“Can you stop worrying about my sex life for a few minutes? Where should we take him?”
“I would say the club, because he’d probably be comfortable there, but I don’t want the other witches knowing our business,” Gunnar muses.
“Where did you live before you moved in here? If you say that office with the dumpster couch, I will seriously question your judgment.”
“No,” Gunnar scoffs, then he lets a little wince slip. “I had an apartment. It wasn’t much better, but I hardly spent any time there,” he defends, before I can even say anything.
“I know a place,” Grim interjects.
“You?” I can hear the shock in my tone.
“Yes, it will do.”
“This I gotta see,” Gunnar mumbles under his breath.
I’m just as curious. “So where is it?”
“I’ll give you the address, it will take you a little time to get there. Call me when you arrive.” With that cryptic statement, he disappears.
“So, I should just wait here, cool. It’s not like you pulled me out of bed or anything,” Torin mumbles into the air as if Grim might still be able to hear him.
I get a text on my phone a few seconds later with an address. I show the screen to Gunnar, who just shrugs in response.
We get Torin all set up in one of my guest bedrooms, making sure to avoid the rooms Gunnar and Calix have taken for themselves. He’s leaning back on the bed with his arms behind his head. “I’m kind of awake now, got anything to eat?”
“Kitchen’s downstairs. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
“You still get all those visitors?” Torin looks around like a monster might crawl out of the closet. “Maybe I should just go with you.” He moves to sit up and I snicker.
“What’s the matter, Wolfy, scared?” I taunt.
“No,” he scoffs, but he still eyes the room dubiously.
“If you don’t want anyone stopping by, just leave a light on. No one would bother you anyway.”
“Where’s the Brownie?” he asks with his head tilted a little to the side.
I lift my finger to my lips and make a shushing sound. “Can’t tell you, or she would have to kill you.” I grin at the way his expression falls. “You don’t become one of the top assassin bands by eating bon bons on your bestie’s couch. She’s working.”
“Fine, whatever,” he grouses.
I go to leave the room but poke my head back into the open door. “If you go into the pantry, knock first. Let Dare know you’re coming in.”
“Who’s Dare?” Torin looks at me sideways.
“My friend. She just had a mischief and she’s a little cranky.”
Torin blinks. “A what?”
“Babies, she just had six babies.” I guess not many people know a group of rats is called a mischief. It sounds way better than saying a litter.
“Six, I won’t bother her,” he mumbles.
“It’s okay—just knock. I don’t want her poisoning you or anything.” Torin opens his mouth but then snaps it closed and shakes his head in a weird up and down and side to side motion. “I have to go meet Grim. Be back in a few.”
Calix and Gunnar are at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me. “Got the address?” Gunnar leans over as I show him my phone. “I think that’s downtown.” He pulls out his own phone, and within a few seconds, he confirms the location with a navigation app. “Let’s head out, it’ll take us a least twenty minutes to get there.”
“Not quite what I expected,” Calix comments, as we pull up to an old hotel. The building is grand in the way that newer construction can’t manage. There are even a few gargoyles stationed on the front façade.
