Page 81 of The Most Wanted Witch

I hated knowing something was going to come back and bite you in the ass and yet there was no way to avoid it. All you could do was wait for the eventual problem, and then grin and bear it.

She scanned the office until she located me. The only reason I was still sitting was because running out of the room would’ve been too obvious.

She walked over and dropped her bag on my desk. “I’m calling in my favor. Where’s my room?”

With that sentence alone, all eyes swiveled from her to me.

Bibbi’s jaw was hanging down. She’d had no problem believing Hawk declared for me, but this? This was clearly too much for her.

Musso groaned, which turned into a throat clearing. Zab shook his head behind her back.

I was afraid to look at Hawk.

“We had a deal,” she said, getting impatient.

“And I’m going to honor it. I’m just surprised, is all. I didn’t expect you yet.” Or ever, at least when we’d first struck the deal.

“Yeah, well, that place was getting a little too weird for me.” She took a cigarette out and lit it with her finger.

Bibbi stood. “You can’t do—”

Zab pulled her back down to her seat and shook his head.

“Tippi, we need to speak,” Hawk said.

“I’ll be right back,” I said. “He probably wants to talk about which room to give you. Why don’t you go in the back room with Zab?” I ignored Zab’s outraged look. “There’s some good cocoa from Gillian back there.”

Or had she taken it all away? Who could keep track anymore?

“Isn’t that the woman who makes the good cocoa? That annoying Sweet Shop lady? I love her cocoa, but she gives me the creeps. I never go in there.” Mertie let out a chimney’s worth of smoke as she talked.

“Well, it’s amazing, and there’s a ton of it in the back.”

“She’s staying here too, right?” Mertie asked.

“She is. Is that a problem?”Please let it be.

“Nah. I’ll get her in line quick enough. She looks like she scares easily. I’ll take a cocoa as you two figure out which room.” She went to turn but then paused. “By the way, I don’t like too much sun. I have sensitive eyes. A shadier spot is better. And quiet. I’m used to a lot of privacy.”

“Got it,” I said.

Zab took a long few seconds to force his mouth into the shape of a smile. “Okay. Yes, I can take you to the cocoa.” He wrung his hands as he walked toward the back, glancing over to keep an eye on Mertie’s location.

Hawk’s expression said it all so clearly before he uttered a word. “You invited her to stay here?”

The only good thing about this situation was that it totally eclipsed the awkwardness of last night. It was such a mess, in fact, that my accusations weren’t a thing anymore.

“I didn’t think she’d take me up on it. She doesn’t like any of us, so why would she move in?”

“Well, apparently she thinks she is.”

“We’re already on top of each other anyway. What’s one more body?” As reasons to let her move in, that one sucked. I’d come up with it, and even I could see the flaws.

“She’s going to get on everyone’s nerves,” he said.

That had to be a joke of some sort. As if his Gillian didn’t?

“Your invites haven’t always been pleasant either.” I pasted a fake smile on my face and held my fingers in the air, raising my voice high as I said, “My cocoa is the best. I’m the best. I do everything better.”

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