Page 22 of A Leaner Meaner Midlife

A thought came to me, and I acted on it. “New safe word. We can’t risk that Micky Muggles didn’t get it out of Tory, Gram or Mr. Jackson.”

“What do you want it to be?” Gideon asked.

I smiled. It was a no-brainer. “Juicy justice boner.”

My soulmate’s eyes grew wide for only a brief second, then he chuckled. “Juicy justice boner it is.”

Gabe walked over to me and touched my cheek. “I’m humbled by you, sister. You have my word that I will contain my fury and fight by your side. You’re someone I aspire to emulate. However, please keep in mind that Tory, Gram and Mr. Jackson still believe the safe word to be toothpick.”

I placed my hand over my brother’s and smiled. “Correct and thank you. We’ll get them back. That’s the main goal. Period. If Micky Muggles gets away, so be it. We’ll deal with him eventually.” I looked around. The energy was electric. “We ready?”

The chorus of yesses was expected. We were out for a juicy justice boner, and we were going to get it.

CHAPTER FIVE

The ride to Kentucky Castle had been pretty. Lexington’s landscape was full of rolling hills and impressive horse farms. The air held a winter chill much colder than Georgia, but Candy Vargo provided everyone with warm coats. The tension in the minivan was palpable. No one had much to say. Not surprising since we had no clue what we were about to walk into. As before, Gideon drove, and I rode shotgun. Tim sat in the second row with Candy and Gabe. The Nephilim were in the back.

As we pulled up the long drive to the castle, my brow wrinkled in confusion. Something wasn’t right. In fact, it was very wrong. My stomach tightened and my fingers tingled. I tamped back my magical distress. It would be bad form to blow up the minivan with all of us sitting in it.

“Pull in behind the tree line to give us cover,” I instructed Gideon.

“Already on it,” he replied, expertly maneuvering the minivan to a hidden spot. We could see the structure in front of us, but we were mostly obscured from view.

“Are you sure the pictures you gave us were correct?” I asked Tim, squinting at the massive Tudor buildings. It didn’t look remotely like it was supposed to.

“Yes,” Tim said, frantically typing on his laptop. “Well, shit. Shit, shit, shit.”

I’d never heard Tim cuss in the entire time I’d known him. It didn’t bode well.

“It’s familiar to me,” Gideon said, squinting at the array of buildings. “Has anyone seen it before?”

Candy leaned forward. “Fuck me running” she said. “Looks like we took a wrong turn somewhere. That right there in front of us is the Tower of London.”

Pressing my lips together so I didn’t scream, I cracked my knuckles and willed myself to stay calm. For the moment, I’d search for facts. Magic wasn’t factual, but there was always truth in what most perceived to be fiction. “Tim, check the GPS. Are we in London, England or Lexington, Kentucky?”

“Lexington, Kentucky,” he confirmed. “However, until you get inside the fortress, we can’t be sure.”

Gideon inhaled deeply and gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. “How does that bastard have so much power?” he ground out with his eyes turning a bright and furious red. “He’s a fucking Nephilim.”

“Hopped up on Immortal blood,” Gabe reminded everyone.

“He has to be running out,” Tim said without thinking. He winced as Gabe punched the passenger window so hard his fist went through it.

No one chastised my brother. It was better than him blowing something up. Announcing our arrival was the last thing we wanted to do.

Candy Vargo rolled down the window and sniffed the air. “Fucker’s so powerful cause he ain’t workin’ alone.”

I watched as a group of people entered the compound. There was a pep in their steps that made me grind my teeth.

“You wanna be more specific?” I demanded of Candy. This was a twist I wasn’t expecting.

“Can’t,” she said. “I need to get in there to tell what’s goin’ on.”

“Nephilim,” Lura Belle called out from the back as she shuddered. “I can feel the presence of many Nephilim.”

I looked over at Gideon. “Is that a bad thing, a good thing or a disastrous thing?”

He shrugged and cut the engine. “Only one way to find out.”

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