Page 21 of The Accidental Witch

And that was it. No loving tribute, not even a mention of her survivors. Wow. She must have really been horrible.

Wait. She was pushing a hundred and fifty years old? How many skin-suits did she steal?

Robbie pointed at the date in horror. “She was almost a hundred and fifty?”

“As I previously said, we’re immortal,” Greer rumbled.

She threw her hands up, letting them slap her thighs, forgetting all about her hand of doom. “Right, okay. Thanks for that. I mean, isn’t everyone?”

Marty laughed, tucking Tottington’s arm into hers. “Well, everyonehereanyway. Except Tottington, of course.”

“Forget that shit for now. Let’s focus, we’ll talk about fucking immortality over cookies and milk later. I’m sure Arch is whipping up a batch as we speak.” Nina slapped Greer on the back. “Yousureyou wanna do this, my man? I know she was a shitty person, but she was still your grandmother. We could just go to your coven and tell ’em what’s happened and let them deal with this crap, right?”

Greer looked at Nina, his sharp jaw lifting upward, his eyes glittering in the deep velvet night. As the wind picked up and small snowflakes began to fall, he said in a sharp tone, “I don’t trust them to tell me the truth.”

Marty cocked her head, her brow furrowing. “You don’t trust them? Why?”

Robbie frowned, pushing the stray hair that had escaped her pony from her face. “Yeah, what happened to all thatcommunityand junk you said back at my apartment? How amIsupposed to trust them if you don’t?”

Greer ran a hand through his silky hair, pursing his lips before he said, “Anything they’ve done was done out of love for me. So I don’t trust they won’t try to keep something from me again under the guise of protecting me.”

Robbie let go of Tottington’s other arm and approached Greer, concern in her voice. “How did they try to protect you?”

His jaw went tight, his posture rigid. “They lied to me.”

“About?” Wanda asked, her tone sympathetic.

Just then, a crow cawed, making Robbie jump almost directly into Greer’s arms.

Nina pushed her way between them. “Okay, look. It’s dark and fucking creepy here. Let’s talk about what happened with your coven later before Firestarter shits her pants. If you say this has to be done, you’d better fucking be right. I won’t hear any shit from my council if you’re lying to me. You got that,Men’s Weekly?”

Greer held up his palms. “I’ll take responsibility for all of this. I promise you.”

Greer had tried to insist they wait in the SUV, but the women weren’t having it. In for a penny, in for a pound, Wanda had said. If they were going to help Robbie, they wanted all the information they could find and they wanted to witness everything. Though, Hervé had elected to remain with her cats, appearing happy to be in their company.

Now, Robbie wondered if they weren’t a little skeptical of Greer’s claims. Especially after the way Wanda had looked after speaking with January. She had the sense they didn’t fully trust his story.

“Then let’s get digging,” Nina ordered, looking at the hard ground. “Where the fuck are the shovels? Did we forget them in the back of the SUV?”

Greer held up a hand. “If Robbie consents, we won’t need the shovels.” He held out his hand to her. “This is the part where you trust me. Will you give me your left hand?”

Tentatively, she put her hand out, her fingers trembling. “What are you going to do?”

He smiled gently, his white teeth flashing in the dark, cloudy night. “I’m going to show you how to use your magic for a good cause.”

Her mouth went dry as the women immediately flanked her protectively, making Greer drop his hand.

“What’s the plan here, buddy?” Nina asked, suspicion deeply rooted in her tone.

“I would never do anything to hurt Robbie, Nina. Never. If January knows who Gwinnifer is, she knows who I am, too. I know she probably talked about me and mysituation. Am I right, Wanda?”

Wanda narrowed her eyes, her nose and cheeks red from the cold. “She did,” she said, with clear hesitation.

He looked directly at her. “Then you know my reputation precedes me.”

Nina crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t talk to the doc, so I don’t know what all she said, but I’m gonna warn you one more time—don’t fuck with me. I’ll make the rest of your life a living nightmare.”

“Understood,” he said, holding out his hand to Robbie again. As he stared at her, even in the dark, as the wind whipped his hair about his face and his gaze ate her up whole, he compelled her to believe in him—trusthim.

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