Holding Out For A Hero: SEALs, Soldiers, Spies, Cops, FBI Agents and Rangers

by Piñeiro, Caridad

  “Gideon,” the woman leaning against the podium said.

  “Tilda,” he returned. “I didn’t realize hell offered day passes.”

  Miki gasped at the nasty bitterness in Gideon’s tone.

  Next to her, his body was rigid with tension. His arm had fallen from her shoulder, and he didn’t seem to notice she was even there. Of course, neither did anyone else in the room. All eyes were on the slinky blonde up front.

  Miki narrowed her eyes at the woman, a sense of familiarity nagging in the back of her mind. She knew she’d never seen her before, though. After all, that overblown sexuality wouldn’t be easy to forget, even for a woman used to the plastic perfection of Southern California.

  A lush body filled an icy-blue dress so well, Miki had to wonder if the fabric had been sewn in place. The face was a work of cold perfection, almost-white brows drawn together over pale blue eyes.

  That’s when it hit her. The woman was the Winter Queen of Miki’s vision the previous night. Tension, already tight from the energy floating through the room, ratcheted up a dozen notches. Miki steeled herself, both physically and emotionally. This woman was trouble.

  “Aren’t you the clever one, Gideon? After all these years, I’d apparently forgotten how quick you were.” She looked him over like a starving woman looks at a feast. With a deep hunger and an almost predatory gleam in those calculating eyes. Miki unconsciously moved closer to Gideon. Whether it was to claim her territory or to protect him, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was this woman looked like she wanted to eat him alive.

  Then spit out his bones.

  That’s when the tingling at the back of Miki’s neck registered. She squinted, then relaxed her gaze enough to take in the stranger’s aura.

  Her heart sped up and her mouth went dry. She bit her lip and tried to align her jumbled thoughts.

  The woman was a witch. And unlike most Miki had spent her life around, this one carried an air of nasty self-indulgence that scared the hell out of Miki.

  “What are you doing here,” Deloris spat. Miki glanced at Gideon’s mother and caught her breath. She’d thought the woman hated her, but that had been nothing compared to the ugly animosity being aimed at the Winter Queen. “Get the hell out of Rossdale, you’re not welcome here.”

  “Now, now, Deloris. Is that any way to speak to your daughter-in-law?”

  Miki gasped. Gideon’s ex-wife was a witch?

  The sound must have caught the blonde’s attention, because the woman turned her cold blue gaze on her. A slow, insolent inspection and a flick of those eyes later, and just like that, Miki was dismissed as unworthy of her notice.

  Miki clenched her fists.

  “What do you want, Tilda?” Gideon asked in a low voice.

  “Why, darling, I’m sure you know exactly why I’m here.” She snapped her fingers and, to the gasping shock of the crowd, a flyer declaring Gideon for mayor appeared in her hands. “Tut tut, I thought we’d settled this a long time ago, Gideon.”

  Gideon gave a careless shrug. “Times change, Tilda. Get over it. You have no power here, no reason to be around. Go back to wherever you’ve been and enjoy your life. We’re through. We have been for years.”

  Tilda tilted her head, then gave it a slow shake and a regretful sigh.

  “Darling, of course we’re not through. Well, you and I aren’t. This pitiful town, on the other hand, is quite finished.”

  Ignoring the whispers and shock running through the room, Gideon frowned. Then his face darkened with a look that Miki could only describe as hate. Fear, real fear, moved through her as the undercurrents of anger and violent energy threatened to engulf the room.

  “You did it, didn’t you?” he said quietly. His words, so low and vicious, quieted the entire room. Heads craned and eyes darted between Gideon and Tilda. “You’re behind the vandalism. And you destroyed the factory.”

  “No,” Miki breathed. It wasn’t that she was completely naïve, but to use one’s powers in such a vile way? If Miki had incurred karmic retribution over a simple-if-justified spell on her ex-husband, this woman had to be up for some mighty strong retribution. Didn’t she know that?

