“Absolutely not.” She lightly slapped her boyfriend’s hand and shook her head.
“I was just giving him a little treat,” Cooper protested. “One taco isn’t going to kill him.”
“No, but it may kill us,” she countered. “He’ll be sleeping in the same room with us tonight, in case you’ve forgotten.”
Cooper’s face was impassive. “That’s how it is every night, except for the rare occasion he stays with Tyler.”
“Yes, but if Jinx eats Mexican food, he’s going to stink up the entire apartment and we’re going to wish we’d sent him with Tyler. That’s what I’m saying.”
Tyler snorted as realization dawned on Cooper.
“Oh.”
“Oh,” Hannah agreed, ignoring the hangdog express on Jinx’s face. “He’s a tootin’ machine when cheese and taco meat are combined in his stomach. I can’t explain it.”
Tyler snickered at the profoundly sad expression on the dog’s face. It was as if he could understand what Hannah was saying ... and took it personally. “Sorry, boy. I think you’re going to have to wait to have your dinner upstairs.”
Jinx harrumphed and went to the bed Hannah kept for him close to the bar and curled up in it, his gaze dark as he watched the trio down their food.
“He might try to smother us in his sleep now,” Cooper noted. “Maybe we should just lock him out of the bedroom. He can stink up the rest of the apartment and we’ll be none the wiser.”
Jinx lifted his head, clearly intrigued by the suggestion, but Hannah was having none of it.
“No. As long as there are creatures out there trying to hurt us, I want him to sleep in the bedroom with us. I ... know he’s big and he takes up half the bed so we’re forced to cuddle together on the one side, but he’s all I had for a long time and I can’t put him at risk.”
Cooper’s heart went out to her and he grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that. Of course he can sleep with us.” He sent a rueful smile toward the dog. “I’m sorry, buddy. I tried to get you a taco. You’re going to have to suffer.”
Hannah made a clucking sound with her tongue and shook her head. “How did I suddenly become the ogre in this situation?”
“Because dudes are fine with farts,” Tyler replied smoothly, not missing a beat. “Not to be a glutton for punishment or anything, but I want to go back to what you guys were talking about when I came in.”
Cooper’s expression was pained as he pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “Apparently Jinx isn’t the only one being punished.” He took a steadying breath. “Listen, I am really sorry about what happened. I would never hurt you ... or say that and mean it ... or try to demean you in any way. I don’t think I’m better than you. I don’t think you’re less than me. I am just ... so sorry.”
Tyler studied him for a long beat and then smiled. “Thank you. I would appreciate if you stopped beating yourself up, though. I’m not talking about that part of it. I know you’re sorry ... and I’m not taking anything you said personally.
“If you remember, I believe I said something horrible about you and Hannah and that outfit she wears to tend bar,” he continued. “I deserved a beat down for that. Do you think I meant it, though? Do you think I really believe those horrible things I said?”
Hannah was taken aback. “What did you say about me in my barmaid uniform? Wait, I don’t want to know.” She held up her hand and shook her head. “I’m telling you those uniforms are the worst. I look like a prostitute in mine.”
“You look hot in yours,” Cooper countered. “And don’t you worry about what he said. Honestly, I’d forgotten about it until he brought it up just now.”
“That’s because you know I didn’t mean it,” Tyler prodded. “I know you didn’t mean what you said either. It’s okay. I forgive you, and I think we’d both be happiest if we could put this behind us.”
Cooper held his friend’s gaze long enough to search for hints he was lying and came up empty. “Let’s put it behind us then.”
The friends briefly clasped hands and bobbed their heads, making Hannah grin because it was such a “man” way to react. “So, let’s go back to what I was saying,” she prodded. “I still think Cooper managed to control his urges. I mean ... he obviously couldn’t completely stop the magic, but he managed to fight off part of it, and that’s not the first time either.”
“Excuse me?” Cooper was understandably confused. “What are you talking about?”
“The first time Frank tried to control you,” she replied, not missing a beat. “It was when Rob was killed. You were fired up, but when I made a suggestion to you, I could see your mind working. You wanted to shoot me down at first, but something inside had you thinking better of it and you agreed with me. You fought him then and I think you fought him this afternoon.”
“I ... don’t know that I believe that,” he hedged, conflicted.
“For what it’s worth, I think Hannah is right,” Tyler offered, grabbing more tacos. The rustling wrappers had Jinx raising his head, but when no one offered him a treat, he made a grumbling sound and turned so his back was to the group.
“You think Hannah is right about what?” Cooper prodded.
“All of it. She mentioned the thing with your attitude when she visited me at the paddock earlier. She told me then that you seemed to be fighting something. Then, this afternoon, you could’ve killed me with one arm tied behind your back.
“Don’t bother denying it,” he continued. “We both know it’s true. You’ve been trained and I haven’t. All I have under my belt are old episodes of Alias because I love Sydney Bristow.”
Hannah brightened considerably. “Me, too.”
“We’ll totally have a marathon one rainy weekend,” Tyler promised on a wink before turning back to his best friend. “As for you, I know you’re beating yourself up because you can’t help yourself, but the truth is that you could’ve killed me with one punch. You were being forced to fight, but the level at which you fought is up for debate. I think you had a certain amount of control.”
