Page 44 of Witch Bound and Down

Despite everything, Bullseye felt a flicker of professional interest. "Maybe. Though right now I'm kind of busy with a delivery."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Sorry to hear about your trouble, by the way."

"What trouble?"

"Your lady getting married and all. Real shame, that. Heard she was a nice witch."

Bullseye's blood turned to ice water. "What did you say?"

"Your girl. Hazel something-or-other. Word on the trucker network is she's getting hitched today up in Niagara Falls. Marrying some bear sheriff's boy. Figured you knew, what with you two being an item and all."

The world seemed to tilt sideways. Through the CB static, Bullseye could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"She's getting married? Today?"

"That's what I heard. Big fancy ceremony, lots of supernatural law enforcement in attendance. They're saying it's the wedding of the century up there."

"When?" Bullseye's voice came out as a croak.

"Supposed to start at sunset, from what I heard. Though hell, that's just trucker gossip. Could be wrong."

Bullseye looked at the dashboard clock. It was already late afternoon. If the ceremony was at sunset, and they were still hours away from New York...

"JJ," he said urgently, "where exactly in Niagara Falls?"

"Some fancy chapel on the American side, right near the falls. The Chapel of Eternal Commitment, I think they called it. Why, you thinking about crashing a wedding?"

Bullseye was already calculating distances and drive times in his head. Niagara Falls was technically in New York, which meant delivering the cargo there would still fulfill the letter of his contract with the dragons. And if he could get there before sunset...

"Snowman," he called over the CB, "you copy this conversation?"

"Every word," Snowman replied grimly. "And before you ask, yes, I can make it to Niagara Falls by sunset if we push hard."

"What about the cargo?"

There was a pause. Then Snowman's voice came back, quieter than before. "Bull, I got to ask you something. Are you planning to deliver that Bond Buster to the dragons so they can destroy thousands of magical bonds like yours? Or are you planning to stop a wedding because you finally figured out what really matters?"

The question hit Bullseye like a physical blow. The mating bond flared in his chest, carrying echoes of Hazel's pain, her desperation, her complete loss of hope. He thought about the trailer full of Bond Buster, designed to break apart magical families. He thought about Hazel's face when she'd realized what he was willing to transport for money. He thought about Hopper potentially losing his intelligence and personality because of cargo Bullseye had agreed to deliver.

And he thought about Hazel walking down the aisle to marry a man she didn't love because she'd given up on the possibility that Bullseye might choose her over dragon gold.

"Dump it," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Dump the cargo," Bullseye said, his voice getting stronger. "All of it. Find a safe place to dispose of the Bond Buster where it can't hurt anyone."

"Bull, that's eighty thousand gold pieces you're talking about."

"I don't care about the money." And as he said it, Bullseye realized it was true. "Snowman, I need you to dump that cargo and meet me in Niagara Falls. There's a wedding I need to stop."

"Now you're talking," Snowman said with obvious relief. "I'll find a place to neutralize the Bond Buster safely. You go get your girl."

"JJ," Bullseye called over the CB, "you still there?"

"Still here, Bullseye. That was quite a conversation."

"Any chance you could give me some pointers on the fastest route to Niagara Falls? Because I've got a wedding to crash and not much time to do it."

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