Chapter 13

 

Andre wrinkled his nose. He was dressed in blue jeans and a long-sleeved, thermal T-shirt. Was there anything the man didn't look good in? Reece doubted it.

"What are you spraying in here? It smells horrible."

She'd coated the perimeter of the foyer and every baseboard in the loft but this one. "A protection potion."

He threw open the French doors. "And you're going to spray that around your mother's house? She won't thank you."

"I'm spraying it outside, around her whole yard. It will be dry before they get home."

He looked at the clock. "Shouldn't you be going there now? They're probably on their way to the restaurant."

"That's the point. I'm waiting for them to leave. I thought I'd do the loft, and then hit Mom's house. It's on my way."

He walked onto the balcony. "Are you almost done?"

"Can you whine any more? It's odorless once it dries. Leave the doors open, and it won't take long. I'm leaving right now, but you'll be safe."

"Oh goodie." He inhaled a huge gulp of fresh air.

"Do you need me?" Damian asked. "I can get my poncho."

She smiled, remembering the striped blanket. "No need. The spells should keep everyone safe."

"I'll wait at your mother's house once it gets dark, then. Your stalker will probably be waiting there too."

She sprayed the last corner and gave them a quick wave. "Have a nice night." To Damian, she said, "I'll see you later. And thanks. These are supposed to work, but it will be nice to have backup."

When she grabbed her purse from the bedroom with the four, silver chains inside, Andre backed away from her. "What's that?"

"Can you smell the wolfbane? I have the necklaces sealed in two, Ziploc bags and stuffed in a heavy, cardboard box."

"Keep them away from me." He scratched his arms. "They're making me nauseous."

"Sorry, I'm out of here!" She hurried to the door. On the way to her mom's house, she patted the bag on her front seat. From Andre's reaction, the necklaces worked. No wolf would come near them. She left them on the front seat of the SUV as she sprayed the perimeter of her mom's yard. When that was done, she rushed to the restaurant.

The waiter was just bringing menus to her mom's table.

Her mother looked her up and down, a slight frown creasing her brows. "I take it you didn't have time to return home to change?"

Reece glanced at her jeans. She was wearing a dressy blouse with them, but her mother still didn't approve. "I meant to," she apologized, "but I ran out of time."

"At least, you made it." Her mother looked at her watch. "Only fifteen minutes late. We had reservations, but there was a short wait." She motioned to the evening's specials. "What will you have?"

"Chicken Pietro." Reece inhaled the aromas of Italian heaven—tomato sauces and balsamic vinegars, warm breads and sautéing food. Reece's mouth watered.

"You didn't even look at the menu." Her mom waggled a finger at her, smiling. "You always order the same thing. It's your old standby."

"And I always enjoy it." Reece took a sip of water. "But I'm especially going to enjoy hearing about your trip. It must have been a good one."

Just as her mother began to recount her adventures, the man at the next table started to cough, drowning out her voice. He ran a finger around the collar of his shirt. His face flushed, and soon he was scratching.

Her mother glanced at him nervously. "I hope that person isn't contagious."

He gulped water, but it didn't help. He coughed more.

"Are you all right?" one of his friends asked.

"Fine." Red spots erupted on his neck and chin. "I have to get out of here." He motioned for the waiter, threw money on the table, and bumped Reece's chair in his rush to leave. His friends stared after him.

Reece narrowed her eyes, studying him. He was tall with a stocky build and massive shoulders. The steel gray in his hair matched his eyes. What struck her most, though, was his mouth. It looked mean. That's the only way she could describe it to herself. She rubbed her arms. The man scared her, leaving her with an uneasy feeling.

"Reece?" Joseph asked.

She blinked and looked at him. "Sorry, lost in my own thoughts." She shook her head. "Thanks for bringing me back to the real world."

He smiled. "I was telling Mom that I beat you two times at Old Maid."

"It's true," Reece said. "The kid's turning into a card shark."

The waiter came with warm bread and their dinner salads. They made small talk while they ate, but Reece returned her gaze to the group of men at the table. They couldn't be rogues, she decided, or the wolfbane would bother them too. So how did the werewolf know them? Were they friends?

"We had the most wonderful time," Mom was saying when she focused on her family again. "Lots of little boutiques and restaurants. I came home with three kinds of fudge."

Reece had forgotten how much her mother loved fudge. She'd almost forgotten how her mother glowed when she was happy. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she told them about the bed-and-breakfast they'd stayed in.

Reece waited until the end of the meal to say, "I went to the waterfront today and bought each of you a present. Nothing big, but it would mean a lot to me if you'd wear them."

Jenny clapped her hands when she saw the thin, silver chains. Joseph glowered at her. "You want me to wear a necklace?"

