Page 30 of The Most Wanted Witch

Gillian focused on me next. “Tippi, would you mind checking over at my shop while I’m recuperating and seeing if they need anything?”

“Of course not.” I would’ve paid for an excuse to get out of there. While I was at it, I’d get a cocoa too. Although I’d keep that to myself. Bertha already appeared to be beating her dough to death instead of gently kneading it.

“I’ll help you,” Bibbi said, splashing tea on Gillian as she hurried to my side.

We got out of the building before her yelling stopped.

Bibbi walked so close that she nearly ran me over. “She’s trying to move in on our man. This is not happening.”

“He’s not technically our man.” He wasn’t Gillian’s, either. She could pet his shoulder all day long and it wouldn’t make it so.I didn’t think. Either way, Bibbi didn’t need to hear those thoughts. She was already at a ten on the riled-up scale.

“Yes, he is. He’s yours first because he likes you better, and that’s fine. I’ve accepted that. You were here first. But if that doesn’t work out, I get him next.Thatone is not allowed to stroll in and jump the line.” Her hands were balled into fists.

“Don’t get worked up. You don’t know that she wants him.” Wow, how far I’d come in the lying department. That lie had flowed over my lips like water down a river.

“Did you see her face as he carried her to the couch? The way she asked, ‘Hawk, is tea okay?’” she said in a mock falsetto. “She wants him, all right, and he’s not hers to take. He’s ours.”

I took a step to the side before I got plastered into a nearby building as she raged. The denial route was not calming her down.

“Fine. But let’s see what happens. I get the feeling that she isn’t Hawk’s type.” It was the only thing safe to say, since sweet Bibbi was near growling and about to foam at the mouth like a Rottweiler defending its territory.

I didn’t particularly like where Gilli’s mind was going either, but I didn’t own Hawk. We’d had a handful of kisses and more than twice that in fights. If you counted up both, the tally put him closer to enemy than ownership.

Plus, it was true what I’d said. He wasn’t going to be interested in her. Gillian was a cute girl and all, with her big brown eyes and brown ringlets, but personality? Never. Even Belinda, for all her faults, had been made of tougher stuff than thetake care of me, I’m injuredGillian. How could he possibly be attracted to her?

“Don’t worry. He’s not going to pay her attention. It’s not going to be a problem. She’ll get bored and go back home,” I said as we got to the Sweet Shop.

“I hope so, because she’s already irritating me. I don’t know how long I’ll last.”

I held the door open for her. “You know, maybe we should get you a double today?”

“Good idea.”

14

The front door blew open with a gust of wind. A stream of dark smoke twirled its way toward me until it formed glowing embers that hovered in the air, before turning into ash that piled up onto my desk. Everyone in the office watched as the ashes seemed to plump up and then bind themselves into a burned piece of paper that slowly turned cream.

There was only one person, or creature, this could be from. I leaned forward, reading the note without touching it.

I’ll pick you up at the square tonight for our meeting.

Xazier

That was it. No “will you come?” or “does this time work for you?” Another man in my life who thought he could dictate to me. They were like a bag of chips. I couldn’t stop plucking them out, and damned if I didn’t feel salty about it. Unfortunately, this man was from hell, and he could dictate to me for the simple reason that his origin scared the living hell out of me and damned anyone who judged. If that didn’t terrify a person, it would mean they’d lost all their marbles.

I grabbed a pencil, stabbing the note. It went up in a puff of smoke before it made it to the wastebasket.

“Well?” Zab asked. “Are you going to share, or are we going to have to beg for information?”

Musso’s fuzzy brows rose.

“You gotta tell us. What did it say? The suspense is killing me.” Bibbi leaned forward, wrapping her hands around the front edge of her table.

This discussion was as desirable as having my nails pulled out during a torture session, which might be on the table.

“It’s Xazier. I have to meet with him tonight.”

“What are you going to do? Are you going to go?” Zab asked.

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