“Cal,” Calix says, his voice coming out flat and disinterested. Vanessa gives Grim a moment to respond, and when he doesn’t, her nostrils flare a bit.
“I do hope you’re enjoying my club. If there’s anything you ever need…” She lets the sentence linger before turning her full focus on Grim.
Vanessa leans a little lower and winks. “Strong silent type. I like it.”
“Don’t,” Grim tells her.
Vanessa’s brow wrinkles, and after a few awkward seconds, she lets out a little giggle like it’s some sort of joke. “Why don’t you guys join us?” Vanessa offers, and with a wave of her hand, a small spot on one of the sofas opens up. I can’t believe she’s inviting us to sit with her, especially after Grim just gave her such an icy reception.
Grim steps forward, taking me with him. I let my arm slide out of Calix’s elbow, so as not to drag him with us, too. Grim quickly releases my arm and takes hold of my waist, turning me so I’m standing directly in front of him, then he pulls me snugly against his body. Wrapping his arm around my stomach, he lowers us to the couch with me on his lap, as if he’s done it a thousand times. I get a little thrill, liking the way he can so easily control my body.
Calix saunters over and sits on the arm of the sofa, before reaching for my hand and laying it over his thigh. The visual is effective; Vanessa’s eyebrows rise slightly.
Gunnar steps over, his stance wide as he peruses everyone. Is this the coven? It can’t be all of them—the man from the other day isn’t here.
“Have you met Drott?” Vanessa lifts her hand toward Gunnar but keeps her eyes on me.
“Drott?” I question, peering up at Gunnar.
“We’re acquainted,” Gunnar replies, ignoring the fact that she introduced him under a different name. Vanessa’s eyes narrow, but she doesn’t say anything. “I need to speak with you.” Gunnar focuses on the bitchy witch.
“I’m entertaining. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t.” Gunnar’s voice raises a little at Vanessa’s denial.
I lift my hand to cover the smile forming on my lips. She’s about to get in trouble. “Surely, it can’t be that important.” Vanessa clicks her tongue at Gunnar.
“I would say a dead Troll in the alley is very fucking important.” The veins in Gunnar’s neck start to thicken and the sockets around his eyes darken.
The thin lines around Vanessa’s mouth tighten until her lips are pulled back in a sneer. She lurches to a stand, her two beefy bodyguards rising with her. “What are you talking about?” Her words are just a little slower than her reaction. She isn’t surprised. But she is madder than a wet cat. I squeeze Calix’s thigh. He remains completely calm.
“A Troll?” I look at Gunnar, but he’s watching Vanessa.
“He means one of the homeless who live under the bridge,” one of the women near the back chimes in.
I look over my shoulder to find her. “You can’t be serious,” I say as a chuckle escapes me. The woman looks around for someone to back her up. I would know she was lying, even if I didn’t sense it.
“They’re Charmed, you idiot,” Vanessa hisses.
The woman lowers her head and examines her hands. “I thought I was helping. I know we aren’t supposed to talk about these things outside the wards.”
The man next to her places his hand on her shoulder in comfort. “We were all new once,” he soothes, while giving her a little shake. She musters up a small smile in gratitude, but looks down right away when he removes his hand.
I shift, and Grim tightens his hold on me, forcing my body to hold still. I examine the woman and her aura, the black smudges around her feet are faint. Quickly, before anyone can leave, I look at them all, gauging which of them is the dirtiest, since they’re the ones who will have the answers.
Surprisingly, the man who comforted her has the most muck on his aura. It’s condensed over his hands and chest, while heavy globs are littered around his feet. It looks like it would be weighing him down. He rises quickly, heading for Vanessa.
“Let me up,” I mutter under my breath to Grim. His arm tightens for the briefest second before he releases me. I step right into the man’s path. “Hey, that was really cool of you.” I bat my eyelashes at him.
His brow furrows, and he looks around like he can’t believe I’m talking to him, then he peers at Grim and Calix out of the corner of his eye. “Oh, yeah, well, like I said, everyone makes mistakes.”
“You seem to know what you’re doing.” I bite the corner of my bottom lip. “What’s your name?”
“Joe, Joe Bishop. You’re Damiana.” I preen a little, pretending to be happy he knows my name.
“That’s me. See you around, Joe.”
Joe’s head goes up and down, then shakes from left to right. Poor dude doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. “Yeah, okay.”
