Page 99 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

“Sex with Stratton, of course.” She beamed. “I bet he’s killer in bed. Bram is. It’s a lot of fun. Most of my lovers have been very skilled. I have to admit I’ve been quite lucky in my life with them. Well, if you don’t count my ex-husband. He shouldn’t count since he lied to me about basically everything and was besties with Jack the Ripper. That no-good, evil butthead. We might have killed my ex too quick. I should have told him how horrible he was in bed first.”

I looked to Elis. Jack the Ripper? Was she serious?

He pulled Marcy to him. “On that note, let’s go find your car and get everyone where they need to be.”

Austin eased close to Cadee. “You all right?”

She nodded. “I’d like to go home now.”

He put an arm out and she went to him, letting him draw her against his body. “Babes, you’re ice cold.”

“Babes?” she echoed.

He swallowed hard. “You’re freezing.”

Marcy motioned to him. “She’s okay. Nothing bad happened. She didn’t end up not alive anymore. All ends that’s well, or something like that.”

Just then, Torid came running out from the darkness, barking. He came to a stop near me and shot the squirrel a look that warned it might be a snack if it wasn’t careful.

It wrapped itself tighter in Marcy’s hair.

Marcy went right for Torid, bent and bear-hugged him. “Hi! We’re going to be such great friends. Burgess, look! He’s finally here. I told you all about him.”

Burgess peeked out of her hair at Torid and then darted back on her shoulder more with a “hell no” look on his face.

Likes her, said Torid.

“I like you too,” responded Marcy, drawing a gasp from me.

She’d heard him?

She frowned, glancing off into the darkness. “Oh dear.”

Austin flinched. “I hate it when you get that look on your face.”

Elis glanced around. “What is it?”

“My husband knows I’m not home,” she said with a sigh. “He’s not pleased.”

“I’d expect not,” said Elis. “Let’s get you back to the estate.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” added Marcy, her hand going to Elis’s arm. “He found a workaround.”

“A workaround?” asked Austin.

“Bram?” questioned Elis.

Marcy shook her head. Her gaze found me. “The man she thinks is her father. What he brought here—it couldn’t come on this soil because of the guardians. They sleep here, waiting to waken. Her father is here too. He followed the trail. They led him to her.”

“I’m so lost right now,” said Austin, holding Cadee close.

“My father is in prison,” I protested.

Marcy appeared to be confused. “No, he’s not.”

A piece of me started to wonder if she knew something I didn’t. Was she right? Was Henry out? And if so, was he in Grimm Cove?

Torid went low and growled at the darkness.

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