Worthless witch.
“What do you want?” I asked through gritted teeth.
John rubbed his hands together and snickered. “I’ll run your ad and the article on the slipper for the front page. It’s a great idea. But you have to understand, I’m in a tough position. I can’t sit on a story like this. I’ll need something bigger to replace it.” His gaze narrowed. “Confirm whether you’re looking at multiple victims, and I’ll bury every last salacious account of your shameful past.
I shot out of my chair. “No wa—”
“Fine.” Derrick stood and grasped my arm, squeezing gently to keep me quiet. “I’ll have a statement sent over. Run the stories and keep Miss Daniels’ personal life out of your paper, or you’ll deal with me.”
John inclined his head, victory stamped across his face. “Pleasure doing business with you, Detective.”
Derrick slammed the office door on John’s words. It barely made a sound over the commotion in the newsroom, but we walked quickly through the maze of desks and out into the street.
Outside, I shook off Derrick’s arm and kept moving, my steps stilted and angry. How dare he jeopardize the case for something so stupid? It was my fault we were even in this situation! If only I’d been better…different. How many times would I go through this before I learned my lesson?
“Tessa, wait.” He chased after me, weaving through the thick crowd.
Hot tears gathered under my eyes as shame prickled my skin. A carriage clattered across the street, and I plunged ahead, missing the wheels by inches and making Derrick wait for it to pass. I thought I’d lost him until his hand clamped over my shoulder. Frustration surged through my body, and I whirled.
“Are you crazy? You shouldn’t have done that!”
“Do you have a death wish? That carriage almost hit you.” His chest rose on an angry breath, and he dragged me off the street and down a side lane where we wouldn’t be overheard.
Shaking him loose again, I tried to barrel past, but he blocked my attempt. My throat was so tight it hurt to speak.
“Let me go.”
“Not a chance.”
I inhaled roughly through my nose, trying to rein in my emotions. It didn’t work.
“What is wrong with you? You should have let him print those stories about my past. It doesn’t matter what people think about me, they already have a low opinion. Seeing it in print isn’t going to change anything.”
He reached for me, but I stepped back, certain if he touched me I’d burst into tears.
“Tessa, I swore I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and that includes letting John Lincoln run a smear campaign in your name.”
I threw up my hands and laughed, the harsh sound echoing through the narrow alley. “Well, your misplaced protectiveness gave away valuable information. It was my shortcomings that jeopardized this case. You shouldn’t have agreed to his ultimatum. I’m not worth it. I never have been.”
A look passed over Derrick’s face, disbelief morphing into resolve. This time, when he reached for me, he wasn’t taking no for an answer. His palm cupped the back of my head, and he hauled me to him, crushing me against his chest. He was warm and solid, and I felt myself crumbling, all of my defenses laid to waste. The rough timbre of his voice sounded in my ear.
“Don’t ever say that. You are worth it. I would have given up a lot more if I had to, and even if there was nothing I could do, if they printed those stories, it wouldn’t matter to me. Your past doesn’t define you. You are so much more than just your spells.”
His words reshaped something inside me. They were hard to believe after years of self-doubt, but I wanted to. I wanted to believe them so much it terrified me to my core.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and took a shuddering breath, my voice watery when I spoke. “I’m sorry I got angry. I couldn’t handle it if I ruined this case for you, not after Sophie and everything your family has been through.”
He tightened his hold and rested his chin on top of my head. “We’ve gotten this far because of you. You didn’t ruin anything. Admitting there are multiple victims won’t jeopardize the case, it might even provide new leads. Using the paper was smart. We just need to stay focused and let your plan work.”
“I hate waiting,” I grumbled into his shirt.
“Yeah, I know. Patience, Tessa.” He rubbed the tension from the back of my neck.
We stood there for a few moments, letting the stress from the last hour pass. My humiliation had simmered down to a manageable level, but mostly, I felt cared-for and instilled with a new sense of hope. More than my spells? No one had ever made the distinction.
Noise from the street leaked into our solitude. Derrick sighed and brushed the hair away from my face.
“I think we need a break. It’s been a rough couple of days, don’t you agree? We’ve seen ghosts and dealt with weaselly newspapermen and threatening slippers.”
