Page 51 of Cursed Love
“Thanks, me—” Her words died on her lips as she stepped back and met Ryan’s gaze. Ethan squeezed her hand and disappeared down the hall, leaving them alone.
Brandy hurried into Ryan’s arms, and he squeezed her tightly. He pulled back, cupping her face, and took her mouth gently, as if he worried he’d break her. Ending the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. “Come on,” he muttered before guiding her to the living room.
Sitting next to Peter, he tugged on her hand, and she fell onto his lap. With a quick peek in Ethan’s direction, she guessed the men had come to some sort of understanding.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked from a large leather recliner.
“Like I’ve slept for a month.”
“She woke up crying,” Peter said, ratting her out like a jerk.
Ryan cupped her cheek and crooked her face toward his. “Why?”
Her throat thickened as she remembered pieces of her dream. She told them what she could, and the men only nodded.
“What happened after the storms?” she asked.
No one spoke until Ryan cleared his throat. “I’ve never seen anyone control the elements. In nearly two months since gaining your powers… I’ve watched you call forth and control fire, water, and air.”
She gasped at the information and laid her head against his shoulder to process his words.
“I think we now know why they’re looking for you,” Peter said.
“They?”
“Demons, witches, lemures, buggs… You name it. We found them all around the café, your apartment, and even around some of your family,” Ryan told her.
“The family?” she asked, sitting up. A pit of worry formed in her stomach at the words.
“They’re okay,” Ethan told her. “I went with Ryan, and he showed me some spells to keep them safe. Junior’s been asking about you, and Andrea’s blowing up your phone. I let them know you were okay, that you met some guy and were all head over heels and would check in soon.”
“Ethan!” she hissed.
He shrugged with no remorse over his actions. “Tell me it’s a lie.”
Brandy looked from him to Ryan, who only smirked back. “No. It’s not, but now… now I’m going to have Andrea all over my ass.” Leaning against Ryan, she thought about what Ethan had done.
Their brothers would back off if they thought it was a girl thing, and it would effectively keep them safe. Their only concern would be when they met Ryan. That was when she would have different worries to deal with.
The conversation circled back to her control of the elements. It seemed Ryan was unaware of a witch ever doing it without a spell or offering in place. She remembered the exhilaration she had experienced when the magic swirled around her body, until the level of power she tapped into had wiped her entirely.
“How did you know how to do it?” Ethan asked.
Brandy shrugged. “I don’t know… It was like an instinct. I just went with the pull to do it. So what now?”
The men turned their attention to Ryan. “Well… You need to practice your powers more.”
“I have been!” she whined, ignoring how she sounded.
“Sweetheart, if you went up against a demon right now—not a tubar, a normal or high-level demon—well, it would wipe you, and they don’t travel alone.”
“I’m losing my damn mind being cooped up. Please, let me get some fresh air,” she pleaded. She was used to walking to work every day or out to grab a bite. Sitting indoors was going to make her crazy.
“Babycakes, youwereoutdoors. We let you get fresh air any time you wanted at the cabin,” Peter told her, a devilish smile transforming his handsome face.
Brandy narrowed her eyes. “Hell no. That doesn’t count. I’m a city girl, and while I enjoyed the beauty of the wilderness, it’s not the kind of fresh air I’m used to.”
“Well, you can’t meet up for lunch with any of your friends,” Ethan said.
