sweetest women. He recalled how fiercely she’d protected her sister from the vampire and himself when they had invaded the apartment. That felt like forever ago. She had been ready to fight them both. Brave and beautiful and kind.

  Once more he wondered why she didn’t have a mate.

  Nick climbed inside and found her on the couch, feet propped on the coffee table as she watched the evening news. Three empty bottles of beer sat next to the couch.

  “Honey, I’m home,” he sang out. He’d always wanted to say that.

  She gave him a huge grin and waved him over. “Come sit with me.”

  The couch seemed too small for the two of them so he sat on the floor in front of her instead, leaning his back against it.

  “Look.” She pointed to the television. “More gargoyles.”

  His brothers were on the evening news, flying over the city’s port. “Yeah, I know them.” The dragon would hear about this if he wasn’t already watching. Nick hoped his brothers would lie quiet for a few days so Eoin wouldn’t blast them from the skies.

  Ruby draped herself over his shoulders and handed him a beer, rubbing her face on his skin. “You’re very warm.” She snuggled closer between his wings, her arms lazily circling his neck from behind. “Can you shoot flames like the dragons?”

  He snorted and took a sip of beer. “No. Are you drunk?” He eyed the bottles. There were only three. Then again, she was much smaller than a gargoyle. Maybe three was all it took.

  “Nah, but I’m feeling good.” She sighed and seemed to melt against him. “I had an awful day.”

  He reached behind and scratched her scalp with the tips of his claws like he would any family member in distress. He knew from experience that it felt good. He’d had a bad day too. Touching her made him feel better.

  She moaned in his ear and it sent shivers down his spine. She bent over his shoulder more, giving him better access to her head. “That feels great.”

  He undid the pins holding her hair and allowed it to cascade over his chest before continuing to massage her scalp. “What happened?” She felt so soft and tiny. Delicate like an angel. A brief whiff of her sweet smell and he struggled with the urge to bury his nose into her hair.

  “What do you mean?” Her voice was muffled against his skin. Sleepy.

  “Why was today so awful?”

  “My boss sold the diner. I might be unemployed soon and my landlord is pressuring for rent.”

  Nick finished his beer, absentmindedly scratching Ruby’s head. Stalking her boss until he changed his mind on selling the diner would probably end up with the police being called. Killing him was not Nick’s style. “Who’s the new owner?” He moved his hands to her shoulders and gently massaged the knots. Maybe they could be convinced to keep Ruby as an employee.

  “The right side is worse than the left. Oh God, right there. Don’t stop.”

  Those breathless pleas made him shudder. His wings reflexively expanded. She was setting off instinctual triggers. He breathed through the strong urge to carry her away somewhere dark and secluded. Teach her a thing or two about gargoyle anatomy. The desire to show her exactly how good he was at making women scream grew. The good kind of scream. Not the bad kind. Well, he could make them do that, too.

  “I don’t know about the diner. I imagine I’ll meet them soon. My boss says that my job is secure—”

  “That’s good news.” He ran long strands of red hair under his nose. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. So, he didn’t have to beat anyone.

  “It is, but it’s also a lie. I’ve been through this before. The shifters are trying to clean up this area. They are building shifter oriented neighborhoods close to here and investors are gobbling up every available building.”

  “They are planning to make this neighborhood nicer?” That meant safer. Shifters were territorial and the majority responsible citizens. Any criminals in the area would be smart to move. He scratched his chin. Most shifters didn’t care for his kind.

  “Nicer means more expensive. It means my landlord can increase the rent, which means I’m going to have to move just like everyone else.”

  This wasn’t the Ruby he remembered. She seemed deflated draped over his body in defeat. “But you could find a better job at one of these new businesses.”

  “That’s if I can find a job. The last place I worked was a biker bar. The new owners renovated the place, it became an after-work lounge for hipsters. Then I was fired because I didn’t fit their expectations as a bartender.”

