Page 5 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
“Demand all you want, but from inside the house,” Donatello replied, closing the rear door once Andromeda was settled.“Unless you’d rather be arrested for obstruction of justice.”
“You can’t arrest a familiar,” Sarah Michelle pointed out, stooping to whisper something to the ferret.
“Try me,” Donatello said.“I’ve had a hell of a night.”
Callidora straightened up, nodding at the two animals.“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.”
The ferret snickered before scampering back up the walkway.The hedgehog was more reluctant, his tiny face screwed up in self-righteous indignation.
“I am her solicitor, and I have a right to be present.”
“Then you can make your way to the station with your own means of transportation.”
“It’s okay, Quill,” Callidora repeated.“I’ve got this.”
The little beast nodded solemnly before turning with as much dignity as his stubby legs allowed and following the ferret.
“Your roommate has the most pretentious familiar,” Donatello muttered, circling to the driver’s side.
“Takes one to know one,” Sarah Michelle muttered, sliding into the passenger seat.
Donatello started the engine and pulled away from the curb, the streets of Salem semi-deserted.Streetlamps cast pools of amber light on the wet pavement, and the occasional nocturnal pedestrian hurried past, head down against the fall chill.
“So,” Sarah Michelle broke the silence after a few blocks.“What’s going on?”
“I can’t discuss the case now.Not with you.And not in front of her.”He pointed his thumb backward.
“But—”
“No buts.Another word, and you’re out of my car, too, Callidora.”
The cabin fell silent after that.Palpable tension radiated from both women.Sarah Michelle took out her phone and started texting madly to hex knew who.
While the other witch…
He glanced in the rearview mirror, and whiskey-colored eyes glared at him, burning with a combination of anger, fear, and determination that gripped something low in his gut and twisted.
She dropped her gaze first, but the impression of those fierce eyes remained, challenging every assumption he’d made about a quick conviction.So much so that Donatello wondered if he was making a terrible mistake.
Chapter Three
Detective Hot-and-Hostile
ANDROMEDA
The interrogation room was chilly.So cold that Andromeda’s arms prickled with goosebumps under the light fabric of her sweatshirt while the metal chair leeched what little warmth she had left.She was dressed for a cozy movie night at home, not for rotting in a walk-in freezer.
She was grateful to SMPD for the complimentary cryo treatment, but she preferred her facials without felony charges.
Andromeda ran her palms over her arms to warm up, hoping the gesture wouldn’t broadcast her misery.Her wrists still bore faint red marks from where the magical dampening cuffs had dug into her skin.At least they’d removed those.
She stared at the giant mirror that dominated half the wall to her left.The one-way glass reflected her disheveled appearance—wild blonde hair escaping the wreckage of a once-cute messy bun, day-old mascara smudged under tired eyes, ice cream stain still visible on her sweatshirt.Perfect.She looked deranged enough to have committed a murder.
Was Sarah Michelle watching her right now?Andromeda squinted at the mirror, wondering if her roommate was standing on the other side with her arms crossed, giving Detective Hot-and-Hostile a piece of her mind.Or was she busy pulling strings, calling in favors, doing whatever detectives did when their roommates were falsely accused of killing someone?
“Come on, Shelly,” Andromeda whispered, teeth chattering.“Get me out of here.”
The door flew open with enough force to make her jump.But instead of her best friend, Detective Malatesta strode in with the confident swagger of a man who’d never questioned a decision in his life.He’d removed his stunner-proof jacket, revealing a tactical black shirt that hugged him like a second skin.The leather straps of his chest holster cut clean lines across muscle, accentuating the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist—he was a 3D printout from collective female fantasies.
