Sinfully Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 1) (24 page)

“I have an itchy spot on my back,” the little kitten said,
and I was amazed that I could understand him perfectly.

“Is that the spot?” I asked as I rubbed his back and
listened to him purr even louder.

“So, you like him?” Dylan asked.

“I love him,” I said, trying hard not to cry like a baby.
“How did you do this?”

“My mother got him for you,” Dylan began hesitantly. “I took
hair from your brush and asked her to make all the arrangements.”

“Dylan, I don’t even know what to say.” I cuddled my
familiar even closer. How did I thank someone for the most thoughtful gift I’d
ever received? How did I tell Dylan I was falling more in love with him every
day?

“You don’t have to say anything,” Dylan assured me. “You
should have a familiar, and I wanted to be the one to give you this. Even if
you leave me when this is all over, I want to be the man who gave you your
familiar.”

“I’m still really afraid of being hurt,” I admitted.

“So am I,” he said. “I can’t promise I won’t screw up,
because we both know I will. What I can promise is that I’d never intentionally
hurt you.”

“And I can always cut your balls off if you cheat on me,” I said
with a smile.

Dylan laughed and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “I
don’t think you need to worry about me cheating on you,” he assured me. “No
woman could ever compete with you. I love you,” he said softly, looking as
shocked by the words as I was. “Wow! That wasn’t what I planned to say.”

“Just got caught up in the moment?” I asked.

“Sort of,” he admitted. “I’m not saying I don’t mean the
words, just that I hadn’t planned to say them now. I’m really screwing this up,
aren’t I?”

Shaking my head, I gave him a wobbly smile. “I love you,
too.”

“And me?” my familiar asked.

“Of course, I love you,” I said, holding him up so he was
looking me in the eyes. “What are we going to call you?”

“I still say he looks like a Socks,” Dylan said.

“I don’t like Socks,” the kitten insisted.

“How about Quincy?” I asked, and the kitten hissed in
displeasure.

“Sam?” Dylan suggested.

“I like Sam!” the kitten said happily and began purring
again.

“Sam it is,” I agreed.

Dylan closed the distance between us and held me with Sam in
the middle. This really was the perfect end to a horrible day.

“You should call in sick tonight,” I insisted yet again. Not
that I thought the stubborn woman was going to listen to me. Professing her
love for me didn’t mean she was taking my advice on her safety. Okay, that was
unfair because she was trying to be safe, and I’d probably have her sequestered
in my home with guards until the killer was located if she let me.

“I’ve already missed enough work,” Allie argued. “Listen, I
only have a few shifts left, and then you won’t have to worry about me going
into SpellBinders.”

As always, Allie sounded anxious about the prospect of being
unemployed. I’d offered her work at my firm, but she’d refused, which had come
as no surprise. At least I’d convinced her to delay applying for jobs until
after the killer was caught, because it would make it easier to keep her safe
if she wasn’t running off to interviews. Her easy agreement had been a pleasant
surprise.

“Why are you so worried about missing one night in the
middle of the week?” I asked. “You know Wednesday is a slow night at
SpellBinders. Marcos will be fine if you don’t come in.”

“I have rent due in a couple of weeks, and I really need to
have a full check for that,” she explained.

“Who cares about your rent?” I asked. “I don’t understand
why you haven’t already given them notice. Didn’t you say your roommate is
planning to stay with her mom instead of moving back there, anyway?”

“Thanks for reminding me I need to find a roommate on top of
everything else,” she grumbled.

“Why do you need to find a roommate?” I demanded. “We’re
getting along great. You should just give up your apartment and stay with me.”

“Is that really how you want to ask me to move in with you?”
she asked with a roll of her eyes.

This was one of those moments where my brain was telling me
to quit while I wasn’t too far behind. My brain tells me that a lot when I’m
with Allie, probably because I’m prone to saying dumb shit around her. I am
fully aware of how lucky I am that she has a very forgiving nature. Like the
other times my brain warned me to shut up, I ignored the warning. “I don’t need
to ask you. You’re already here. We’ve passed an affinity test, and you love
me. Moving back to your apartment would be stupid.”

“So, now my ideas are stupid?” she asked.

Crap! I suddenly realized I’d just fucked myself over
completely. “I didn’t say your idea was stupid,” I insisted and tried to get
back to the topic of work, hoping to get my ass out of trouble. “I just don’t
like your idea of being at SpellBinders alone tonight.”

“I’ll only be alone for an hour,” she said.

“Which is reckless and insane with a killer on the loose,” I
insisted. “How long did it take you to get attacked last time?”

“So, now my ideas are stupid, reckless, and insane? Or, am I
just stupid, reckless, and insane?” she asked.

