Page 39 of To Teleport, or Not to Teleport?
Male voices reached my ears, and when I opened my eyes, I found I was no longer in Cami’s bakery, but I also wasn’t in front of the diner. Looking around, I realized I was just around the corner of the diner. “Well, that’s an improvement,” I said, pumping my arm in the air.
“She should be with someone who doesn’t have a tainted reputation. Hell, she should be with her kind.”
Peeking around the corner of the building, my brows knit at the ugly words I’d overheard.
“And you think you’re the man for the job?” Grayson asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Yeah, yeah I do. Look, Gary—”
“Grayson.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.” Kenny shrugged as he attempted to gaslight Grayson. “I’m sure you think you’ve changed your ways, but she needs someone steady, someone who’s not going to commit crimes and run away until he thinks enough time has gone by that people have forgotten. I’m sorry to tell you; people remember what you did.”
My blood boiled at his words, and before I knew it, I was standing behind Kenny.
“And what exactly did I do?” Grayson asked, his gaze flicking briefly to mine.
“You helped your father—”
“ERR! Wrong answer!” I snapped and moved to Grayson’s side.
Kenny looked around with surprise, his lips flapping like a fish. “Aileen, I-I know you don’t want to hear—”
“Hear you talking about things you haveno ideaabout? Did you leave the note on Gray’s windshield, and now you thought to harass him?”
Grayson wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me against his side. “Baby, it’s okay.”
I turned on Grayson, unleashing my anger on him. “Don’t you ‘baby’ me! He has absolutely no right to harass you now or then. Talking about things he knows nothing about…” Returning my glare to Kenny, who’d taken a step back, I asked, “Have you ever stolen a car?”
“No.”
“Have you ever broken into someone’s home?”
“No.”
“Have you ever forced your scrawny butt on someone?”
“No! How could you ever think—”
“That’s my point,Kenny. Now imagine a life where people thought the worst of you because you shared the DNA with a turd-sucker! Quit being a baboon’s testicle and give this man the respect he deserves.”
Grayson tugged me to his front, and I realized at some point, I’d become nearly nose to nose with the frustrating jerk. Gray hugged me from behind and kissed my temple. “Did you vandalize my shop?”
Kenny ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up with his irritation at such a question. “Why would you think I’d do such a thing?”
“Maybe because you’ve already left me a note on my truck, and now you’ve stopped me in the middle of town to warn me to stay away from Lee?”
“No. I did not vandalize your shop. It’s also not wrong of me to think she’d be better off with someone of her kind.”
Cami crossed the street, and a bolt of magic zapped Kenny in the bottom.
“Hey!” Kenny squealed, rubbing a hand over the smoking fabric of his khakis.
“I heard there was some gossip out here, but I kind of wish they’d called Zelda and Mac instead. I’m sure they’d have loved to hear this bigoted asshat’s opinions,” Cami said, stepping to our side and flashing me a wide grin. “I see you made it to the diner.” Her amusement left as quickly as it had come, her attention returning to Kenny, who looked unsure of his recent decisions. “Tell me, asswipe, do you think they’d take kindly to your views on a witch and a Shifter mating? Or better yet, why would Aileen want to be with someone who’d look down his nose at her father?”
I jumped at the feel of something vibrating against my backside, and Gray chuckled. “It’s Bear,” he said and pressed his phone to his ear.
Cami glared at Kenny, who seemed to know not to move an inch, while I turned my attention to Gray, who’d stiffened.
