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“I’ll have to ask the others. I’m not the only one running this company. This is an unusual case, and I agree that you need all the protection you can get.”
I’d done my research on Redrock Protective Services. It was owned by three gargoyles and a demon; a strange combination. Eamon was the demon. Through my research, I’d found out that gargoyles were often created in sets of four—one to guard each corner of a building.
Of course, that was only true of those created in stone and spelled to life. Technically, they could crossbreed with regular human women, but that was rare. Brave women! So most gargoyles were made through magic.
Had Eamon once served on the fourth corner of a medieval castle? Demons were able to take any form they wanted. I tried to imagine him in the form of a gargoyle. Naked. With wings. And his junk hanging out the side of a building. I giggled.
I wasn’t sure if it was the drink, Eamon’s presence, or both, but I felt relaxed. This might work out after all.
“What’s so funny?”
Since I wasn’t sure I’d survive trying to destroy Mother Dearest so I might not be around long anyway, I decided I didn’t need a filter. I told him exactly what I was thinking. Yup, complete with all the dangly details.
He laughed, the sound deep and rich. “There is a fourth brother. He just isn’t part of the business. I did guard the building with them though, for a long time. And gargoyles don’t show dangly bits until they are needed.”
“They don’t?” That wasn’t something I’d come across in my research.
“They don’t.” His eyes flashed with mischief. “But I was fully clothed. I’m too much to handle naked.”
Heat rose to my cheeks. I changed the topic quickly, getting back to business. “Give me a call when they have a decision. And thank you for listening to my story.”
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“I need to find a cheap motel for the night.” I didn’t want to get stuck with no place to stay.
Dean was probably looking for me by now. I’d left the cell phone he’d given me at the campus library on purpose. That thing was probably tagged. I’d gotten myself a burner phone and had used that to contact Redrock. But he had hired goons he could send all over the city to look for me. I needed to stay hidden.
“We have a spare room here in the office, as well as rooms upstairs in our penthouse. Stay here instead. You shouldn’t be alone.”
He stood, and I stood with him.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to impo—”
A large hand landed gently on my shoulder. He reached for my suitcase with the other hand, pushed down the luggage pull, and picked the luggage up by the handle. “I insist. Come, I’ll take you upstairs now,” he said, ushering me toward the door.
Chapter 4
Eamon
Everythinginmybeingscreamed for me to get Tansy inside my home. The magical ward on the Redrock office was decent, but the one on the penthouse was much stronger. Ever since we had it strengthened to protect Grayson’s mate, Shelby, even the rooftop patio was protected.
As we stepped into the private elevator that went straight up to my abode, I imagined Tansy in a swimsuit, lounging by the pool. I kept my hand on her shoulder the entire ride up the elevator, not wanting to let her go until she was safely behind the penthouse doors.
“Wow! Even Mother didn’t have her own private elevator.” Her hand was cupped over her pet bird on her chest, and Nugget’s head poked out from the top of her zipper.
The little creature eyed me with more intelligence than most people probably gave her credit for. Nugget didn’t know what to think of me yet, but at least she didn’t straight up hate me. Tansy had mentioned Nugget recognizing Dean for what he was. Animals had a way of detecting souls and magic the rest of us did not.
“I still can’t believe Amrita raised you in a building called The Ivory Tower. She wasn’t trying to hide things at all.”
She chuckled softly. “Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on me. I guess she thought I’d never find out. And I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for The Wall failing. I’d thought she was just an overly protective parent. All my life, she told me my father died from a freak accident when I was young, and she didn’t want something bad happening to me.”
“We knew Amrita as a witch who had lived a long time and used magic to keep herself young-looking. But we didn’t know she had the ability to take over bodies and use them. If we’d known, her adoption of you would’ve been suspicious. We thought she was infertile and wanted a child. She did hide you away from magic, but then, she was very secretive herself. Entities like her are very rare.”
“Are you sure they are rare though? Maybe they’re just hard to catch.”
She had a point. How would we know?
Tansy hadn’t waited for a knight in shining armor to go rescue her from her tower; she’d done it herself. And now she wanted to slay the villain herself too. She was one tough cookie.
