Hex and the Single Witch (Vehicle City Vampires) (11 page)

Bastard. No, I
did not sleep well, I kept dreaming about him all damn night. His delightful
aroma, his big strong arms…his amazing kisses.

But  it didn’t
matter because we were co-workers, and I was with Galen. At least, I thought I
was now officially with Galen.

My musings must
have been all over my face because Malone’s smile got even bigger. Damn,
someday I really needed to learn how to do that whole cop-face thing all the
guys on the crew could do so well.

His voice came
out as a soft rumble when he leaned over the desk and said, “I slept like a
baby last night…after I jerked myself senseless thinking about your luscious
tits and what I would have done with them if you hadn’t have broken the spell.”

I gasped and
knew I turned about ten shades of red.

He sat back and
laughed a deep rumbling sound making goose bumps pop out all over my body and
parts south of the belt tighten with need.

No matter how
much making out I had done in the past couple days I hadn’t made it past second
base. A girl in need before all the make-out sessions had started, and now I
was all hormones and walking want.

“Don’t worry,
Annie, I won’t be going after you again unless someone casts another spell on
us…or you ask me to.”

“I can assure
you that I do not want you to paw at me again,” I retorted, even though my body
screamed otherwise.

“You sure about
that? You look a little flushed and in need. And you know cops like me are
always ready to help a woman in need. We live for the whole damsel in distress
thing. I would love nothing more than to save you, Annie.” His blue eyes
twinkled and his sensuous lips curved into a naughty smile.

“I don’t need
saving,” I said and turned to leave.

I heard his
chair scrape. “Hold on Anwyn, I’m just messing with you.” I heard him sigh. “We
need to talk about last night. About the spell. The who and why behind it.”

I turned around
moving back toward his desk cautiously as he walked over to the door and closed
it.

“I’m sorry I
give you such a hard time, Anwyn. I just can’t seem to help myself around you.”
He sat on the edge of his desk and looked down at me.

I suddenly felt
so tiny with his large muscle bound body hovering over me.

His blue eyes
turned dark and serious. “Do you think we were targeted specifically or just
randomly spelled last night?”

“I really have
no idea. I thought it might be a random spell since some of the Others, maybe
some of the Guardians, felt the police were intruding last night when they
could have handled the situation on their own. If we were targeted
specifically, I have no idea why. Why the two of us? It makes no sense to me.”

“Have you been
able to learn anything about the spellcaster, pick up on a trace, anything?”

“No, release of
inhibition spells are relatively simple, they require no personal power, just
basic herbs, a focus and an incantation. Once the spell dissipates the trace is
gone and the power trail is next to nothing. By the time I pulled myself
together and calmed you down, there wasn’t a trace left to follow.”

“What about,
Mel? You think she can help you?”

Melanie, known
to everyone as Mel, was the P.I.T Crew’s spell casting witch extraordinaire…and
my best friend. In fact, she’s the one who introduced me to Galen at one of her
no humans allowed preternatural bashes.

She was the
go-to girl on everything spell related. She did her share of investigating
magick and magick gone wrong, but what she mainly did for the P.I.T crew was
cast spells, make charms and amulets, and create magickal weapons, shields and
wards. They often called her in to set up protective…for lack of better word…
force fields.

“I haven’t yet,
but I can consult with her, though I doubt she’s going to tell me anything I don’t
already know. I am She Who Knows, I am the one that traces magick and follows
the trail to the bad guys. I may not be able to cast like Mel but I can usually
trace a spell if there’s a trail to follow.” I hated it when my powers got
questioned.

“Don’t get your
panties in a bunch,” he paused as a lecherous grin spread across his face, “you’re
wearing panties aren’t you, Annie girl, ‘cause if not and you’re wearing a
skirt, this meeting could go in a whole other direction.” He scrunched down as
if ready to peer under my skirt.

Hah, naughty
Malone was back. I stood up straight and yanked the hem of my skirt down so
there was no way he could look. Bad enough he had already seen my breasts
almost naked.

A low and hearty
laugh rumbled from him again. The laugh made things curl and tighten inside me.

“Is what you’re
wearing under that considered a thong or a t-back? The image of you in a thong
and nothing else is going to make me a happy man tonight. Of course if I could
see it in real life I would be even happier.”

I huffed, and he
laughed again. The sound followed me as I stomped out of his office and stormed
down the hall. My face still blazed heat when I found Mel in the reinforced
spell room in the basement of the station.

“What’s wrong
with you?” she asked with a smile, probably knowing damn well it was Malone.

“Malone.”

“That’s what I
figured. You shouldn’t let Malone get to you. He only messes with you because
he can. He never flirts with me.”

“Mel, no man in
his right mind flirts with you. Everyone has heard the story of the wizard who
severely pissed you off and was then magically separated from his balls.”

“That bastard
had it coming!”

Yes, and that’s
why no one messed with Mel. Yet, there wasn’t a preternatural creature in Flint
who’d pass up an invite to one of her parties. The witch could throw one
helluva bash.

“Okay, girl,
it’s time to dish. Tell me all about what happened with Malone last night and
about every single encounter with Galen. I want all the dirty little details.”

I should have
known she already knew about my hook ups with Galen and Malone. See, not only
was Mel a master speller, she possessed a little psychic ability. It was really
weird though, she only caught glimpses of the naughty stuff—the stuff no one
would actually want her to see. Like she had a subscription to her own personal
x-rated channel broadcast in her head.

She told me
about my first time a week before I lost my virginity to Blake Whitley in the
back of his old Ford Bronco.

Mel and I had
been friends since kindergarten. Once we realized we were the only two witches
in our school we knew we had to stick together…and we’d been best friends ever
since. We’d gone through it all together, my dad’s death, my mom’s condition,
my feeling alone—but at least I always had Mel.

