Oblivious, Marissa went on. “Seriously, I’m going to tell Rooster I don’t want to work on cases with you any longer. I’m completely and totally over it.”
“Speaking of cases, we should probably get going,” Bonnie said. “Whether Drake is coming to join the team or just dump information on us, I’m betting it’s going to lead somewhere. We shouldn’t be late.”
I nodded dumbly and glanced around, making sure there were no remnants of fire left to spark an inferno. Marissa and Bonnie were already back in the woods, heading toward the area where we parked our bikes, when a dark feeling washed over me, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.
Slowly, deliberately, I turned around. I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. There was nothing there. The leaves didn’t move, the underbrush didn’t crackle, the birds didn’t stop singing. I had no reason to believe someone was there ... and yet I did.
I let out a shaky breath and continued to stare, my eyes roving from one location to the next. I had no idea where to start searching. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to waste the effort. There were other things pressing down on me after all. I merely sighed and turned to follow my friends.
Something was out there. Something was watching me. There was nothing I could do about it now, though. I had to wait for him or her to make a move. That was my only option, so I embraced it.
Besides, I had other things to worry about tonight. I was finally about to get answers about my past. It was time.
Two
Marissa was still unaware of her eyebrow situation when we hit the Cauldron. We parked in front and Bonnie and I took our time shedding helmets so we could discuss the obvious problem.
“She’s going to freak out,” I said the second the front door shut.
“Of course she’s going to freak out.” Bonnie made an exaggerated face. “Her eyebrows are gone.”
“Well, technically only one eyebrow is gone,” I countered.
“That’s going to make it worse. She’s going to freak out and then some.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Maybe we should tell her it’s a new fashion trend or something. We’ll tell her the young models are doing it and she looks young. That might work.”
“It’s cute that you think that. Nice thought.” Bonnie patted my shoulder. “She’s still going to try to kill you in your sleep.”
Brooding, I trailed Bonnie into the bar a few minutes later and automatically glanced around, looking for Marissa. Instead, I found my boyfriend, Gunner Stratton, sitting at the bar. His gaze was already on me and he looked amused. And ridiculously handsome. He was tall, although you really couldn’t ascertain that from the way he was sitting, and he had dark hair that looked so silky I had to fight the urge to stroll up to him and run my fingers through it.
“Hey.” He greeted me with a friendly smile as I sidled up to him. “How was your afternoon?”
I shrugged, noncommittal. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to answer. “The Spriggan nest is gone.”
“We heard.” Whistler, the owner of the bar and something of a satellite member of our team, dried a glass with a towel as he studied me. “Marissa was a bit put out when she came in. She was complaining about her shirt.”
I scowled. “That was an accident.”
“She also mentioned that you took out all the Spriggans and didn’t let her or Bonnie handle any of them,” Whistler added. He had that old-school hippie thing going for him that I found charming.
“She was upset at the methods I used when everybody was involved so I decided to do it on my own. If she wants to complain, then she has to come up with a solution.”
Chuckling, Gunner slipped his arm around my waist and tugged me to his side. “You sound keyed up.”
That’s how I was feeling, too, although I didn’t want the others to know. “I’m fine.” I hoped I sounded truthful rather than shaky. “I didn’t get wet and my shirt is perfectly fine.”
His smile never wavered but there was an intensity to his gaze. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re perfectly fine.” Gunner leaned closer to me and placed a quick kiss on the corner of my mouth. “You are keyed up, Scout. I get it. There’s no reason to be nervous. I’m going to be right here with you.”
I frowned. He was trying to be supportive but actually relying on another person for emotional support irritated me. “I’m not nervous. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Uh-huh.” His fingers were soft as he brushed my hair away from my face. “Maybe you should have a drink.”
His concern was sweet but partaking in alcohol would only make my reflexes slow, and that didn’t sound like a good idea given what was to come. “I’m fine. I don’t need anything alcoholic.”
“Great. What do you want to drink?”
“Iced tea please.”
Whistler nodded and moved toward the beverage gun while Gunner slid me a sidelong glance. Out of habit, I drummed my fingers on the bar. The beat was faster than it probably should’ve been.
“But you’re not keyed up,” Gunner noted after a moment.
“Just give me a break.” I slid onto the stool next to him and checked the clock on the wall. We still had five minutes until Drake was going to show, but for some reason it felt like days stretched in front of me rather than minutes.
“Baby.” Gunner shifted on his stool so he faced me and captured my hand. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever he has to say ...” He trailed off, as if uncertain how to proceed.
“I’m fine,” I reassured him for what felt like the hundredth time. “Whatever he has to tell me isn’t important. I know who I am.”
Interest sparked in the depths
