“Nobody kidnapped you yet,” I casually observe. “How’s life otherwise?”
“Yet,” the returning Cade says from beside me.
I giggle. Mom blushes.
“The house sold. Forty thousand above asking.” Mom beams.
“Wow, Mom!”
“I know! It feels great to be moving on with some extra money in my pocket.”
Another door opens. It’s beside Mom’s door and this one leads into the cleaners.
An attractive brunette with piercing smoky gray eyes steps out.
“Hello,” she greets, taking in a breath of fresh air. And then she reaches into the pocket of her long red cardigan, pulls out a vape, and takes a long pull.
Okay, so not fresh air. Nicotine fix.
“Hi again, Vivica. This is my daughter, Amelia. Amelia, Vivica Young is one of the landlords.”
“Everyone calls me Vivi. Nice to meet you.” She shakes my hand. And while she does, her hand tightens just a little. She looks straight into my eyes for a beat before she lets go.
Well, that was unnerving, especially with that piercing gaze. She’s a witch. Mason called them the “Young sisters”.
Weird. I’m standing here looking at a witch. A relative of Auntie Nelle’s fortune teller.
“Just stopped in to take care of the handover with your mom,” Vivi says. “We live out of town as my sister told your mom and as my other sister told your mate, but we’re always a phone call or a text away if there’s… anything.”
She turns her gaze to my mother, but it strangely feels like she can read my mind.
She knows who I am. She said ‘mate’. And for some reason, it feels like cold fingers have walked their way up my spine. I’m unable to stop the physical shudder reaction.
“Thank you,” Mom says. “This will be my first time living alone in my life. Well, other than the past few months since my husband left. But this feels like the fresh start I want.”
Mom’s chattery voice sounds a little hollow to me. Because my thoughts are racing. I’m wondering about the witchcraft, feeling like I should ask some questions. And although Vivica Young’s eyes are on Mom, it feels like she’s acutely aware of me and my vibe right now. I have no idea what to even ask. The fact that Mom has access to them though now as her landlord is a good thing, I think.
Mason comes out with Lorenzo and Cade and they’re all smiling. Until Mason locks eyes with Vivica. His expression changes and the look in his eyes chills my blood.
“Mason Quinn, I’m Vivica Young.” She extends her hand to shake his.
“A word?” he requests, looking serious, and not accepting her hand.
She opens the door to the dry cleaners and gestures for him to go ahead. He prowls inside angrily. She follows. The door slams shut, and it does it so hard, my bones rattle.
“What’s that all about, I wonder…” Mom muses.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, telling myself not to react, not to freak out. I don’t like the vibe I just got. At all.
Lorenzo’s eyes are on me and they’re sharp.
“Don’t go there,” he says. “It’s a pack issue. Mason’s just dealing with a pack issue.”
“What’s this?” Mom asks.
“Your daughter looks like her mind is going to the wrong place. This is why new couples need to be alone. Not going out in public when the bond is still settling in. Complicating matters with their possessiveness.”
“Amelia’s not possessive.” Mom waves a hand. And then Mom looks at me and flinches. “Or… she wasn’t.”
Is this fear about Mason stepping out on me with a pretty woman? Is this me wondering why he’s having a private conversation with the witch – the witch that knows exactly what’s what here? Is there more? Is there something I don’t know?
It’s not surprising I’m freaked, wondering about this what with finding out my relationship with Whatshisface was based on secrets, lies, and bad intentions.
I grab a box from the back of the truck and gesture with my head. “Let’s go. Show me your new pad. Is that greenhouse on the roof patio up there yours to use?”
42
Mason
I did not like that I couldn’t smell the witch, not even when I set eyes on her. Not one fucking bit. It means she’s disguising her scent. I want to know why.
I follow her into the back office. Today, the bookcase is in place, hiding their covenstead. She sits on the desk instead of in the chair behind it, crossing her legs.
“What can I do for you?” she asks, casually.
“Why are you here?” I demand.
“We have a new tenant. I’m here mostly to finalize things related to that.”
“Mostly?” I repeat.
“Mostly.”
“You own this building?” I ask.
“We’re in charge of it.”
“You’re not the witch that fucked Riley Savage over?”
“You’re talking about my youngest sister, Erica. I’m Vivica.”
“Where is Erica?”
“That’s not for me to say.”
“You’re not here to interfere further with my pack?”