Page 26 of Fresh Old Bounties

“Yep.”

“What a cunning, devious man.”

I couldn’t help the slight note of envy in my tone. This should’ve been me, ingratiating myself to the local community instead of waiting for them to come to me. But it wasn’t like I’d had the time, I reminded myself, trying to soothe the sad, teary emoji that was now my heart. I hadn’t had the luxury to spend my mornings visiting people while running a one-woman shop.

After the shifter store, Preston dipped into a bookstore Dru assured me was run by humans, then walked back to his car.

Bee-Bee was thankfully still where we’d left her, waiting for us, and once again we followed Preston through Olmeda until he arrived at the private parking area of a small, lovely boutique hotel.

Dru snorted in my ear at the sight, which I took to mean Preston hadn’t met an affordable chain hotel he wouldn’t avoid.

We left the Vespa in a nook by a tree and settled to wait him out in a restaurant situated right across the street. The prices on the menu made me wish we’d lost Preston in the crowd.

“If he was seeking an introduction to the pack, I can call Hutton and warn him against him,” I said.

Dru glared at the hotel like she was working out the best way to set it on fire. “You’re with Ian now. Why would Hutton listen to you?”

Because if he didn’t, I’d refuse to transfer Ian’s power again. But Dru didn’t know about that. She only knew Hutton and Ian hated each other’s guts.

On the surface, at least.

“He might not like me, but I do supply them with all their potions. My opinion’s gotta carry some weight.”

Shifters and demons bought the most potions out of all paranormal creatures. Shifters were especially fond of memory potions, in case a human stumbled upon them shifting forms, and demons needed glamour ones to hide their naturally red eyes.

I squinted at Dru. Her eyes were the same beautiful brown as always. “Where do you get your glamour potions?”

She shrugged, still laser-focused on the expensive hotel across the street. “I have a stash.”

“Hmm.” I wasn’t totally convinced. “Are you cheating on me with another witch?”

She made a noise of exasperation, as if my questions were intruding into her spy time. “Bagley had a sale in June. I got a bunch.”

“You mean evil, dark magic witch Bagley, who killed people in her bathtub and used their unwilling blood for all her spells?”

Dru’s head rotated ever so slowly until she was staring back at me. She blinked a couple of times.

“I’ll make you a new batch,” I said smugly. “On the house.”

Her attention returned to the window, but her frown told me she was contemplating how much dark magic she had unwittingly consumed while drinking Bagley’s potions. That and if it was worth abandoning her prime estate stalking spot to go into the bathroom and try to puke it out.

“I’ll add a cleansing potion too.” I had proven my point and could afford to be gracious, unlike the salads and soups that made our outrageously priced lunch.

A long time later, after the food and the free bread sticks were all gone, and there was still no sign of Preston leaving the hotel, and the waiter was clearing his throat near our table because there were people waiting outside, we gave up and went back to the shop.

As I told Dru, just because we hadn’t caught him in the act, it didn’t mean there weren’t more ways to skin an ex.

She cheered up at that.

EIGHT

I left Dru womaning the shop and rode Bee-Bee to Ian’s current renovations project. It was a small, quaint old house that had recently come off the market and needed some love and care before the new owners moved in.

I knocked on the open front door, although I doubted anyone would hear me since rock music filled the air.

“Hello,” I said over the music.

“Hey, Hope,” Alex returned brightly. He was sitting on a ladder in the room to the right, applying a coat of white paint to the ceiling. Shane crouched in a corner, fiddling with another tray of paint. He lifted a hand, not bothering to turn my way.

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