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“Tory is pregnant,” Seer spits. “She’s fucking pregnant, and she put herself in danger to help catch that spirit.”
The news hits me like a Mack truck. Tory’s having a baby. No wonder she’s been so ill and withdrawn lately. But how is that my fault?
“He didn’t know,” Pocus tells Seer, holding him tightly around his chest. “Calm down, Seer. Or I’ll make you calm down.”
“Why are you angry with me?” I ask, fury rising up in my chest. Not everything in this fucking house is my fault. “It’s not like I’m the one who knocked Tory up.”
Seer struggles against Pocus to get to me.
“But you should have found this spirit weeks ago,” he growls. “Why has it taken you so long to trap it? Tory may have been okay before—”
“He didn’t know,” Pocus cuts him off, repeating his earlier words. “He was fooled by the spirit. He didn’t know she was attacking us.”
“She’s not.”
Seer escapes from Pocus’s grasp, the anger more evident on his face than before. He tries to tackle me again, but I anticipate it. I plant my feet, making myself a brick wall against his fists.
“You’re fucking kidding,” Seer screams. “Tell me my wife isn’t lying up there defenseless because you wanted some ghost pussy.”
“She isn’t the poltergeist.” I push against him and avoid his swinging arms. “She can’t be.”
This gets Pocus’s attention. He stands straight and eyes me with ire.
“Come on, Hex,” he says darkly. “You can’t believe this woman is anything but a demon from hell. She fooled you, and you’re embarrassed.”
I shake off Seer and assess Pocus. He looks at me with pity and condescension. He doesn’t trust my judgment, and I don’t know why I’m surprised. He always treats me like a child when he’s upset with me. Juliana didn’t fool me. She didn’t know she was dead. There’s a difference.
“The woman sitting in that cell is a lost spirit, but she isn’t the poltergeist,” I tell him. “She can’t be, she’s too good. She didn’t know she was dead until I told her.”
“That’s rich,” Seer mutters, composing himself. “Hex gets taken in by a pretty face, and he can’t see reason. Your pride is hurting all of us, asshole. Tory is on the brink of death. Pocus hasn’t seen his wife and kid in weeks. The police are looking at us for attacks we didn’t commit all because you trust a fucking poltergeist. Wake up! You’re being played.”
“She isn’t the poltergeist!” I roar again, lunging at him this time. He goes down, and I hold him there with my fists.
He tries to shake me off, but I’m bigger. I’ll make them understand. They’re both too blinded by their own issues to understand.
Pocus tries to grab at me, but I elbow him hard in the ribs, causing him to rear back in pain. It’s a bad move, considering what he’s capable of, but I won’t stand here and be berated for something that’s not my fault.
“She’s terrified down there,” I yell in Seer’s face. “I care about her, and I won’t let you hurt her.”
This time, Pocus pulls me off, and I struggle against him. He holds me in a headlock, cutting off my air supply, and I try desperately to maneuver out of his grasp. Seer takes advantage of the moment, punching me squarely in my stomach. I lose my breath.
I go down, and Pocus releases me. I gasp for air, curled up to defend myself from more attacks. I’m beat and I know it, but I’ll protect Juliana with my life. I don’t fully understand what’s going on, but she’s the innocent party. Whatever is happening, she’s being used as a pawn in someone’s game.
“Stop it,” Mama shouts from the entryway.
I lift my head to see her standing there, looking between Pocus and Seer with a disappointed expression. It’s a chastising look, the kind that a mother would use to punish her rowdy children. None of us have good experiences with our mothers, but that look from Mama is guaranteed to level us.
“Hex,” she says softly, walking over to me. “Stand up. No one is going to hurt you again.”
She holds her hand to me, and I flinch at her touch. I look up at her, but she’s glaring at Pocus and Seer, shame on their faces. I do as Mama says, but I won’t be anywhere near them. I stand apart and glower at them.
“I accepted your wives in this club without question,” I say lowly. “Abigail was an assassin sent to hurt you, Pocus, and look at her now.”
Pocus looks down at his feet and sighs.
I turn my attention to Seer. “And Tory just showed up one day while you were on the brink of death, and I had no choice but to trust her. But I did, Seer. And now she’s my best friend.
“Don’t you dare act like I don’t love her too. I know it isn’t the same, but I would never intentionally do anything to put Tory in harm’s way. So fuck off with your bullshit.”
