Page 39 of A Match Made in Coven
Despite her pact with Malatesta, as Sarah Michelle drove home that night, a storm of frustration and anger brewed within her. The unfairness of it all gnawed at her insides—being taken off the case, getting punished for the chaos at The Backroom, all because of him. Hexing Lorcan Black.
If it weren’t for that insufferable wizard, she wouldn’t be in this mess. His refusal to back the hex off, that magnetic charm he wielded like a weapon… It all made her blood boil.
By the time she pulled into her driveway, Sarah Michelle’s temples throbbed with the beginnings of a headache. She trudged up the porch steps, wishing she could be obliviated herself.
The mere thought of a bath—the soothing heat seeping into her aching muscles, washing away the stench of stale beer and darker things—was the singular comfort she could cling to.
She waved her hand, murmuring a spell, and her front door swung open with a soft click. As she crossed the threshold, a blur of silvery brown fur darted out to greet her. Despite her foul mood, she smiled.
“Hey there, Nox.” She scooped up the ferret, nuzzling his soft fur. “Miss me?”
Nox chittered in response, his warm weight a balm to her sore ego.
“Hey, you’re home.” Andromeda stood up from the couch, carrying her laptop, eyes still glued to the screen. “I wanted to talk to you about—” She lifted her eyes and stopped talking as she took stock of Sarah Michelle’s disheveled appearance. She gasped. “Gargoyles, Shelly. What happened to you?”
“It’s been hell, Andy,” she began, kicking off her boots and shrugging out of her jacket. She gave her roommate a sum-up of the hellpit-show her day had been.
Andromeda’s face lit up with a smile when Sarah Michelle was done—not the reaction she’d expected. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re still on the case, even if it’s unofficially. I’ve got news that will cheer you up.”
“I seriously doubt it.”
“I finally cracked what Morning Star means!”
Sarah Michelle smirked despite herself. “Okay, let me get changed.”
“You got it. I’ll make tea in the meantime. Then we can dive into what I’ve found.”
Grateful for the reprieve, Sarah Michelle headed to her room, peeling off her uniform. She gave herself a dry cyclone shower, a spell she’d perfectioned in her rookie days when her spare time was spent sleeping, and slipped into the comfort of soft leggings and an oversized sweater—the hot bath would have to wait. When she returned to the living room, Andromeda was waiting on the couch, two steaming mugs of moonlight tea on the coffee table and her laptop balanced on her knees.
Sarah Michelle settled beside her, accepting the offered mug with a murmured thanks. As she took a sip of the tea, the warm, soothing liquid chased away some of the tension that had taken root in her body.
“Okay.” She turned to face her roommate. “Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
“Morning Star is the name of a shell company that’s the major investor in the new mall development happening just out of town.”
“Mmm.” Sarah Michelle was already working to connect the dots. Since it was real estate related, it could be about Elijah’s work, but then why the need to put it in code? “Did anything seem weird about the company?”
“It took a lot of digging and a bit of hacking—”
Sarah Michelle held up a hand, stopping her. “I don’t want to know how you dug up the info, especially if it’s illegal. Just tell me what you found.”
Andromeda nodded, her expression turning serious. “Roger that.” She focused on her laptop screen, scrolling through the information. “The main shareholder in the holding that controls Morning Star is a councilman in Salem, Thaddeus MacGregor.”
“What’s weird about that?”
“When I searched Thaddeus MacGregor online, the first links were articles about him firmly opposing the construction of the new mall,” Andromeda explained, turning the laptop to show her the search results.
Sarah Michelle’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the headlines, the riddle thickening. “Why would the major investor in a new development publicly condemn it and do his best to block it in the council?” It made no sense.
“I have no idea.” Andromeda shrugged. Then, with a merciless smirk, she asked, “Do you know anyone in real estate who could help you solve this mystery?”
Sarah Michelle groaned because she knew exactly one wizard who was an expert in human real estate—an intolerably handsome wizard who was going to be so smug about her needing his help. Lorcan was a perfect storm of good looks, bad ancestry, and even worse savior complexes designed to test both her patience and self-control.
Chapter Twenty-two
Bare Truths
LORCAN