"You have four of them," her mother said, sounding doubtful. "Did you buy one for Eugene too?"

Reece took a deep breath. "I know you're going to think I'm silly, but I bought these at a magic shop. They have a special spell put on them."

Joseph's frown deepened. "Did you buy one for the friend who's staying with you?"

Reece stared at him. He might only be eight, but he was quick to catch on. And he was clearly adding up things she didn't want him to. "Something a lot like them," she told him.

Joseph slipped it over his head. "Then you must think it's important."

"It is."

Jenny followed his lead. Her mother looked at her, confused, then sighed. "I never thought you were sentimental, but if it means that much to you…"

"It does. Eugene should wear his too."

"Eugene doesn't like jewelry," Joseph said. "He probably won't, especially since you bought it for him."

Their eyes locked, and Reece gave a small nod. "I tried."

When they were getting ready to leave, Joseph said, "Can I ride home with Reece? I can keep her company."

"That's so sweet," their mother said. "You don't want your sister to get lonely."

Yeah, right. Reece gave him a wary look. In her experience, it was often easier to dodge questions from adults than kids. She waited until he was settled before she said, "Okay, what's up?"

"You don't believe in magic."

"I do now." She pulled into traffic and headed toward her mom's brownstone.

"Why?"

How did she answer that? She fumbled with one explanation after another, but none of them sounded good. Finally, she said, "I met a witch, a good one. She convinced me that her powers are real."

"Did bad things happen to your friend?"

"Yes."

Joseph's eight-year-old face took on an older look. "Will the necklaces make it so that Eugene can't hit Jenny?"

Of course, Joseph would think of that. "No, but they'll protect you."

"From what?"

For Joseph, there was no greater evil than Eugene, Reece knew. She took a deep breath. "If there's good magic, there's bad magic too. That's what happened to my friend. The witch is helping him, but she can't fix everything."

Joseph's eyes widened in surprise. "Your friend was cursed?"

He was thinking of the many Disney movies they'd watched together, and that wasn't a bad comparison. "Yes, and the witch can help him, but she can't lift the curse. He'll have to live with it."

"He's not a frog or something, is he?"

"No. The thing is, no one will believe you if you talk about it. No one would believe me either. But the necklaces will protect you. Promise me that you and Jenny will wear them." She pulled onto 29^th Street and slowed in front of her mother's brownstone.

"I promise." Joseph leaned close and gave her a hug. "You're the best."

A lump caught in her throat. She watched as her mother parked across the street. "I sort of like you guys," she told him.

"We know." Joseph grinned and hopped from the SUV to join Jenny.

Reece watched as the shabby looking man—Aurelius' lost "boy"—turned the corner of 29^th and began walking toward them. He saw her mom and the kids going up their walk, then noticed her, and gave a quick wave. It was a threat, and she knew it. If there was anything still redeemable about him, she'd be surprised. As far as she was concerned, Aurelius was worrying about a lost cause. A few steps farther, though, and he straightened and sniffed the air. His hand went to his neck, and he started to scratch. Spinning quickly on his heel, he walked away.

Bastard, take that!

She waited until Mom and the kids were inside, then waved and pulled from the curb. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something take flight. Damian was satisfied her family was safe too. She didn't head back to her loft. Instead, she drove to the rogues' warehouse and parked in another condo's lot, hiding her SUV among the many vehicles there. She had a hunch Dingy Boy would be here soon. And he didn't disappoint. In a short time, the rogue strolled into the converted building where Paul and the platinum-haired girl lived.

She turned the key in her ignition, about to leave, when Damian landed close by. Bending low, out of sight, he scooted onto the seat next to her and asked, "Is he done watching your mother's house now?"

"He wasn't too fond of wolfbane, and I sprayed the entire perimeter of Mom's property. It's protected."

"Good." When Reece told him about the rogue who'd left the restaurant, Damian nodded. "He drove the van to bring the other rogues here for a meeting."

"I thought you didn't get a chance to see him."

"Not that night, but he's not always so careful." Damian motioned toward the warehouse. "A human lives on the second floor. He seems to be the pack leader. Odd, don't you think?"

"Why would werewolves choose a human as their alpha? How could he control them?"

"I don't know. I've never seen it happen before." He opened the door to leave, bending low to hide between parked vehicles once more. "Benito's with Andre at the party, so you'll have your apartment to yourself. Enjoy it while you can."

On the drive home, though, her mind was cluttered. The empty apartment seemed too quiet. She paced until she finally gave up and sank onto the sofa to watch TV. If she were lucky, she'd drift to sleep. The last time she did this, an owl visited her at a full moon. The moon was only a sliver now, a crescent of promise. A smile curved her lips. The only distraction tonight would be when Andre came home from his party to find that she'd stolen his bed.