Page 82 of The Most Wanted Witch

I dropped the act and nailed him with an accusatory glare that should’ve put him in his place.

Instead, he laughed. “She gets under your skin the most, doesn’t she?”

How had this gotten turned back around on me? “She bugs everyone. Can you just make a room?”

I didn’t wait for his answer. I had to go save Zab.

32

“Ugh. You’re here. Some retreat this place is turning out to be,” Mertie said. She was sitting at a chair pulled up to Zab’s desk, her hooves on his paperwork.

I glanced around and saw Lou. The guy was creepy enough without sneaking in without a sound.

“Tippi, he’s not moving in too, is he? I’ve got my limits of what I can stomach.” She flicked her cigarette ashes into the pile formed on the ground near her seat.

“Yes, we all have our limits,” Zab said, giving Mertie the side-eye.

“He’s not moving in.” I got up from my desk and made my way over to Lou, who was acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing Mertie had said.

Before I got to him, Hawk’s voice boomed out from behind me. “Can we help you?”

Lou looked over my shoulder before focusing his attention back on me. “I’m here to speak to you, but he can come along as well. Is there anywhere private in this place we can go?”

“Let’s head to the back,” I said, waving him to where Hawk stood. It was as far into the building as I could stomach. If I took him upstairs, I doubt I’d be able to sleep there again.

Hawk waited for Lou to pass and then stepped in between us. The back room was empty, and a second after we were all inside, the place went quiet. It would stay that way as long as Hawk wanted it to.

Lou looked about the room as if he couldn’t decide where it was safe to sit. He glanced at the couches before returning to the table, where he took a chair and settled down.

I took a seat opposite him and waited for him to speak. He’d come here, after all.

Hawk didn’t bother sitting at all.

“I’m here to do you a favor.” Lou bowed his head as if bestowing a benediction.

“Sorry if I don’t jump for joy, but that’s a bit hard to believe.” I leaned back, folding my arms. I didn’t need to see Hawk to know he was having the same reaction.

“Fine. I was trying to be pleasant, but it behooves me to help you.” Lou smiled as if he were grinning through the pain as he plucked invisible lint from his white dress jacket.

“Why?” Hawk asked, the question sounding more like a demand.

“Because it does. So what will it be? Do you want my help, or would you prefer to let Xazier come and do things his way?” Lou tapped his fingers on the table and crossed his legs, while keeping his grin in place.

I leaned forward. “We’ll hear you out, but let me make something clear before you go any further: we don’t care what you do or how you help. We won’t give you our allegiance. Xest is ours.”

His smile grew a little tenser and more frigid, if that were possible. “I didn’t think offering to help would be greeted with such hostility and resistance.”

Hawk pulled out a chair, sitting beside me. “We’re merely laying out our conditions, but we’re listening.”

“I’d heard you two weren’t so simpatico, but I see that was faulty information.” Lou sniffed in displeasure.

Neither of us replied as we sat shoulder to shoulder. We might fight constantly, but we did seem to unite at all the right times.

“I’m going to help, with no strings attached.” Lou leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of him. “I know how to put the monster back in its bottle. But if you don’t care to know, send me away. It’s your choice.”

“And just how do we go about doing it?” Hawk asked.

“You don’t.” Lou made a swirling motion with his finger before he stopped and pointed it at me. “She does.”

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