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It was difficult but Toni forced herself to go out on another sight seeing excursion. This was her vacation and she couldn’t let the fall out from Drake ruin the trip for her. The residents of the town seemed to all sense her mood. It was nice to be greeted by friendly smiles when she reached the lobby of the inn, warm hellos when she hit the front outside and enthusiastic waves from everyone she passed on the street.
Distracted, her steps led her to the statue in front of the library at the center of town. For some reason, this quiet space was calming. The life-sized man coated in bronze appeared guarded, the artist rendering detail down to the crinkles at the corner of his eyes.
Her phone dinged and after a brief hesitation, Toni pulled it out of her purse. Seeing Chrissy’s name, she answered. “Hey, Chrissy.”
“Do you need help burying the body?”
Toni snickered and took a seat on a small concrete bench set to the side but in full view of the main entrance to the library. “No deaths occurred during or after your reveal.”
“Jokes aside, I’m sorry to spring the news on you. I thought you had to know and maybe you were pulling my leg when you sent the picture and didn’t add any comment.”
If only. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad at you at all, Chrissy. I guess I’m still stuck on the fact that he never told me and there was time before we...I mean you know.”
“You did sleep with him!”
Even amidst her misery Chrissy left her smiling. “Well, I don’t know if what we did would count as only sleeping per se.”
Chrissy squealed and Toni had to pull the phone away from her ear grinning. “You’re forgetting that he kept his identity a secret.”
“Oh right, Booooo! But seriously, scale of one to ten. Give me a bone. And not the one Drake gave you.”
Toni rolled her eyes. “That right there is why I shouldn’t answer. Have you no consideration for my feelings right now?”
“You know I do, Toni but its Drake freaking Winston. Come on. Share a little,” her friend wheedled.
Toni gave in. “Fine. He’s a twelve.”
“I die.”
Reluctantly, Toni chuckled.
Chrissy joined in. “When are you coming back? I miss you.”
Originally Toni had planned to stay for two weeks but that was before Drake dragged her heart through the ringer. In hindsight, she could understand his need to be secretive but she’d shared so much of herself with him. Trusted him with details of her daily life without hesitation when she thought they had a true friendship. To find out he didn’t extend her the same courtesy hurt and she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise no matter how silly that made her sound.
“Maybe sooner. It might be best to cut my trip short and use the rest of my vacation lounging at home and stuffing my face with ice cream and a candy bar or two.” Maybe five if they were the minis.
“In solidarity of the sisterhood, I support whatever you decide as long as I’m invited to the food-fest.”
Toni hugged the phone to her ear. “Thanks for being a great friend, Chrissy. I mean it.”
“You’d do the same. Now no more sappy talk.”
They chatted and laughed more though Toni refused to give Chrissy additional details about Drake for what she called her spank reel.
***
In his room, Drake flung his boots to the floor and checked his wards at the door. As he thought, they hadn’t been touched. Not the slightest sign of gummy texture or stickiness. He frowned, unable to figure out the missing piece. Why here? Why now?
And why the hell did Antonia have to find out who he was now? The hurt on her face was too much to take in. He had no one to blame but himself. He’d known from the beginning she wasn’t like the women in his past. Nothing about Antonia mirrored those spoiled gold diggers. At Kale’s he’d made the decision to tell her everything. He’d also fully intended to let her know he wanted her for far more than a vacation night together. Unfortunately, someone revealed the news of his identity before he could.
His phone buzzed as Drake crossed to the window and checked the wards there as well. “Winston.”
“Not much longer and you’ll be back where you belong.” Ben sounded pleased and irritated at the same time.
Not addressing the comment, Drake outlined the bright flare of red magic and said, “Get Kent to go underground and comb the sites. I want to know if there’s anything pinging on me.”
Ben’s voice shifted into a serious tone, giving Drake his full attention. “I’ll message him now. What’s going on?”
The window wards checked out fine. “I’m not sure. Trying to figure out how someone found me here in Maverick.”
“Impossible,” Ben countered without hesitation. “It’s the last place anyone would think of for you.”
That’s what Drake had thought at one point but his senses weren’t mistaken. A rare otherworld being was on his trail and he needed to know how and why. “Trust me when I tell you I’m not wrong on this, Ben.”
The muttered curse was filthy and a throwback to a long ago century. “You need to come back to New York. With your magic unstable you’re at risk.”
Drake gritted his teeth and stepped away from the window. “I can protect myself, Ben.”
“In the past—yes. If your magic wasn’t fucked to hell and back—yes. Right now—no.” A heavy pause followed by another curse. “I should fly out.”
Just what he needed—an over protective Berserker loose in the small town scrutinizing everyone as if they were out to harm Drake. “No. I’m only here another day or two and then I’ll be back.”
“Are your wards still holding at least?”
Drake shoved a hand through his hair. “Yes and before you ask I think my magic is settling.”
Power stirred beneath his skin but instead of the erratic pulses of recent weeks, it felt familiar, balanced. Drake clenched his fingers tight. Another rush of magic filled his veins. More than he’d felt in the last month and a half.
“Settling as in working? Consistently? I don’t need to tell you how dangerous it is for you to stay away where Kent and I can’t reach you quickly if something happens.”
“Just let me know what your brother finds.” Drake ended the call, not interested in Ben’s worries. He had enough of his own.
The next call Drake decided to make was to Kale. He might need the djinn’s help after all. Even if he had to owe a favor in return. Then he needed to convince Antonia to give him a chance to make things right.