AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it pathetic to admit how excited I am to go to Halloween Town? Oh, can I dress up?” She looks so giddy and happy right now that I’d never tell her no.
“I always do, so knock yourself out. There is a costume shop in town. I know the owner, so I’ll give her a call. You think the guys will want to dress up too?”
“For the kids? Heck yeah. Underneath all that gruff exterior, they’re just a bunch of softies.”
I look out at the men, all laughing and joking, and feel something settle inside me. Something I haven’t felt for a long, long time.
Peace.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Jagger
“Alright, that’s the last of it.” I slam the trunk shut and move to climb in the back seat beside Astrid.
“Have I told you how sexy you look today?”
“For the love of God, I wish I could remove my ears.” James groans from the passenger seat, making Slade laugh as he puts the truck in drive.
“Once or twice, maybe.” She grins.
“Well, it’s true.” And it is.
The dress she is wearing is fitted around her chest—dipping low between her breasts to give more than a hint of what lies beneath the sheer material— pulling in at the waist before falling in soft layers to the ground with a shimmering purple and blue ombré effect. Her hair is pulled over her shoulder and twisted into a fancy braid, leaving a few tendrils free around her face. On her head is a silver and crystal tiara. And attached to the back of the dress, reaching from her shoulders to her ankles, are a pair of black and purple feathered wings, the tips of which just touch the ground when she walks.
Getting in the car was a nightmare for her, but I can only imagine what the kids will think when they see her later.
“I can’t believe the others won’t tell me what they’re going as.” She pouts.
“Probably because they haven’t decided yet. Salem is the only one who has picked out her costume, and she wouldn’t tell any of us what she’s going as. You’ll find out soon enough,” Slade tells her.
“I suppose. Sorry I made you all leave early, but I always take the presents to the hospital first. Some of the kids are too sick to leave, and I don’t ever want them to feel left out.”
“You don’t need to apologize for shit. Besides, this means we can check the place out discreetly before all the kids arrive,” I remind her.
She turns to look at me and smiles.
“True.” Her eyes drift down my body, and she sighs.
“Have I told you how sexy you both look?” She turns the table on me.
James groans loudly.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t blame me for appreciating the view. I get two 007s for the price of one,” she teases, smoothing her hand down the arm of my black suit jacket—that she managed to get tailored for Slade and me this morning. Money sure has its perks sometimes. I can’t say I’m into the whole monkey suit thing, but if she keeps looking at me like that, I’m willing to make an exception.
“You look very dapper, too, James.”
The man in question turns to look at us, his fake teeth already in his mouth, as he hisses at Astrid, making her laugh.
“The most handsome Dracula I ever did see.” She presses her hand against her chest and adopts a fake southern accent.
“Jokes aside, Astrid, this is a sweet as fuck thing to do.”
Astrid shrugs and smiles shyly. “I love kids. They don’t look at me like I’m a freak. Maybe it’s because they still believe in magic. Anyway, I get just as much from visiting them as they get from me. I just wish I could do more, but life is rarely unfair to those who deserve it. Instead, the axe always seems to fall on the innocent.”
“How did you end up volunteering here anyway? It’s a little out of your way.”
“Maybe, but I know what it’s like to be in the hospital and have nobody to sit beside me. It’s already terrifying with all the doctors and nurses around you coming in and out and using big words you don’t understand. But to have no one… They just want someone to care that they’re still there, fighting hard to get better. They need to matter to someone. That’s all any of us want in the end, right? To matter?”
