“Someone is here,” she announced, opting not to stand on preamble.
“There are a lot of people here,” Tyler noted, wiping his hands on a napkin. “We called them here so we could come up with a plan.”
“No, not us.” Hannah moved to the front of the saloon and peered out over the door, her heart plummeting to her feet when she caught sight of a familiar figure standing in the street. She would’ve recognized him anywhere even though he wasn’t dancing. “Crap.”
Cooper moved to her side, his expression darkening when he saw the man. “Is that him?”
Hannah nodded.
“I’ll take care of this one.” Cooper moved to push through the door, but she grabbed his wrist before he could overdose on testosterone.
“You can’t handle this,” she insisted, desperate. “He can control your emotions. I have to handle this.”
Cooper hesitated. “I can’t let you go out there alone.”
“You don’t have a choice.” Hannah refused to back down. “If you go out there, he could influence you to hurt me. Is that what you want?”
Cooper was horrified at the prospect. “Of course not. I ... you can’t handle this yourself, though.”
“She won’t be by herself,” Jackie reassured him, getting to her feet. “We’ll be with her. She’s right, though. If you’re susceptible to whatever power this creature is wielding, you need to stay in here. That’s all there is to it.”
Cooper wasn’t happy with the declaration. “But ... .”
“Stay here with me.” Tyler patted his shoulder. “We can’t be part of this one. You’re going to have to accept that.”
That was easier said than done, but Cooper knew when he was beaten. “Be careful,” he pleaded, his eyes locking with Hannah’s somber blue orbs. “Don’t put yourself at risk. If he’s too strong, then retreat. I ... just be careful.”
She nodded in understanding. “It’s going to be fine. Trust me.”
Cooper trusted her with his heart, but that’s why he was so afraid. His life was teetering on the head of a pin and he had no idea if he would lose everything should things fall.
HANNAH KNEW SHE WASN’T ALONE as she walked out of the saloon. She also knew she was the best hope they had of keeping everyone alive. That weighed heavily as she faced off with the dancing man. Rather than sit back and play defense, she decided to be an offensive dynamo this go-around.
“You must be wrath,” she offered as Danielle and Jackie trailed behind her.
The man snorted. “Oh, there’s nothing better than a woman who thinks she knows everything. My name is Frank Bedford.”
Hannah was momentarily taken aback, thinking perhaps she’d been wrong on the sin angle, and then redoubled her efforts. “But you’re wrath. You like making people fight.”
“That’s a rather simplistic way to look at things.” Frank studied his fingernails for a moment and then flashed a smile. “Where are your friends?”
“Right here.” Hannah waved her hand at the other two witches. “I figure, since you’ve been watching us, you already know their names.”
“I do,” Frank agreed. “They’re not the friends I was talking about, though. Where are the other two? I want to see the security chief and the animal guy. They’re who I’m more interested in.”
Hannah hesitated and then shook her head. “They’re unavailable for a meeting right now. Perhaps you should check back tomorrow.”
The laugh Frank let loose was long and low. “Oh, you’re so funny ... and full of yourself. Just for the record, Missy, I don’t do business with females. I’m old-school. I happen to believe men are the only ones who can strike a proper deal.”
“Is that what you’re here for? To strike a deal, I mean.” Hannah found she was unbelievably nervous, but not for the reasons Frank would’ve probably preferred. Her greatest fear was that Cooper wouldn’t be able to stop himself and would barrel through the doors in an attempt to serve as her protector. If he did that, they might both be lost ... and the notion was enough to dry the saliva in her mouth.
“I’m here to issue a warning,” Frank corrected. “It seems you’ve been sticking your nose in business that doesn’t concern you. This ... meeting ... has been planned for a century. You needn’t involve yourself in the affairs of gods.”
“Gods, huh?” For some reason, that struck Hannah as funny. “I thought you were furies. That puts you more on par with demons than gods.”
Frank’s expression was dark. “You listen here—”
“No, you listen.” Hannah vehemently shook her head as she cut him off. “If you want to have a discussion, I’ll be the one doing the talking. If you want to start throwing magic around, you’ll be dealing with me on that front, too.
“I get that you prefer men, which is both antiquated and ridiculous, but it doesn’t matter,” she continued. “I’m your only option if you want to talk.”
“I see.” Frank’s eyes narrowed into glittery slits and the wind picked up a notch.
Hannah couldn’t be certain, but she felt as if something brushed her arm. When she looked down, there was nothing there. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just happened. What, though, was beyond her scope of understanding.
“You’re the one who killed Donny,” he said after a beat, clucking his tongue. “I thought maybe it was you ... but I chalked it up to your buddy instead. His minion described a magical couple — and you and your boyfriend fit the bill — but I wasn’t actually sure until right now.”
It took Hannah a moment to realize he was talking about the man she’d taken out in the restaurant the night before. “Was that his name? Donny, I mean.”
“He’s gone by many names over the centuries,” Frank replied. “As have I, if you’re curious. Every generation requires a new identity. That’s the only thing that changes, though. The rest ... well, it always stays the same. The game can never change, and an outsider won’t be allowed to come in and pretend to be