  “Oh.” He tried to sound like he understood. How had she not fit in at the bar? Was she too pretty?

  His confusion must have shown in his voice because she lifted her head and cupped his chin. “My manager complained that I flirted too much with the customers. I was accused of committing illegal acts after work by one of my coworkers, which was totally a lie. The damage was done though and I lost my job.” She sighed and coaxed him to continue massaging. “My feet would be happy if I lost my waitress job though. They are killing me.”

  “Why didn’t you say so sooner?” He drained his second beer and scooted her back onto the couch.

  She laughed. “You throw those back so fast. I would throw up if I did that too often.” She offered him a third beer.

  He turned around so he could face the couch and cupped her sore foot in his hands. “You drink that one. I think you need it more than I do.” Her feet were red and swollen as he worked on the knots on her soles.

  She twisted it open and took a sip. “How was job-hunting?”

  “Nothing so far, but I have prospects.” He wasn’t exactly lying. Just omitting his need for that charm. “Don’t you worry, Ruby. It won’t be long and I can help you with rent.”

  She poked his chest with her big toe. “You’re lying to me about something.”

  He raised his gaze and caught hers. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I’m good at reading people.” She set her beer aside and folded her hands over her stomach. “Keep rubbing.”

  Nick hid his smug smile and continued her foot massage. It wasn’t often that he was caught red handed and it only raised his appreciation of this fine woman. “It was made clear that as a gargoyle it will be difficult to find honest work in New Port.” Or anywhere.

  Ruby growled. “Pigheaded jerks. Discrimination against species is illegal, Nick.”

  “I know. It still happens.” He shrugged. Good intentions aside, he scared people.

  “Shifters don’t seem to have a problem finding work.”

  “Shifters can look human. So, can vampires.” He spread his wings and bared his huge canines. “What you see is what you get with gargoyles.” Nick pretended to serve her a plate. “May I get you anything else, my lady?” He waggled his stony eyebrows while giving her a toothy smile.

  She laughed. “I think you’re handsome.”

  “Well, you’re an odd duck.”

  “And charming.”

  He paused in his massage as if mulling over her description. “I can accept charming.”

  Ruby’s smile brightened. “And modest.”

  He placed his hand over his heart, enjoying her delighted laugh. “Don’t forget humble.”

  “Hmm, and good at changing the subject. You were gone all day. Don’t tell me you job-hunted the whole time.”

  Nick eyed her. Where was the harm in telling her the truth? She was quick and intelligent. Maybe she had an idea of how he could obtain a similar charm without being turned into a frog? Otherwise, he’d have to steal it. He didn’t know how Ruby would react to that. “I went to see a witch.”

  Her eyes rounded. “Not the one on Thirtieth Avenue?”

  “No…what’s wrong with that witch?” He hadn’t even known there was one there. Maybe she was cheaper than Nikita.

  “She’s mixed up with the drug cartel. Just stay away
from her. She’s trouble. What witch did you see?”

  “Nikita. Her shop is in the down town area. Hex and Curse. Close to Angie’s back scratching salon.”

  “Oh.” Ruby dragged out the word. “I’ve seen her ads on the sides of buses.”

  Nick told her about his encounter and the charm.

  “It really made you look human?” She gestured for him to switch feet.

  “Not just look like a human. I was human. Hair and all.” He grinned. “She said I was hot.”

  Ruby narrowed her eyes. “Did she now? Did she say or do anything else you’d like to share with me?” She jerked her foot from his grip.

  Her tone was a splash of cold water to his face. From her icy glare, he’d say she didn’t like to share. Jealousy? Women didn’t get huffy about other women unless they cared. He eyed Ruby and liked the possessive look in her eye. “No, she was a lady.” He’d keep the butt tap to himself if he wanted to keep his hide intact. He pulled her foot back into his hold and worked on soothing his she-devil. “That charm would make things much easier. I’d like to work an honest job for once.” He was tired of looking over his shoulder all the time. Running from dragons or whoever else he’d pissed off. Changing shape would be handy.