  Miki looked closer, and in those icy eyes, she saw no signs of remorse or caring. That’s when she realized the woman not only didn’t care about karma, she probably didn’t believe in it. Not that belief was necessary for karma, it was a non-denominational force. But, because of her own brush with karma, Miki knew the woman’s powers had to be affected. Either that, or she was tapping into some other force to keep retributory fate at bay.

  “I warned you long ago, Gideon, not to mess with me. Just like I warned that little cockroach, Compton. Where is he hiding, by the way?”

  “What do you want?” Deloris demanded, her face so white Miki worried she might pass out. “Why are you trying to destroy our town?”

  “Trying? Look around, old woman. I’ve already destroyed it. Your pitiful attempts to breathe life into it are just as doomed as that stupid doll shop.”

  She stood, her presence filling the room with a dreadful kind of energy. Everyone stared at her, most trembling in fear. The only ones who didn’t seem overwhelmed by her were Deloris, Miki, and Gideon.

  “I’ll give you all until tomorrow night to clear out. Then I lay waste to this joke of a town. If you doubt me, just look at the ashes of that factory.”

  She snapped her fingers, and to the gasps and moans of the gathered people, ashes fell from the ceiling, along with small, charred figures. Miki recognized them as the town’s collection of Spud Dolls she’d once laughed at in the General Store window.

  Tilda waited a beat, as if making sure her message got through, then cleared her throat. Everyone’s gaze locked on her.

  “I’m being more than generous in giving you a day to gather your belongings and clear out of town. I warned you, Gideon, that if you ever had the gall to go against my wishes and run for mayor, I’d end this town.”

  She held out her hand, palm up, and in a flash, a small desk plaque proclaiming Gideon Ross, Mayor, appeared on her fingertips.

  She clenched her fist, and the plaque crumbled. With long, elegant fingers, she scattered the dust at her feet and tilted her head.

  “You were warned, now these people will pay the price.”

  Tilda raised both hands over her head. She looked at the terrified faces surrounding her and gave an evil little laugh.

  “And please, don’t be foolish enough to think that little witch can save you.” Those ice-blue eyes flicked over Miki, leaving a cold trail of contempt in their wake. “After all, she’s the reason Gideon doomed you all to destruction.”

  In a flash of lightning and a thunderous boom, she was gone.

  * * *

  How could she go from accepted and welcomed to reviled and hated in just ten minutes? Miki pictured the angry faces, the hurtful words of the people who seemed to blame her for Tilda’s destructive return. Who knew it would hurt so bad to lose people whose respect she’d had less than a week?

  And Gideon? He’d patted her arm, absently told her he couldn’t talk to her right then, and walked off in a daze. Goddess only knew where he’d gone, although plenty of townspeople had tried to find him.

  Her head still reeling with shock, Miki stood outside an immaculate two-story house and tried to calm herself. While she let her breathing steady, she took in the structure.

  It was hard to imagine such a lovely piece of architecture looking boring, but somehow it did. All whites, creams, and the palest of tan, the house screamed uptight control.

  The perfect home for Fish-Face.

  Her thoughts still spinning from the evening’s events, Miki wanted to just go home and drink coffee. Then, once she’d snagged a nice caffeine buzz, she wanted to pack up and leave. But she couldn’t. Not until she understood what had happened. What was really going on.

  Since Gideon wouldn’t talk to her, she was left with only one option.

  She raised her hand and used t
he monogrammed brass knocker to announce her presence.

  When Deloris came to the door, Miki was glad to see the woman had regained a little color. Then she caught a whiff of her and as her eyes began watering, realized the color was straight from the bourbon bottle.

  “Mrs. Ross, I need to talk to you.”

  “Why would I want to talk to you?” Deloris demanded, her eyes glassy bright as she glared. “You’ve already managed to destroy my son and my town. What’s left?”

  “Look, I haven’t done anything and you know it. That nasty woman is responsible for whatever you think is going on.” Miki took a deep breath and committed herself to something she had no idea if she could handle. “I can’t stop her unless I know what that is. What’s really going on?”

