He hesitates, eyes lifting to mine. “Do you want to see her before then?”
“No.” I shake my head without a second’s pause. “I have nothing to say to the witch. And even if I did, she’d never admit she did anything wrong.” A humorless breath leaves me. “It’d be a waste of fucking time.”
I inhale deeply, steadying myself.
“Just tell me when it’s over,” I say, venom threading my voice. “So I can celebrate.”
Then I straighten, crossing my arms, my armor sliding into place. “Now tell me what went wrong. I’m sure something did.”
He looks down at the counter, jaw tightening, then back at me.
“Bowie got away,” he rasps. “And since the cartel found out you’re in Silverpine, I have to assume he knows too.”
I press my lips together, forcing down the curse burning the back of my throat.
“I’m not getting rid of my bodyguard anytime soon, am I?” I ask, voice as dry as the desert.
“No, adorable,” he replies quietly. “In fact, you’ll have three now. Domino. Me. And Hellbat.”
He drags a hand down his face, tension etched into every line.
“Bowie worked as a cop, so he’s not a small threat. I don’t know if he’ll actually come for you, but I’m not taking any chances.” A deep sigh leaves his chest. “I asked some friends to help track him down. They’re ones of the best hunters in the business, so I’m hoping this ends fast.”
He swallows. “I can’t go myself…”
Even in this dire fucking situation, those words manage to make me smile.
“Because you need to keep an eye on me yourself,” I whisper, warmth unfurling inside me again.
He nods, watching me like he’s expecting resistance. But I’m not an idiot. I spent too many years with Bowie to misunderstand him. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he doesn’t need to be. He’ll eventually make the connection between me and his sudden run of bad luck, and once he does, I am absolutely sure his anger will drive him here. He’ll want to ‘teach me a lesson’, as he used to put it.
“Well,” I huff, “I feel awfully important right now, having so many men watching over my safety.” His eyes widen slightly, surprised, and my smile stretches. “I’d make a dirty joke, but I’m not sure you’d survive another round of teasing today.”
He smiles back, even if the worry doesn’t fully leave his eyes.
“Thank you for your mercy, adorable,” he mutters, amusement in his voice. Then he straightens, drawing in a quick breath. “I’ll deal with your mother. Then I’ll come back later, and take you for a bike ride.” Something I’m not sure that I’m ready for flickers in his eyes. “There are some other things we need to talk about.”
Fuck. From that tone alone, I’m definitely not ready.
I’m just about to say something incredibly brainless — like asking if I can bring my therapist or my cat to this future conversation — when the bell above the door chimes.
Laura, the town dentist and a permanent fixture at theBroken Hearts Weekly Book Club, steps inside and immediately freezes, wide eyes ping-ponging between Ghost and Domino.
“H—H—Hi,” she stutters, breath catching in her throat.
“Hi, Laura. Come in. I’ll be with you in just a moment,” I say, offering her what I hope is a reassuring smile.
Ghost writes her off instantly and turns back to me without a second look. I glare at his rudeness. He could’ve at least saidhito the woman! Thankfully, Domino swoops in, waving her toward the reading corner, and Laura practically skips over to him. At least one biker has some fucking manners.
Before I can scold him, the mountain of leather and poor social skills leans forward over the counter.
“You’re fucking incredible, Adora,” he murmurs against my ear, brushing his lips over my cheek before straightening and flashing me a smirk so wicked it feels illegal.
With those parting words, he turns and walks out of the bookstore like he didn’t just short-circuit my entire nervous system.
“Princess! Please tell me he brought something to eat for me too,” Domino calls out. “I might not be the love of his life, but I’m hungry and I deserve to be fed.”
Laura chuckles and says something too, but I don’t hear a word.
