Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Laughter bursts out of me. “Wolverine, huh?”
She lifts her chin. “Comparing her to a cat seems too cliché.”
Christ, her clever mouth kills me. I grin and hold out my hand. “Will you come back to the shop and let me properly introduce you to my friend Lucy?”
She eyes my hand for a long second, then slips hers into mine. I pull her closer, the tension between us melting away.
Why does she feel so good pressed up against me? Like we were made to fit together. I lean down and kiss the top of her head.
She tips her chin up, staring at me with curious eyes. “Why’d you do that?”
“I missed you,” I admit, voice rough. “Been thinking about you all day. What’ve you been up to?”
Color blooms across her cheeks. “Just…researching the town a little more.”
“Find anything interesting?”
“Maybe.” Her tone’s, teasing, but questions still linger in her eyes. About me? About us? Whatever they are, I hope I’ll have an answer for her when she finally asks.
“Mrs. Applewood told me the missing kid was found,” she adds.
“Mason,” I say. “I heard.”
“Apparently he took a bus to Virginia to meet some girl he met online.”
“That’s what I heard too.” I huff out a breath. “Kids.”
“Lucky,” she says quietly. “That could’ve gone very differently.”
Don’t I know it.
I push through the shop door and hold it open for Emery. Her fingers curl tighter around mine as if she’s nervous. About being introduced to one of my friends or is she still worried there’s more to my relationship with Lucy?
Lucy glances up from behind the counter, a cup of coffee halfway to her mouth. Her lips wobble into a nervous smile and she sets the cup back down with a thunk.
“Hi,” Lucy says tentatively. “I take it you’re not here to book some ink?”
“Maybe later,” Emery says, glancing up at me, a shy smile forming on her lips.
A bolt of lust that has nothing to do with the Rider or being marked and everything to do with Emery shoots down my spine. From what I saw she doesn’t have a single tattoo. Would she let me give her the first?
“Declan?” Emery elbows me in the ribs.
“Huh? Sorry.” I nudge her forward. “Lucy, this is Emery. Emery, my friend, Lucy.”
Lucy squints at Emery. “You look familiar.”
“Emery has a YouTube channel,” I explain since Emery seems tongue-tied. “She does videos about ghost stories, folklore, stuff like that.”
Lucy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Ghost stories? You?” She turns her sharp gaze back to me. “That’s…unexpected.”
“I don’t sensationalize things,” Emery says quickly, straightening her shoulders. “I try to find the truth behind the legends.”
“Truth,” Lucy repeats, tasting the word like it’s sour. “You’re one of those people who shows up to ‘prove’ nothing’s real, right?”
Emery fidgets. “Well, no.”
In the short amount of time I’ve known Emery, I haven’t seen her flustered. She always seems eager to prattle on about her channel. Or crows. Is she off-balance because Lucy’s my friend? Or is she still jealous?
“You’re just a skeptic, right?” Lucy sneers.
“Lucy,” I warn quietly.
“Not really.” Emery seems to shake off her unease. “I prefer to debunk stories and reveal the truth. In a respectful way.”
“Her investigations are solid,” I say, feeling compelled to defend Emery.
Emery cranes her neck to stare up at me with wide, surprised eyes.
Lucy flicks her gaze to the ceiling but doesn’t back down. “You know what happens when outsiders start snooping around here, D. They stir up trouble. Then it’s on you to fix it again.”
Emery blinks. “Fix it?”
“Lucy.” I put a hand on the counter, my tone sharper. “Enough.”
Her jaw tightens, but she finally looks away. “You know I’m right,” she mutters.
Emery’s gaze bounces between us. “What’s she talking about?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I say, maybe a little too fast. “Lucy’s protective of me, that’s all.”
“Protective?” Lucy snorts. “Try realistic. You barely keep the curse quiet as it is. Now you’re cozying up to someone whose whole career is built on exposing hoaxes.” She turns to Emery, voice dry as sandpaper. “No offense.”
Emery holds Lucy’s gaze. “Lots taken.”
“Enough,” I sigh.
Lucy matches my sigh, but she nods. “Fine. I’m going to unpack that sterilizer.” She throws one more stink eye Emery’s way then heads down the hallway.
Emery scowls in Lucy’s direction. “So, she knows?”
“She knows enough,” I admit. “It’s hard to live here your whole life and not see things.”
“And she’s worried I’ll bring you unwanted attention?”
“Probably.” I rub the back of my neck. “She’s protective.”
A slight smirk twists Emery’s lips. “Protective? Of you?” She waves her hands in the air in front of me. “You’re…you’re like a perfect specimen of masculinity and strength.”
“Barf!” Lucy gags and pretends to choke from somewhere down the hall.
Emery rolls her eyes, but her mouth twitches, betraying a hint of laughter. “I think I like her.”
“She grows on you,” I mutter.