  She waited, watching the struggle on Deloris’s face. Miki wasn’t sure if it was the booze or if the woman actually believed she could stop the destruction, but Deloris finally, reluctantly, stepped aside and waved Miki in.

  Miki entered and stopped short in the arched entry to the living room. She barely held back her laughter, knowing Deloris would take it wrong.

  But how many shocks was a person supposed to take in one day?

  First she’d had reason to hope Gideon did have serious feelings for her and was willing to accept her, magic and all.

  Then she discovered the ex-wife of the man she loved was a vindictive bitch with enough power to make her nasty wishes into an ugly reality.

  And now? Now she walked into a boring little house in a remote Idaho town, and found all the pieces of her old life arranged neatly around the living room.

  “Nice furniture,” she snickered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, really. But if you ever decide you’re done with that couch, I know a guy who really wants to buy it.”

  Deloris squinted at her, then at the couch, then back.

  Miki couldn’t resist a grin.

  Then it sank in. Deloris opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Eyes round, she shook her head. Miki nodded.

  “SweetRevenge?” Deloris asked.

  Miki gave a tired laugh. “Is that what screen name Ryan used? I didn’t handle the actual eBay sales, my brother did. I hope you didn’t pay too much, that’s one hell of an uncomfortable couch.”

  Which reminded her. Miki hurried over to run her hands over the slick fabric. She ignored Deloris’ outraged demands to leave it alone, and turned the cushions to check the zippers. On the last one, she found it.

  Reaching into the cushion, she pulled out an envelope. Standard size ten, it could have simply held cleaning instructions.

  But Miki knew better.

  She opened it and tried to decipher the printout. Deloris stood on tiptoe to read over her shoulder.

  “Swiss account?” Deloris asked softly.

  “Is that what it is?” Miki bit her lip, then shrugged. Why didn’t she feel anything? She’d found the proof of Perry’s treachery, and could not only reclaim half, if not more, of their money back. She could reclaim her old life, or make a new one in style.

  Obviously reaching the same conclusion, Deloris came around and poked a finger at the papers.

  “Good. You can leave now.”

  “Right,” Miki agreed. She shoved the papers back in their envelope and put it in her back pocket. “Except I’m not going anywhere. I love your son, so get used to it. I’ll do whatever I can to help him, to help Rossdale. Why don’t you pull that stick out of your ass and help me?”

  “You? You’re as bad as Tilda.”

  “Hardly,” Miki sneered.

  “You’re a witch, aren’t you? Which explains quite a few things, like why my son is attracted to you. Or was attracted to you. Don’t think I didn’t hear him telling you to leave, to go home. Gideon doesn’t want you here, nobody does.”

  Once, that would have sent Miki to her knees trying to scrape together a shred of confidence. But now? Now she knew better.

  “Right. You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. In the meantime, tell me about Tilda and Gideon.”

  “What about them?” Deloris asked reluctantly. Miki wasn’t sure if it was a sign that she believed her or if she was just giving in to the buzz, but the older woman dropped to one of the tan chairs Miki hated so much and gestured to Miki to be seated.

  She did, reluctantly. Not because of Deloris, but because she’d promised herself she’d never put her ass on that horrid couch again.

  “What happened? Did you know she was a witch? Did the town know?” Miki held her breath, her future hinging on the answer. “Did you all run her off because of it?”

  “We didn’t run that woman off, although I’d have liked to. She was my son’s wife, so I tried to accept her.”

  Miki waited.

  “Fine. Yes, I knew,” Deloris admitted with a huff. She crossed her arms over her breasts and scowled. “And her leaving was proof positive that Lucas’s mother was right. There’s no place for that mumbo jumbo crap here. So, yeah, I knew she was a witch. But I kept my mouth shut.”

  Miki’d bet half of the money she’d just found that it’d almost killed Deloris to keep her mouth shut.

  “She left on her own. She dragged that boy down in the dumps lower than we’d ever seen him. She made his life miserable, always bitching and wanting more and more. She hated this town and didn’t bother to hide it.”