“I never said that!” This was an argument I was destined to
lose. It was even worse than answering the question about whether her jeans
make her butt look big. “I’m scared to death of losing you,” I admitted.

“Trevor is going to drive me to work,” Allie reminded me.

“But he can’t stay there for your entire shift,” I argued,
feeling somewhat panicked at the idea of her being unguarded at the club.
Everything had been arranged so Allie would have someone with her tonight while
I went to my meeting. That is until Trevor had been asked to draw up a contract
for one of
Night High
’s producers, who insisted the meeting happen
tonight.

“You’ll be there before closing, right?” she asked.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, but that doesn’t make me
feel any better about it. Please, don’t go tonight.”

“Marcos already promised to have security follow me any time
you or Trevor can’t be there,” she reminded me. “I’ll just take him up on that
offer tonight.”

“Do you really trust Marcos?” I asked.

“Not entirely,” she admitted. “The only reason I think I can
trust him to follow through for the hour I’m alone is he’s trying to convince
me to work there longer.”

She was right, but I still couldn’t shake my unease.

The chirping of Allie’s phone interrupted us. “I need to
answer that,” she said, but I already knew it was just her way of getting out
of arguing with me more.

“Hello?” she said. “Yes, this is Alana Talbot.”

I tapped my foot, arms crossed in front of my chest, as I
waited for her to finish her call.

“That’s great news!” she said excitedly, and then listened
to the person on the end of the line for a few minutes, only making small
sounds of understanding. “Thank you so much for letting me know.”

“They found the killer,” Allie said after setting her phone
on the counter.

“Are they sure they have the right person?” I asked, because
I didn’t want to take any chances.

“Yes, they’re sure. The police know what they’re doing,” she
assured me.

“Did they give you any details?” I asked.

“It was a vampire trying to use the essence from the
succubi,” she said. “I guess they found all sorts of evidence.”

“What about the demon or witch who was helping him?” I
asked. “He couldn’t have done this without help.”

She shrugged. “He had some book about rituals, so they think
he was trying to do it on his own but hadn’t had any success.”

Something wasn’t sitting right with me about all of this.
“Did he confess?” I asked.

“No, it wasn’t possible to question him,” Allie said. “What
they actually found was a pile of ashes. It seems he was hiding at a hotel,
sleeping under the bed to avoid the sun. The cleaning staff swears there was no
sign on the door, so they went in to clean. They also opened the drapes, and I
guess he was a pile of ash by the time the police got there. He had his ID and
some items that belonged to the most recent victim. That prompted them to
search his home, where they found plenty of evidence linking him to the
killings. They didn’t go into details, but they’re sure he was the killer.”

“So, the killings had nothing to do with the demon who
attacked you at Spellbinders?”

“The police said the demon turned himself in last night,
before they found the vampire. They said he’ll be charged for my attack, and
they’ll contact me if they need anything.”

“So, the killer is dead, and there’s no more threat to you,”
I said thoughtfully.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She wrapped her arms around
me. “You’re worried that this isn’t really over, but it is. Now, I can go to
work, and we don’t need to argue about it anymore. When I get home tonight, we
can celebrate, and maybe you can think of a better way to ask me to move in
with you.”

I hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “I’d
still feel better if you had someone drive you to and from work,” I said and
then braced myself for an argument.

“That’s probably a good idea,” she admitted. “It isn’t the
nicest area to walk at night, and I don’t want some other creep from
SpellBinders following me out.”

“Will you move in with me?” I asked. “Please. I can’t
imagine not having you here every night.”

“Yes,” she said with a grin.

“Just like that?” I asked in disbelief. “Weren’t you just
arguing with me about moving in here?”

“No, I was annoyed that you assumed I would,” she explained.
“I was also a little worried about agreeing to move in while my life was in
danger. I want to do this because it’s what we want, not because we think it’s
a good idea. Did that sound completely insane?” she asked, pulling back to look
me in the eyes.

I shook my head. “No, I get it, and I know you’re stressed
out about quitting your job.”

“Don’t ruin the moment by promising to take care of me,” she
warned.

“I was just going to point out that you don’t need to look
for a job to feed your succubus side. If you’re living with me, I can promise
your needs will be taken care of on a regular basis. We won’t have to worry
about me getting addicted, unless you’re planning to leave me.”

She giggled and tapped my chest. “Always the romantic,
aren’t you?”

I was tempted to take her back to my room, but the doorbell
interrupted us. Sam was also sprawled out on the bed, and that kitten could be
cranky when his nap was interrupted.

“That’s probably Trevor,” she said. “We’d both better get to
work. I promise to keep my phone with me and on for the hour I’m alone. Are you
sure your mom will be okay taking care of Sam tonight?”

