“Oh, it was a witch,” Diego said aroundmypizza.
“That is not witch. That is the Atlantic Ocean. I swam here.”
“The Atlantic does not smell like that, Tibby. The Atlantic smells like the Atlantic. What you smell like is a woman who is also a magical battery.”
“I don’t?—”
“You let a witch touch you.”
“She didn’t touch me.”
Diego’s eyebrows climbed. “She didn’t touch him.”
“SHE DIDN’T TOUCH HIM!” Tanner shouted, so I’m sure the whole damn motel could hear.
“Will you both get out of my room?”
“I see what you’re doing.” Tanner stretched, taking up the majority ofmybed. “Trying to get a little edge on us, huh? Wanna get a little magic on your side?”
“Dude, what in Amphitrite’s tits are you talking about?”
Diego and Tanner both sat up.
“He doesn’t know?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“I swear I am one more word away from eating you both.”
Diego sat on the edge of the bed next to Tanner.
Great. Just great.
“Witches are magical conduits, compa. Get her juiced up right, and you can even get a little magical boost. You know what I’m saying?”
Before I could answer, Tanner shouted again.
“You gotta make her come is what he means!”
“Dude, would you quiet the fuck down?”
I rubbed my forehead. I wasn’t going to admit to these assholes that I’d been clinging to the dissolving edges of a dream about her, and her smile and the laugh I knew didn’t get much use?—
I shook my head.
Stop it, Perez. You know what happens when you get like this.People get hurt.
“That is, if you think you can.” Tanner grinned, jumping on the bed again.
I caught him at the peak of his jump and shoved him to the floor with a satisfying smack. I needed to stop this conversation before one of these assholes brought up something stupid, like those…what was Tanner always talking about? Sated mates? That was some mammal-shifter shit. Sharks didn’t work like that, although my partners were always sated, and I did enjoy leaving my mark.
“Unlike you selfish bastards, I know a lady always comes first. But I also don’t need any magical steroids or whatever the fuck this is. I’ll win this competition just fine without it.”
“Good to see you so confident, Tibby. I mean, can you imagine not winning your own comeback comp?” Tanner said from the floor.
“Get out of my room.”
“Chase.”