  “Why did Gideon bring her here then?”

  “Because of that witch stuff. I’m sure he thought that’d be the answer to Rossdale’s issues. That if he brought magic back to the town, it’d heal.”

  “Do you believe that, too?”

  “I believe it takes more than a bit of magic to heal things. The prophecy states love, magic, and faith. She didn’t love him, and he had no faith. Without those, all the magic in the world isn’t enough.”

  There’s a New Witch in Town: Chapter Sixteen

  Could this damned day get any worse? She’d woken up sure she could sway Gideon from his anti-witch stance with a few romantic gestures. Now? Now she was damned near anti-witch herself.

  Miki wrenched the steering wheel to the left, pulling her car out of the bumpy weed patch just before she ended up in an irrigation ditch. She wiped the tears off her cheeks and tried to focus her swollen eyes on the road.

  After her chat with Deloris two hours ago, she’d been discouraged, but still determined to find a way to help Gideon. She’d looked everywhere for him, even going as far as asking at least a dozen belligerent townspeople for help. But nobody knew where he was. At least, they didn’t admit they did.

  Of course, they’d all been so busy hurling insults, threats, and blame, it was hard to tell. She’d finally given up and headed home. Now all she could think of was losing Gideon, which probably made her just as selfish and absorbed as the townspeople claimed.

  Panic surged through Miki as she drove down the darkening country road. She had to find him. Had to talk to him, even if he didn’t want to talk to her. Even if he was through with her, which seemed to be the case.

  Because no matter what his feelings toward her were, the town needed him. Needed both of them. Everyone was so scared, some were even packing. A few had grabbed family heirlooms and headed out of town already.

  Swallowing hard, Miki tried to ignore the tight ball of pain coiled in her belly. She wanted to scream through the tears. How could Gideon just take off? How could he avoid her after all the revelations? People were even saying he was so torn up, he’d abandoned them.

  They were wrong, of course. Gideon would do something. Hopefully, she could help him. They had to work together, had to stop things before they got worse.

  As much as he might hate all witches right now, she was the only chance he had against his ex-wife.

  She pulled up in her driveway and, seeing the figure on her porch, let out a little growl. With a flick of her finger, she cast a glamour to clear the evidence of her emotional breakdown.

  At least
now she knew who the ice bitch was.

  “You’re on private property,” Miki said as she got out of her car and slammed the door. Cliché, sure, but she didn’t know what else to say that didn’t focus on swear words.

  “I won’t stay long,” the blonde drawled, pulling away from the pillar she’d leaned on. “Of course, neither will you.”

  “Really?”

  “Look, you’re a cute little thing and I’m sure Gideon had fun with you.” Tilda’s voice took on a hypnotic rhythm as she descended the steps with fluid grace. “He’s partial to women with a little something extra. He’s also extremely prejudiced. He won’t stay with you, no matter what he promises.”

  Miki sneered at her words, but a strange sort of lassitude fell over her and she couldn’t find the strength to rebut them.

  “All he wants from you is to answer that silly prophecy he seems to think holds weight. You and I both know it’s ridiculous. We both know true power. Gideon? All he wants is to use you. Use you for the town, and since it’s so easy, use you for sex.”

  Miki wanted to protest, but the words were buried somewhere in her head and she couldn’t pull them to the surface.

  “Go home, little girl. Tonight is the full moon and I’m taking back what’s mine. I suggest you get out of my way.”

  Like shaking off a bad dream, Miki struggled to focus. “I won’t let you destroy this town or hurt these people.”

  Tilda leaned back her head, a contemplative look on her cold face.

  “Do you really think you can stop me?”

  Miki couldn’t seem to think anything, her head was so foggy. But she gave a defiant nod anyway.

  “Tell you what, little girl. If this town means so much to you, I’ll make you a deal.” Tilda paused to inspect her long, manicured fingernails. Then she gave Miki an icy smile. “You leave. Now, tonight. In return, I’ll spare the town. I won’t level the houses. I won’t even force the people to leave.”