“I ... .” Cooper was at a loss so he went back to staring at his taco. He had no idea what he was supposed to say.
“It’s okay,” Hannah offered, her hand moving to his shoulder as her eyes drifted to the front window of the saloon. There, Jacob stood with a tape measure as he took another gander at the spot where Rob Linus had died. “It’s not a bad thing, Cooper. We’re both proud of you for what you managed to accomplish.”
“Especially me.” Tyler offered up a cheeky grin. “I might be dead if you hadn’t managed to exert some control.”
“It wasn’t enough, though,” Cooper argued. “I mean ... look at your face.”
“I hate to break it to you, buddy, but your face is a mess, too.”
“I think you’re both handsome,” Hannah countered. “You’re just more colorful today than you were yesterday. Um ... what do you think he’s doing?” She couldn’t drag her attention away from Jacob. He seemed intent as he used the tape measure, occasionally jotting down notes in a journal before measuring something else.
“He’s trying to make sense of Rob Linus and what happened to him,” Cooper replied, annoyance returning with a vengeance. “He refuses to accept that there was no bullet.”
“He can’t accept that,” Tyler argued. “It’s out of his wheelhouse. He has no imagination. If he accepts there was no bullet then he’s going to also have to accept that something extraordinary happened ... and he’s simply not an extraordinary guy.”
“I guess.” Cooper rubbed his chin. “I don’t like the idea of him skulking around out here at night. I’m pretty sure he’s going to try spying on us.”
“Good luck with that,” Tyler said. “I plan on eating my weight in tacos and then locking myself in my apartment, where absolutely nobody will care if I pull a Jinx.”
It took Hannah a moment to realize what he was saying, and when she did, she burst out laughing, to the point where her w
hole body shook. “Oh, my ... .”
Cooper joined in on the laughter. “We’re quite the family, huh?” he said as he wiped cheese from his friend’s cheek.
Tyler didn’t protest the statement. “All families have issues. Our current issue just happens to be mystical furies bent on killing us. It’s no big deal.”
“We need to discuss your definition of ‘no big deal’ at some point,” Cooper warned.
“Sure. Not tonight, though. Tonight I’m taking a long bath and putting frozen peas on my face. I’m manly, but I’m also a wimp. I just want to put this day behind me.”
“That makes two of us.” Cooper slid his arm around the back of Hannah’s chair. “I think the best thing for all of us to do is lock ourselves away tonight and give this guy absolutely nothing to look at.”
“That might be easier said than done if furies attack,” Hannah noted.
“I know. It’s the goal, though. If something else happens, we’ll play it by ear. Other than that, it’s going to be a quiet night for everybody concerned. Maybe that will be enough to have him looking someplace else.”
Even as he said the words, Cooper didn’t believe them. Jacob was going to be a problem, and he had no idea how to tackle that particular issue. It was going to take some thought, and a lot of strategic planning.
15
Fifteen
Hannah thought she would have a hard time sleeping with an FBI agent patrolling the grounds outside. She was wrong. Within minutes of climbing under the covers and sliding into Cooper’s arms, she was out. Her dreams were convoluted, various monsters chasing her, but when she woke to find Cooper watching her sleep, the dregs of the dream disappeared in an instant.
“Morning,” she murmured, suddenly self-conscious. Her hand immediately went to her mouth to see if she’d drooled, something that earned an ear-to-ear grin from him.
“Good morning.” He captured her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips.
“I was just checking to see if I drooled on your chest,” she admitted, sheepish.
“I know.”
“Did I?”
He shook his head. “No, but I don’t care if you do anyway. I happen to like it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nobody likes it.”
“I do.”
“You do not.”
“Don’t tell me what I like.” He adopted a stern expression, although his eyes twinkled with mirth. “I happen to enjoy being drooled on. It makes me feel strong and manly.”
“You are both of those things.” She pursed her lips as she regarded his soft features. He always woke up smiling, something she didn’t fully understand. “Are you feeling okay?”
He nodded. “I am. I know that what happened with Tyler yesterday wasn’t my fault. I still feel guilty — and probably will as long as his face looks like that — but the more I think about it, the more I realize that things could’ve been so much worse.”
“They could’ve been,” Hannah agreed without hesitation. “I know you don’t believe me, but I happen to believe you managed to exert a certain amount of control.”
“Not much.”
“I think it’s more than you realize. Your natural instincts would’ve been to protect yourself at all costs. You managed to hold him off without hurting him. I believe you were still in there.”
“I think you’re just trying to make me feel better.” He tickled her side. “I appreciate the effort, although it’s really not necessary.”
“I don’t want you hating yourself,” she acknowledged. “That’s not what this is about, though. It’s about strategy.”
He stilled, surprised. “I ... what do you mean?”
“Strategy,” she repeated. “If we’re capable of fighting these furies on human terms, not just magical terms, then we’ll be better off for it.”
“Baby, I hate to break it to you, but even if you’re right and I managed to exert the bare minimum of control, I still beat Tyler to within an inch of his life. That is not the outcome that we’re looking for.”