  “How much does she want for it?”

  Didn’t matter the price. He didn’t own a dime. “Ten thousand dollars.” He snorted.

  Ruby’s gaze softened and she looked away. Almost shy. “We could steal it.” She plucked her beer off the floor and took a swig, avoiding his watchful gaze.

  His heart pounded. “That’s the beer talking.” He hoped it wasn’t because she was reading his mind.

  She shook her head. “It’s desperation.” She sighed. “People like you and me, we have to make our own luck. Ten grand isn’t going to fall out of the sky. How does she expect you to pay when you can’t find a job?” She cleared her throat. “Uh…exactly how did you support yourself before moving to New Port?”

  “Stole, cheated, and conned.” He grinned. “I’ve done what I’ve had to. Feeding four gargoyles isn’t cheap.” As a race, they weren’t as drawn to material things like their dragon cousins. Adventure, fun, and mischief was what flowed in their veins. Some more than others.

  She sighed. “I’ve been in similar situations.”

  They were two halves of the same soul. He echoed her sigh. “I have been mulling over an idea.” He ran the pad of his thumb along the outside edge of her foot.

  She shivered. “I’m all ears.”

  “I can’t just steal it. She’ll know it’s me.”

  “And we don’t want to piss off a witch.”

  “Exactly.” He grinned as she echoed his earlier thoughts. “The only way I can get away with this is if she doesn’t even realize it’s gone.”

  “You keep saying I. We’re in this together.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want you involved.”

  “You can’t pull this off without me. How do you plan to replicate the charm?”

  “It doesn’t need to be an exact replica. She keeps it in a case full of other charms. I doubt she inspects every piece. The one I want looks like a small dream catcher with tiny pixie bones woven into the webbing. It just needs to look enough like the original so as not to draw her attention.”

  Ruby’s face paled. “Pixie bones?”

  “Don’t ask. I haven’t a clue where she gets them. I can carve them from twigs if I’m real careful or—”

  “Use mouse bones.”

  “Or that…where would I find those?” Ruby was full of surprises. He did need her.

  She pointed at the floor. “Sam in the basement is an owl shifter.” She scrunched her nose. “He’ll have the bones and I’m pretty crafty. Now, how do you plan to get back inside her shop without ten grand in your outstretched hands?”

  “Break in?” he asked, not sure of his plan anymore since she sounded so sure. He was a thief. He’d never claimed he was a good one. More of an opportunistic one.

  “Going at night would be suicide. Spells are expensive and the place must be tightly secured.” She tapped her chin in thought. “The magical wards would be down during the day while she’s at the shop. Otherwise her customers would be zapped when they entered.”

  “There’s a spell that goes off when someone enters. It sounds like a bell but I bet there’s more to it than that.” Because why use a regular bell? He scratched his chin, mimicking Ruby.

  She poked him in the ribs with her big toe. “Stop that.” Quirking an eyebrow. “We time our entrance together that way whatever is triggered she’ll think it’s me.” Her smile grew mischievous. “I knew you needed me.”

  If she only knew that he needed her like oxygen. Over the last few weeks while chained to the castle, she’d never been far from his thoughts.

  “Better yet, tomorrow’s my day off.”

  He restarted her massage and watched her melt back into the couch cushions. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you were flirting with me, Ruby.”

  “Is there something wrong with that?” She closed her eyes and moaned as he pressed on a sensitive spot on her other foot. “I’ve never been with a gargoyle.”

  Nick’s breath hitched in his chest. “Not surprising. We tend not to mate outside of our own species.” The fact that they couldn’t change to human like shifters made dating outside their race awkward.

  “Why not?” Voice sleepy, Ruby set her finished beer aside. “I’d marry you right now if I could. You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met.” She yawned and curled up on the couch. “I bet it won’t be long before someone steals you away.” A little snore followed.

