“I also happen to be right.” He glanced at me, then at Cade, then back at me. “I realize we haven’t exactly thrown down the welcome mat for you. We have reason to be a bit wary of strangers around here, these days.”
“Sure. Fine. Whatever,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I didn’t mean to stir up any trouble. If you’ll have your bulldog here—” I shot Welles a glare; he grinned back at me. “—move, I’ll never darken your doorstep again. You have my word.”
“No! Please, don’t go!” Gwen pleaded with me, her light green eyes round with desperation. “Don’t let the Gravewatch boys scare you off! They’re just overprotective, after last week. See, there was this whole witchy drama where I almost bit the dust?—”
“Gwendolyn,” Graham interjected. “For the last fucking time,she is a stranger. You’ve already told her your full name. She does not need any more details about your personal life.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “So what if she knows my name? This is the age of the internet. I’m Google-able. In fact, I Googled myself just yesterday.” She glanced at me. “I’m thinking of setting up a website for the store. Doing online orders, expanding our reach… Online bookings for your readings, too!”
I blinked at her, at a loss for a proper response.
Undeterred, she panned a hand through the air like a gameshow host revealing a prize. “I can see it now: The Gallows goes global!”
Graham did not look pleased by the thought of worldwide attention aimed at his girl. “Firecracker, can you please — for my sanity — at leastattemptto resist the urge to turn everyone you meet into your new best friend?”
“I do not turn everyone into my new best friend!”
“You do,” he countered, eyes flashing over to me for a beat. “Looking trustworthy does not mean theyaretrustworthy. I thought you’d learned that lesson already — the hard way: lying on a fucking crypt, a blade at your throat.” His jaw tightened, a muscle leaping in it as he tried to lock down his emotions. “Just because you like someone’s goddamn outfit doesn’t mean you should spill your whole life story?—”
“I am not spilling my entire life story!” Gwen scoffed. She glanced at me, scanning me up and down. “I do like your dress, though. Where’d you get it?”
“Thrifted.”
She nodded appreciatively. “Sweet. There’s a great little secondhand shop around the corner, I’ll take you?—”
“Can we possibly focus on the actually important shit here,” Graham interrupted. “Instead of your ridiculous penchant for fashion?”
An outraged feminine gasp came from the espresso bar area.
Welles looked up at the ceiling and loosed a low whistle, as if to say,You’ve done it now, boss.
Cade shook his head, like he knew all hell was about to break loose.
I, wisely, chose to remain silent.
“I’m sorry,” Gwen snapped, not sounding sorry in the slightest. “Did you just say my penchant for fashion isridiculous?”
“Gwen’s fashion is iconic!” A female voice chimed in from behind us. It was the glossy-haired girl on the stool. “We can’t all rock leather jackets and motorcycle boots every day like your little legion of badasses. Unless you plan on putting us on the Gravewatch payroll and giving us flack jackets, you mind your own business about what a woman wears, Graham Graves!”
Gwen ducked around her boyfriend’s back to grin at her friend. “Thanks, Florence. You know, now that you mention it, matching flack jackets might be cool.”
“Totally.” The girl — Florence — nodded in agreement. “Do they come in different colors? Or are they all just black?”
“I don’t know.” Gwen looked back at Graham. “Do your bulletproof vests come in others colors? Maybe something in a pastel?”
Graham was pinching the furrow between his brows, as if he had a headache brewing. Rather than risk the two of them descending into yet another squabble, I decided to wade in. My timely escape depended on it.
“For the record, I’m not a psychopathic pagan out for your blood,” I informed Gwen. “I’m just passing through town and need to pick up a little part time work while my car is being repaired.” I resisted the urge to glance over at Cade when he let out a low scoff. “This morning, I was talking to Georgia — the manager of The Sea Witch Inn, where I’m staying — and she suggested I try The Gallows. She also says to say hi.”
“Oh! Gigi! She’s the best.” Gwen grinned. “And her boys are adorable. Last time they came in, they upended the entire essential oils display while play-wrestling over one of the voodoo dolls. The whole place smelled like lemongrass for weeks.”
I didn’t see how this could possibly be viewed as ‘adorable’ but I wasn’t about to argue. I’d seen how Gwen reacted when people disagreed with her — and I didnotwant my arm smacked to black and blue, thank you very much.
“You should see them in the mornings.” My lips twisted in a half-smile. “Continental breakfast has never been quite so… lively.”
She laughed. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Anyway, I’m only in town temporarily—” Another scoff from Cade. It took monumental effort to continue ignoring him, but I managed. “So, I was hoping to make some quick cash doing readings. Now that I know you’re in the market for someone more permanent...”And that your boyfriend is planning to do a deep dive into my past.“…I’ll find something else.”