“No, but Frank is gone now ... and so is wrath. That might mean our efforts to fight the effects of the furies will be different depending on who we’re going up against.”
Cooper wanted to admonish her for believing in something that they couldn’t prove, but in an odd way, what she said made sense. “What do we know about this magical nexus thing?”
The change of subject jarred Hannah. “What do you mean?”
“Well, from what you’ve told me — which isn’t much, mind you, because we keep getting distracted by evil monsters — this particular contingent of furies comes around every hundred years. Why, though?”
“I ... don’t know.” Hannah realized what he was asking and deflated a bit. “How incredibly stupid for me not to focus on that.”
“Hey.” He tapped the end of her nose. “Let’s not go there, huh? I don’t like listening to you talk bad about yourself. You’ve had your hands full over the past few days. You’re doing the absolute best you can.”
“Yeah, but ... .”
“If I get to believe I managed to do something right in the fight against Tyler, then you have to give yourself a break,” he admonished. “Nobody is infallible, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re way ahead of the game right now.”
“I guess.” She rubbed her cheek, rueful. “You’re kind of bossy. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I guess that makes us the perfect couple because you’re bossy, too.”
“I’m a demure flower.”
Her instant — and spot-on — response made Cooper bark out a laugh. “Oh, I absolutely adore you.” He tugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead, taking a moment to bask in her warmth. In truth, they’d only been together a few weeks and yet he was already at a place where he couldn’t imagine his life without her. It was daunting to think about, and yet it was also refreshing. He had a purpose, a place he wanted to be every night. He could happily lose himself in her eyes (and arms) every single moment of the day. He honestly never believed he would find this place of peace in his life. He was thrilled to have been wrong.
Hannah buried her face in his chest, happy to have a few moments of quiet. Reality would intrude quickly and she wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. She would’ve been perfectly happy to spend the day under the covers with him ... although that wasn’t feasible.
“You’re thinking we need to get up,” he surmised at her sigh, combing his fingers through her long hair.
“I am.” She glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the nightstand. She’d yet to tackle the decorating, make anything hers, but she still felt at home. “Boone will be here in about thirty minutes, right?”
Cooper nodded. “Yeah. He wants to talk to us ... and I’m guessing it’s not going to be a fun topic since he’s insisting on being here first thing in the morning.”
“Then we should probably get cleaned up.”
“Yeah.” His gaze was intense as he stared into her eyes. “Do you want to conserve water and shower with me?”
He was so earnest when he asked the question she giggled uncontrollably. “That could be the most environmentally friendly invitation I’ve ever received.”
“Is that a yes?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Then we have to take Jinx for a walk before breakfast. Usually I would just let him head down to Tyler’s place on his own but given everything that’s going on ... .” She trailed off, biting her bottom lip.
“We’ll take him together,” Cooper promised. “The good news is, I think these ... creatures ... are more interested in us than animals. The bad is, if they get desperate enough, I can see them trying to use Jinx as a weapon. We’ll make sure they can’t do that.”
“Thank you.”
“I love him, too,” Cooper reassured her. “We’re a family. All three of us. We won’t let anything happen to him.”
And that, Hannah realized, was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.
BOONE
BROUGHT BREAKFAST. HE WAS LADEN down with a huge box full of takeout containers when he breezed through the saloon doors and he flashed a friendly smile for Jinx, who yipped excitedly at the scent of bacon and sausage.
“Who’s a good boy?” Boone intoned, sliding the box on the table and immediately dropping to his knee so he could shower attention on the dog. “Are you a good boy?”
Jinx’s hindquarters danced to let Boone know that he was indeed a good boy.
“You should really get a dog,” Cooper noted, smirking as he started rummaging through the food.
“I would love a dog. Lindsey is allergic, though.”
“Oh, no!” Hannah was appalled. “That’s horrible.”
Amusement lit Boone’s features. “I’ll just borrow your dog when I come to visit.”
“Of course.”
Jinx seemed thrilled at the prospect as he danced around Boone.
“I even brought sausage for you,” Boone promised. “I mean ... if he can have it.”
“He can have it,” Hannah reassured him. “It’s only Mexican food that gives him the toots.”
It took Boone a moment to realize what she was saying. “Oh, well ... that is lovely.”
“Isn’t it?” She squeezed his arm as she passed on her way to the bar to collect napkins. “So, what do you have for us?”
Boone turned serious, drifting toward the window so he could look out before answering. “Where is Agent Hoffman?”
“We haven’t seen him this morning,” Cooper replied. “We’ve been looking, too, because we want to keep an eye on him.”
“I think he’s still sleeping,” Tyler offered. “I made a point of walking past the brothel and there was nobody moving on the second floor.”
“So ... he’s sleeping in?” Boone made a face, as if that was the most horrible thing in the world. “That is just unbelievable.”
Hannah and Cooper exchanged amused looks behind his back.
“To be fair, he was up late walking the streets,” Hannah offered. “He seems desperate to come up with a rational way to explain away what happened.”
The Monstrous Seven (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 4) Page 15
