Page 50 of Treasure and Tarot

Sixteen

“Hmmm.” The medium, who was a slender male omega with a long braid tied with crystals and bells, looked at the axe. Iago had brought it up in the van, and they were all having lunch. The crew, him, Colton, Xavi, Xander, and Hank Vargas and his husband Elliot.

Abby was playing with Antonia, Hank’s daughter.

And they were looking at the axe. Which wigged him out. But at least they were at the hotel and not his house.

And Sebastian wasn’t sure he was ready to make nice with Hank yet. Even if the man was looking at him with those big, dark eyes, wanting to make up. Like, a lot.

And he hated that he was still so mad. It made him feel petty. Because really, he should feel grateful to Hank for bringing Colton, and some money, back into his life.

“So, what does that mean?” Elliot asked. He was a big omega who wrote books and had a healthy dose of, if not skepticism about ghosts, then certainly practicality.

“What?” The medium blinked at Elliot.

“Mmm. That’s very vague. What does it mean?”

“Well, right now, it kinda means why on earth is this in a trunk in your house, Sebastian?”

Sebastian’s cheeks went warm. “Well, it was just an old trunk. I mean… I had never had anything authenticated until now. It was just a family myth.” And now he felt a little sick that all that had been in the house with his daughter.

“I see. Yes. Sometimes that’s a little scary, hmm?”

“Well, yes.”

“We need to know what to do. He keeps hunting the omega and the kids,” Colton snapped. He was losing patience with this shit.

“Tell me again what happened,” Thierry said, his tone patient.

Colton glared, but he went through it, with Mason and Iago pitching in on the axe thing.

By the time they were done, Elliot was scowling, and Hank was looking seriously distressed. “No. No. That is not okay. You two need to come stay with me and Elliot in Secret Springs for a few days,” Hank said. “You and Abby.”

“But, Hank…”

“No!” Hank shook his head. “This is not okay. It was one thing when I thought your ghosts were trying to tell you to get a life!” His voice rose until the kids frowned over at him, and Elliot put a hand on his arm. “Sorry. But this is someone repeating a murder over and over.”

“And why now?” Xander murmured.

“Maybe because Abby is the age of one of the kids?” Xavi asked.

“Or maybe because Colton came and took what he thought was his,” Mason said.

They all looked at him.

Sebastian hunched his shoulders. “What?”

“Well, we know that jealousy is often a motivator in killings like this,” Hank said.

“True…” Thierry smiled a little. “Well, I’ll come down with you to the house this evening.”

“Why are you smiling?” Sebastian was pretty sure this wasn’t anything to smile about.

“What?”

“You ask that a lot.” He frowned at Thierry. “Why are you smiling?”

“Well, mainly because it’s my natural countenance.” Thierry winked at him. “You must be very brave to have done all of this on your own.”

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