Spells: A Bayou Magic Novel, стр. 40
I hug him tightly and cast a small protection spell over him. I feel him kiss the top of my head.
“Thank you for that.”
“You felt it?”
“Of course.”
“I’d like to mix a potion to put in your coffee, as well, but it doesn’t look like I have time.”
“Millie, I’m fine.”
“He’s hunting men who look like you,” I say, voicing my fears aloud. “If you think that doesn’t scare me, you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
“I know it does, and I’m telling you right now that I’m careful and safe. I promise. I’ve only just found you again, I’m not likely to do something stupid to lose you so quickly.”
“See that you don’t.” I soften my words with a kiss and then hurry out of our room and down to the kitchen, where I fill Sanguine’s bowl and take a moment to pet the feline. “Good morning, sweet girl. Have a good day today. I’ll take you to the café with me soon. If you’d stay in the reading room, you could go every day, but you’re stubborn.”
She rubs her cheek against my chin before I stand and reach for my bag and keys and smile back at Lucien.
“I’ll see you later, love.”
Before I can walk through the door, he catches my hand in his and tugs me to him, then kisses me long and slow until my mind buzzes.
“Have a good day.”
The drive to work is easy, as it’s still well before six in the morning and not many people are out and about quite yet. I used to be jealous of those who got to sleep in, but I’m used to the early morning hours now and enjoy the alone time at the café before my first customers of the day start filtering in.
The alley behind my shop is blocked today for maintenance, so I score a parking spot just around the corner, lock my car, and toss my keys into my bag as I walk around the block toward the front entrance of my little café.
There’s no one around, but I feel a shift in the air as I get closer, and squint when I see what looks like something blocking my entrance.
“What in the world?” I mumble and then stop in my tracks and stare.
A man.
A man is strung up, hanging from his hands in front of my door. He’s naked, and his torso has been sliced—no, hacked is a better word—open. His organs and intestines have spilled out, trailing down his body to the sidewalk below, where just a tiny pool of blood puddles under his feet.
I’m screaming inside my head, but I can’t make any sound come out.
I can’t breathe.
My eyes travel up the corpse and land on his face, where two things catch my eye.
One, he’s wearing glasses.
And a bloodstone has been embedded in his forehead like some sick third eye.
I swallow hard and reach for my phone, automatically dialing Cash’s number.
“I have a dead body,” I say into the phone around the lump in my throat. “At my shop.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t disturb the scene, Millie.”
“No worries there.”
I hang up and immediately dial Lucien, but it goes straight to voicemail.
If I have to stand out here by myself with this body, I’ll go insane. This isn’t just a hand or a foot. Or even a body in the street, surrounded by a horde of onlookers.
This is a disemboweled man, hanging in front of my door. The message is loud and clear.
It’s a gift for me.
I back away, one small step at a time as if any sudden movements might wake the poor dead man and startle him. My foot falls off the curb, and then arms encircle me. I let go of the scream that’s been stuck in my throat.
Chapter Eighteen Millie
“It’s just me, dear.”
I’m staring at Gwyneth, relieved that it’s her and not a homicidal madman.
“Cash is on his way,” I whisper. “My goddess, Gwyneth.”
“I’m casting a spell so bystanders can’t see this,” she murmurs and swirls the air a bit with her fingers. “This is too brutal for anyone to witness.”
It doesn’t take long for Cash to arrive, followed shortly by other cops, and an ambulance.
“Where is it?” Cash asks.
Gwyneth gestures with two fingers and points to my front door.
“How did you—? You know what, never mind.” He shakes his head and walks over to the body, then shakes his head again and looks back at me. “I’m sorry, Mill.”
“Yeah, you and me both.”
“I’ll get this out of here as soon as I can. But we have to work the scene first.”
“Unfortunately, I know the drill.”
Cash’s men quickly block off the area and get to work, and I take Gwyneth’s hand and lead her around the back, not caring in the least that the alley is blocked. We enter the Brew from the back door.
“Why are the lights on?” I wonder, just realizing that everything’s on, the music, the lights. I can even smell coffee. “Who’s in here?”
We hurry through to the front of the shop, and I find Esme staring out the windows. She turns when she hears us approach from behind.
“Whoa,” she says and clutches her chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Likewise. What are you doing?”
“I came to work.” She gestures as if I should already know that. “You know, because I work here. What’s going on? Why is there a naked dude outside the door?”
I glance down at my phone and try to call Lucien, but it goes right to his voicemail again. “Call me as soon as you get this.”
Damn it, where is he?”
“You’re not supposed to be here until ten,” I remind her.
“You’ve been a little busy, Millie. I came in to help.”
“Did you come in through the front or the back?” Gwyneth asks