  He leaned forward and watched her briefly. Asleep. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, savoring. “Maybe I’ll be the one to steal you instead.”

  Nick went to her bedroom to retrieve the blanket from her bed. It was like a bomb had gone off in her room. Clothes everywhere, womanly things like makeup and perfume crammed every inch of surface, shoes lined up like soldiers along the wall with the window. He kicked something hard under her bed and bent to inspect it. A plastic container with no lid was under it, filled with men’s clothes. They looked dusty and unused. An old boyfriend?

  What she had said still rang in his ears. That she would claim him as hers.

  He returned to the living room and spread the blanket over Ruby. He didn’t want to risk waking her by carrying her to her room. She seemed so peaceful right now. If he showed her that he could be human, she might take his flirtations more seriously. Most gargoyles stuck with gargoyles. He assumed some humans would feel the same. Maybe that’s why she was unmated. She was picky. He couldn’t stop himself from sniffing her hair once more. Ruby could afford to be picky.

  Challenge accepted. He would prove to her that he really could be the human mate she deserved.

  Chapter Eight

  Ruby ran her fingertips over her faux-pearl necklace. From the outside, Hex and Curse looked more like a chic boutique. It blended well with the other high-end stores lining the street. She’d once dreamed of spending a leisurely afternoon shopping in this area. Money not a worry. It seemed an empty wish now. One with no true understanding of what really was of worth. She understood that material things wouldn’t fill the void in her heart. That hole was gargoyle-shaped and she’d finally found the perfect match.

  Glancing at the dainty watch on her wrist, she counted the seconds. The piece was the only thing she owned from her mother. It was all that remained. She’d been forced to sell everything else. The thing was so old it didn’t even run on battery. She wore it because she’d had to give Nick her cell phone as a timepiece.

  They had spent the morning over cheap homebrewed coffee and expired yogurt planning the heist.

  The second hand reached the twelve. She took a deep breath then crossed the street to the shop. Ruby stood at the threshold with the door. A magical bell chimed. The ward around the building should cross right where she was standing and was probably connected to
the sound. She stayed put, wanting to give Nick every opportunity to cross over the ward without notice.

  From the back of the shop, a middle-aged woman with her hair up in an elegant French twist greeted her with a smile. She wiped her hands on a towel and untied the apron protecting her designer business dress. It was a subdued shade of blue but Ruby could tell from the hem and lack of visible buttons that her outfit was of quality work. The witch moved with self-assured grace.

  “Hello, my name is Nikita. How may I help you?”

  Nikita was everything Ruby aspired to be. Confident, independent, and well-off. She wanted to be her when she grew up.

  Nikita gestured for her to come inside. “You are triggering my greeting spell. The bells won’t stop chiming until the door closes.”

  As Ruby closed the door behind her, she glimpsed the time on her watch. Nick should be inside by now. She perused along the shelves of bottled spells, her heart a hummingbird in her chest. Food poisoning, pimple cures, anti-aging creams… She paused. “Does this stuff really work?” Damn, if they were ever caught she’d never be able to shop here.

  Nikita gave her a condescending smile. “Everything in my shop is authentic magic. I’m not some charlatan.”

  “Is the witch on Thirtieth Avenue a quack?” Taking note for future use. Who knew? Maybe she sold anti-aging creams as well.

  “No…” Nikita sat in a sitting area in the center of the store. She crossed her legs and Ruby couldn’t help but admire her heels.

  Ruby then spotted what looked like the tips of the pentagram painted on the marble underneath the furniture. “A living room seems out of place in the middle of a retail store.” She sat across from the witch, uninvited. The longer she kept her distracted, the better chance of Nick’s success.

  “I find it useful to chat with all my customers and prefer sitting while doing it.”

  “It’s the shoes, isn’t it?”

  The witch laughed and glanced at her three-inch heels. “You bet.”