Having a familiar was more like having a child than a pet.
We couldn’t leave Sam alone, and he got into all sorts of mischief if we didn’t
watch closely.

“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “My mother is really excited
about having him over tonight. He’ll be spoiled and sleepy when we pick him up
later.” Since my mom had no intention of staying up that late, she’d already
told me to let myself in when we stopped by to pick Sam up.

Allie gave me a quick kiss before heading off to work with
Trevor. I was still having trouble believing Allie was safe. Shaking my head to
clear my thoughts, I hurried upstairs to get Sam.

Entering the playroom, I found a diminutive balding man with
glasses waiting nervously for me, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“How are you this evening, Ned?” I asked my client. Ned
might look like nothing dangerous, but he was a dark Fae and rumored to be a
lethal killer.

“I need you to get me the dirtiest whore you have,” he said
in a nasally voice.

“Absolutely!” I assured him, and headed out to the club,
wondering what Matilda, Ned’s wife, would be wearing this time.

As always, Matilda did not disappoint. Dressed in a lacey
bodysuit that barely covered her nipples and vagina, Matilda sat at the bar.
Overly curvy and incredibly tall, Matilda took up two barstools, and the men
around her looked like they weren’t sure if they were attracted or repulsed by
her. That was the thing about Matilda’s beauty. With black hair flowing down
her back, eyes like the deepest rubies, and porcelain skin that looked unreal,
Matilda never looked human. She could also kill you with a thought. When she
caught sight of me, she jumped up, and I soon found myself buried in Matilda’s
enormous bosom.

“Allie!” she squealed. “It’s so good to see you. Oops!
Sorry, I’m supposed to be in character.”

“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I won’t tell Ned you didn’t
play along.”

“Thank you,” she said, finally releasing me. “His feelings
get hurt if I get distracted. Silly man thinks it’s because I’m bored.”

These were the types of customers I was going to miss. “I
should probably tell you that I’m leaving SpellBinders.”

Matilda gave a little pout. “I can’t say I blame you, but we
sure will miss you. None of the others take care of us like you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” I said honestly. “How about if we get
you back to the room before Ned starts to worry?”

Matilda grinned. “Lead the way.”

It only took me a few minutes to get Ned and Matilda settled
and on their way to making Ned’s current fantasy come to life.

I’d been trying to talk to Marcos all night, but it was
almost like he was avoiding me. I finally caught up with him about an hour
before the end of my shift. “Marcos!” I called out to get his attention.

“What’s up, Al?” He sounded distracted and annoyed.

“Can I have a word with you, please?” I asked.

“Sure thing, babe. Where’s your bodyguard?” he asked,
looking around. “You were supposed to let me know on the nights your warlock
couldn’t be here so I could assign someone to watch you.”

“They caught the killer, so I’m on my own tonight,” I
explained.

“Now, that’s good news,” Marcos muttered almost too quietly
for me to hear.

“Dylan is still picking me up after work,” I told him. “In
fact, he should be here in about half an hour or so. There was something I
needed to discuss with you before I leave tonight.”

“Let’s head to my office, and you can tell me what you
need,” Marcos said, motioning for me to walk in front of him.

When we got to his office, Marcos poured us each a drink,
even though he knew I never drank at work. It wasn’t against the rules, but I
never felt right about it.

“This is my last night,” I said. “I already checked the schedule,
and you have more than enough people to cover for my last few days. The two new
succubi are doing great here, so I really don’t think you need me.” Waiting for
Marcos’ reaction, I wasn’t sure what it would be. While I was right about him
not needing me, Marcos was a control freak, and he might argue about me not
working the rest of my scheduled shifts just because it hadn’t been his idea.

“I see.” Marcos looked thoughtful. “What brought about this
decision? Not a lot of jobs out there for sex demons, so I’m guessing you don’t
have anything lined up yet.”

“I don’t have another job yet,” I explained. “As crazy as
this may sound, I’m trying to make things work with Dylan, and this job is a
constant source of tension between us. It’s best if I don’t come back after
tonight.”

Marcos stood and walked around me toward his filing cabinet.
Despite the invention of computers, Marcos still kept most information on
paper. That was pretty common with older demons. “I’m disappointed that you’d
let a warlock interfere with your obligations,” he said, and I heard him
riffling through the file cabinet behind me, probably looking for discharge
paperwork.

“I understand,” I uttered, turning to him with a forced
smile. That smile died when I saw the hate in Marcos’ eyes as he approached me
holding something in his fisted left hand. Standing, I tried to back away.

“Let’s go for a ride, Al,” he said.

“I’d rather not,” I argued, just as he tossed a blue coin at
me. There was a bright flash of light, right before I lost consciousness.