The Monstrous Seven
A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book Four
Lily Harper Hart
HarperHart Publications
Copyright © 2020 by Lily Harper Hart
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four
5. Five
6. Six
7. Seven
8. Eight
9. Nine
10. Ten
11. Eleven
12. Twelve
13. Thirteen
14. Fourteen
15. Fifteen
16. Sixteen
17. Seventeen
18. Eighteen
19. Nineteen
Mail List
Acknowledgments
Books by Lily Harper Hart
1
One
“What’s your background in bartending?”
Hannah Hickok felt out of sorts as she tried to maintain an air of professional interest while, at the same time, wearing a uniform that put her ample assets on display in a rather obvious way.
Lorna Jacobs was twenty-six and was built like a porn star from what Hannah could tell. She obviously had the body to carry off the Casper Creek saloon uniform, but Hannah wasn’t in the mood to hire someone who would only stick around for a few months before taking off for greener pastures. She wanted someone who would stick around for a bit, and she wasn’t sure Lorna was a smart choice.
“I’ve worked as a mixologist in three different bars in this area,” Lorna volunteered, her smile pleasant as she sat with perfect posture in her chair, her shoulders squared and a bright smile on her face. Her body was angled so her low-cut top allowed for a clear view at her impressive cleavage, and her eyes were bright and clear as they bounced between Hannah and Cooper Wyatt, the man who served as head of security at Casper Creek. He was helping with the hiring process, something he normally wouldn’t be involved in, but since Hannah felt out of her element — and they were already mired in a torrid relationship that made both of their heads foggy at times — he’d readily agreed to help, if only so they could spend time together.
“You’re young to have already had three jobs,” Cooper noted, jotting the information down in a notebook.
“I’m twenty-six,” Lorna countered. “I’ve been bartending since I was twenty-one. The first job was a seasonal gig on a golf course. I got in at the entry level, but when they cut staff during the winter months, I was a casualty. I went out and got another job, although they wanted me back on the golf course the next summer. I didn’t want to keep getting new jobs in the off-season, though, so I kept the new job rather than return.”
“And you were there for two years?” Cooper studied the résumé he’d been provided. “May I ask why you left that facility?”
Lorna shrugged, noncommittal. “I had my reasons.”
Hannah studied the woman with great interest, trying to ascertain what secret she was keeping ... and Hannah was convinced there was a secret. The question appeared to make Lorna visibly uncomfortable, and Hannah was dying to know the reason.
“You had a problem with your boss,” Hannah surmised out of nowhere, causing Lorna’s eyes to flash. “He was married and pursued you.”
Lorna’s mouth dropped open. “How can you possibly know that?”
It was only then that Hannah realized she was making an ass of herself. In addition to being the owner of Casper Creek, a cosplay Western town a grandmother she didn’t even know left her upon her death, she had also recently realized she was a witch. With magic powers and everything. She inherited that ability from her grandmother, too, and apparently it included the ability to pick up stray surface thoughts when the mood struck.
“It was just a guess,” Hannah lied quickly, averting her gaze. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid as to simply blurt that out.
“Hannah is an old soul,” Cooper explained quickly. He was well aware of his girlfriend’s abilities. He was also aware that she felt like an idiot for speaking out of turn ... especially when it came to something as touchy as sexual harassment. “She can pick up on the emotions of others without even realizing it.”
Cooper was handsome — criminally so in Hannah’s eyes — and he had an easygoing nature that put newcomers at ease. The smile he sent Lorna was friendly, but in a remote way. It was obvious to Hannah he was already looking for a reason to end the interview.
“Well, I guess that’s ... okay.” Lorna’s forehead wrinkled as she glanced between faces, dubious. “I just don’t really talk about it. I had to put up with a lot from him because I had bills to pay and didn’t want to lose my job. Eventually, it got to be too much and I had to leave ... although it wasn’t an easy transition. His wife accused me of going after him, which wasn’t true, and it turned into a thing.”
Hannah clucked her tongue sympathetically. “I’m sorry that happened.”
“You and me both.”
“You wouldn’t have to worry about that here,” Hannah promised. “We don’t have people like that in charge. Right now, technically I’m in charge of the bar and I guarantee I won’t sexually harass you.”
Lorna looked tickled despite herself. “Well ... I’m glad I won’t be sexually harassed. Not that you’re not pretty or anything. I mean ... you’re very pretty. Wait, that totally came out wrong.”
Amused despite himself, Cooper rubbed his forehead and tried to redirect the conversation to something of substance. “The goal is to find a bartender that can be trained for our needs here, and then put that individual in charge of hiring another bartender. Hannah works the bar quite often now, but she wants to branch out.”
“I would definitely love to run the bar,” Lorna enthused, her eyes sparkling. “I was in charge of hiring at my last job.”
“And why did you leave that establishment?” Cooper queried.
“Because it burned down. It was the
