Page 73 of Boss Witch

“Give me your mobile.” Joanna took it from him without waiting for him to respond and he hoped she didn’t look at his messages.

Fortunately, she just tapped in her contact info and returned it efficiently. Trying to be nonchalant, he sauntered over to his bike and waved as he pulled on his helmet. Every nerve screamed for him to warn Clem more specifically, but his order-­allocated mobile wasn’t secure; he didn’t dare send more than the vague text he’d already chanced. Hopefully if they checked his communications, they would assume he’d been slacking off with a local woman, getting some action instead of focusing on the mission. Not admirable or worthy of commendation, but nothing that would get him sanctioned. He didn’t care about staying in good standing, but it would be easier to run if the order wasn’t on high alert. As soon as he got back to the flat, he purged all messages from Clem. They might have them already, but they were flirty; that was all. Gavin would rather not put her on their radar if she wasn’t already.

To calm himself, he cuddled Benson, who was getting bolder and seemed to enjoy receiving a gentle stroke down his furry spine. When the mouse showed signs of wanting to return to his home, Gavin got to work on Joanna’s request, knowing his father would hear about it if it wasn’t ready when she asked. Sure enough, as he typed away on his official tablet, his father rang, like a specter programmed to haunt the same house.

“Hello, Da. How’s life treating you?” He put a cheerful lilt in his voice, knowing that nothing infuriated the old man like joyful insouciance.

“I didn’t call to chat,” Jase snapped.

“Ah, then please do tell me what you need. I live to serve.” Maybe the old man wouldn’t notice the sarcasm.

“I didn’t call for lip either. Don’t be clever with me, lad. Did the team show up yet?”

He was sure Ted must’ve reported in already, so what was the point of this?

“I’ve met with them,” he said. “And they’re waiting for my report. I’ve been ordered to stand down. Am I finally getting that holiday in the Maldives that I request every year?”

There was a long, fraught silence. “Are you quite finished?”

He pretended not to realize he was getting on Da’s last nerve, enjoying himself immensely. “So that’s a no on the holiday.”

“This isn’t funny, Gavin. Network intel advised me that there’s a huge concentration of witches in the American Midwest. This is a massive undertaking, and I’m mobilizing all resources to cleanse that area. I expect your full cooperation.” A strategic pause. “You won’t let me down, will you, son?”

Fuck.An icy chill swept over him, and it took all his self-­control not to shout invective.

Those are people, you monster. I’ll stop you, if it’s the last thing I do.

Chapter 23

“I have bad news and worse news,” Ethel said. “Which do you want first?”

Clem glared at the older witch. The entire coven was convened in their kitchen, and they’d decided to scry to see if the situation had changed. Everyone wanted to know what Gavin was up to, now that Clem was no longer surveilling him. Not that her observation had been professional or dispassionate. According to the grapevine, Mina Rodriguez had eyes on Gavin, but she reported to Gladys, and Ethel preferred seeing things with her own eyes anyway.

“I don’t think you understand how this is supposed to work,” Leanne said. “We need good news to keep our spirits up, even if you have to invent some.”

Margie added, “I’m trying to stay calm, but you’re making it tough.”

The rest of the coven stared, waiting for Ethel to continue. “Fine. Reinforcements have arrived, and it’s not just another hunter. They’ve dispatched a team.” To illustrate her words, she gestured, focusing on the water she’d been using to scry, and a vague impression appeared in the copper bowl.

Three men, two women, staying in the same motel Gavin had picked previously. Clem made a face.Do they give a discount to hunters or something?She sobered quickly.

“Does that mean Gavin called for reinforcements after he realized you were playing him?” Danica asked softly.

Reflexively Clem shook her head. Despite knowing what he was, part of her still couldn’t believe he was evil. And that was awful and heartbreaking—­to realize she wasthisgullible, so capable of wishful thinking. For a long moment, they gazed at the image in the water, and then Ethel swirled her fingers, letting her concentration drop. It wasn’t safe to focus for too long on those trained to trace the usage of such energy. With the wards up, it should be okay, but she didn’t feel good about taking big risks anymore.

Not after how that went down.

She would like to chew Gram out for provoking Mom with Barnabas, but that had to keep. Currently, her life was in a triage situation where the more dire problems had to be tended first. Leanne tapped her manicured nails on the kitchen table, gazing at Kerry and Priya. Clem guessed what the redheaded witch was thinking—­these two had barely had a chance to be happy together, and they didn’t deserve to have danger shadowing their honeymoon period.

Finally, Vanessa said it. “The plan won’t work. Even if we make Gavin forget, we don’t have the power to impact that whole team.”

Despair hung heavy over the kitchen. From the coven’s silence, it seemed like nobody had a solution. Recently, Clem had given too much, and overextending herself came at a high price—­pain in her neck and shoulders, a low-­grade headache messing with her concentration and blurring her vision. But she couldn’t quit, and the solution might come from Etta Mae’s journal.

“Then we pivot,” Clem said. “Forgetting won’t work on Gavin, but he’s not the biggest issue anymore.” Quickly, she described the Herring spell to the rest of the coven, adding, “If we convince one of the team members that they’ve caught our trail and we’re running, that will buy us some time.”

“It could be a permanent fix if they don’t come back,” Kerry said.

Priya put her hand over Kerry’s as if she didn’t enjoy pointing out problems. “That doesn’t resolve the Gavin situation.”

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