So I kinda got
used to her having a direct line of vision into my bedroom—or wherever else my
sex life took me. It didn’t even make me feel uncomfortable anymore knowing she
saw everything. Or most everything. Plus, I’d seen enough of her encounters and
not just in visions either—they were mainly all up close and way too personal.
The girl was a kinky, sexy  freak and not shy about it. There were reasons why
her parties became legendary.

Anyway, I dished
as she made me a cup of vanilla cappuccino sprinkled with dark chocolate
shavings. There were perks to being a feared witch; people gave you awesome
gifts like fancy cappuccino/espresso machines.

I told her
everything from the newest dead body right up to my encounter with Malone in
his office.

“Honey, you have
gone from no man to two men vying for your attentions. That should make you
happy.”

“There are not
two men after me, it’s just Galen. Malone just likes to mess with my head.”

“Nah, girl.
Malone wants you and wants you bad. He just hides it behind cop-face and his
teasing. He really is a good guy, nothing like what he projects. And he is so
into you.”

“Meelll…what
have you seen?”

“Uh, Uh! You
told me never to tell you the future again. After my last fiasco with John, no,
nope, no way.”

John was my most
recent ex. I had been into him like crazy then Mel had a vision of him in
bed…with another guy. It creeped me out so bad I broke up with him and managed
to break my heart in the process. I didn’t know if he was actually gay or bi,
sometimes Mel’s visions were a little off but I wasn’t taking the chance. He
seemed very appalled at the whole thing, not to mention totally embarrassed and
even left town after I broke up with him.

“Come on Mel,
you’ve seen something.”

“I know there’s
heat but I don’t get you and Galen.” She attempted to change the subject. I
bit.

“What do you
mean, Mel? He’s gorgeous, sexy…”

“He’s a vampire
with a bloody past. And never, ever have you shown interest in a vampire until
this party and when Galen walked in, well girl you were done for—and to add to
the weirdness Galen never comes to my parties. So there’s two things that make
it odd. The main thing I noticed was the way you acted. We were talking and in
mid-sentence you walked away and went directly to him. And Wyn, you’ve always
been shy, never a big flirt, but you sauntered over to Galen and put it all
out.”

I was shocked. I
didn’t remember any of it. “No, I didn’t.”

“Girl, I was
there. Yeah, you did.”

“I don’t
remember.” I sifted through my memories but could find nothing corroborating what
she said.

“Your memory and
your visions are both on the fritz then.”

“Yeah, I guess
they are.” I squirmed nervously in my chair trying to get comfortable. “Anyway,
back on subject. Come on, Mel, tell me what you’ve seen.”

“I’ll tell you
this, you’re about to be a busy girl. All that need you’ve been feeling will
soon be satisfied, times two. Slut.” She giggled playfully.

Afterward she
clammed up, and once Mel clammed up there was no getting anything out of her.

Chapter 13

I sat at home
kinda watching television when my phone came alive playing “Closer” by Nine
Inch Nails. I had no idea how the ring tone got on my phone, but I’d have to
change it real quick. The last thing I needed was to be at a crime scene and
have my phone start shrieking the NIN lyric “I want to fuck you like an animal!”
That would so not be good.

I puzzled over
my constantly changing ringtones as I answered it, “Detective Rose.”

“Hello, luv. Are
you busy?” Galen’s seductive voice purred into my ear.

“Just staring
blankly at a TV, so no, not busy. Why?”

“How would you
like to join me for dinner?” he hesitantly asked as if afraid I would say no.

“As long as
dinner isn’t a blood bag I’d be thrilled to go out with you.” My stomach
grumbled in agreement.

“No blood, how
about pizza?” He chuckled.

“WizeGuys on
Saginaw?” I asked, hopeful.

“You got it. I’m
right next door at VAMP, is it alright if we meet there? How long do you need
to get ready?”

“I can be there
in thirty.” I mentally calculated how long to make me look fabulous and drive downtown.

“Great. I’ll
head over there in a few and get us a table. I’m looking forward to seeing you,
Anwyn,” his voice smooth as melted butter with a touch of whiskey.

“Looking forward
to seeing you too Galen.” I smiled like a school girl as I hung up the phone. I
wanted to giggle, shriek, and jump up and down. I was going on a date with a
vampire. How wild was that?

I scrambled to
find something presentable to wear. I couldn’t wear something fancy, it was
just pizza after all, but I wanted to look good for Galen. I settled on black
skinny jeans and a long sleeved red tunic. I added a thin black velvet scarf,
and tall, black leather high heeled boots for a bit of sex appeal.

I brushed my
hair and touched up my makeup by adding eyeliner and blood red lipstick for a
more dramatic evening look. I quickly hid shine with a little powder then
surveyed myself in the mirror.

Not bad for a
five minute fix. My dark auburn hair hung loose and wavy. Combined with the
slightly sexy outfit I looked smokin’ hot. I hoped Galen would think so, too.

I grabbed my
keys and purse, and off I headed toward downtown.

****

I parked in the
lot kitty corner across from WizeGuys and carefully crossed Saginaw making sure
my heels didn’t get caught between the bricks. As I hopped onto the curb,
Malone walked out of the restaurant carrying a pizza box.

“Wow Annie,
you’re looking good tonight.” He whistled. His look more than appraised. “Hot
date?” he asked a little more soberly.

“Just meeting a
friend,” I replied. No use in getting Malone all riled up. “And you?” I asked
glancing at the pizza box he carried.

“Just figured
I’d grab a pizza on my way home from work.” He looked down at his lonely pizza
for one and sighed ever so softly. “I’ll see ya later, Annie.”