Page 23 of Handcuffs and Hexes

It had gotten bigger than a few EA enforcers and a handful of police officers could handle. For the first time since Darlington opened itself up to the world, we found we needed help from outside. There were just too many here working on the force who had magical abilities of some sort. Even Hayes and I had a family history of magic.

Apparently, Granddad had the ability to nullify magic to a degree, and that had been why he’d been so good at the job. Chief was sure I had some of that too, even though no one could detect it.

The shifters on our force who didn’t have magic-casting abilities were still allowed on the scene, at least for now.

They’d tried sending a drone, but the moment the drone had gone through, it had stopped transmitting any data. They couldn’t even get it to come back. The second drone had been tied to a cord, and while they’d retrieved it by hauling it back, it too had no viable recording.

The only good news was that The Breach hadn’t grown since this morning.

Chief was adamant that I didn’t think too much about it and focused on healing. Mike also was dealing with headaches from hell, and he didn’t have a wizard to take the edge off, though he’d assured me that painkillers did the job.

“Alright. Phone, laptop, clothes, keys, wallet, toothbrush...” I listed the things already in my duffel bag. “I think I’m ready to go.”

“Great! Let’s get our Babygirl some sun and surf,” Liam said.

“Sun and surf?” I asked, trying my best to ignore the fact that he’d added “our” to Babygirl this time. “We’re nowhere near an ocean.”

“The lake will do,” Seth said. “I swear it helps with the hangovers.”

I still had no idea what the two had in mind, but decided it was best to just go with the flow.

Sethownedayacht.A freaking yacht. This had to be working-for-Desmon money and not for the EA money because if it was EA money, then I was changing careers. Like now.

It wasn’t one of those monstrosities the super-rich had, but one sized perfectly for a few friends to enjoy the late spring air. There were two rooms below deck and a galley in the salon above deck that was enclosed in glass. Seth and I were currently lounging on the built-in couch on the terrace under a large umbrella, and Liam was in the galley fixing us both a drink.

The thing that stood out most between Seth’s boat and the others at the marina was the finishing. This thing looked like it belonged in a Lovecraftian horror. It was glossy black with dark wood details and burgundy-red upholstery. It also had extra details like spikes and metal scrollwork.

“Did you know Seth wanted to name it theDemeterat first?” Liam had said when we boarded.

“Why does that sound familiar?” I’d asked.

“That’s the ship that brought Dracula to England.”

“Ah.” That made sense.

Seth currently looked for all the world like he could be a vampire from that era, that was if you ignored the piercings and the spiky platinum-blond hair. He had a billowy silk shirt on, similar to the one I’d worn yesterday as a nightie, but he’d left most of the buttons unbuttoned. I could see his nipple piercing right through the shirt.

Liam was wearing a sailor suit, complete with a collar, cap, and tie. And I could swear that every time either Seth or I looked at him, it got skimpier. Currently it was sleeveless, and I was admiring his thick, tanned biceps. His pants were pretty tight too, and Seth was eyeing his well-formed glutes.

Seth had ended up naming his baby theRevenge, like the pirate ship, which I didn’t think was any better than theDemeter. But with the lake breeze in my hair, I wasn’t going to be picky.

At first, I thought that the rocking on the boat would make things worse, but it didn’t. Seth was right; the lake breeze and sunshine were making everything better. Or maybe it was being around the two of them. I couldn’t really tell.

Liam returned with a tray of drinks, his shorts looking a little shorter and tighter than when he’d left. They highlighted a very distinct bulge at the front.

“An iced tea for our Babygirl,” he said, placing the tray down on the table in front of us. “A gin and tonic for my sexy wizard. And a fire rush for me.”

I eyed his drink warily. It was glowing like it was on fire from within. And it smelled slightly sulfuric, though there was still a hint of lime and chili.

“What exactly is that?”

“It’s a demon special. A bit of brimstone, a touch of lava, nothing special, some lime. But not for mortals.”

I looked over into the salon to make sure he hadn’t set the galley on fire. He hadn’t.

As I reached for my iced tea, Liam took the opportunity to shove me over a bit and squeeze in between Seth and me. He had both arms draped possessively over us by the time I brought the straw to my mouth.

I promptly gagged and almost spat out my drink.

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