Only Skin Deep: Paranormal MMM Romance, page 26
They both watched their mate hightail it out of there. Luca grinned at Ash, who returned the expression.
“Why do I sense you’ve got a secret?”
Ash frowned. “Secret?”
“You made a comment the other day that had me questioning—and just now, you told him not to make plans. Why?”
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Would you be okay if we rebuilt Colby’s home and moved in there with them?”
“Once the threat is gone, sure. Until then, I’d want to stay here.”
“What if the threat was neutralized?”
Luca searched Ash’s face. “How?”
“I don’t want to go into detail here… but yeah, I have a plan.”
Luca narrowed his eyes. “You will tell me?”
“Of course. But not now.”
Luca narrowed his eyes a bit more.
“Do you trust me, Luca?”
“You know I do.”
“Then… trust me.”
Daniel and Colby returned to the table, the former with a broad smile.
“I start tomorrow!” Daniel said with glee.
“Wonderful!” Luca said, squeezing Daniel’s shoulder.
Daniel stared at Luca’s cupcake. “You gonna eat that?”
Luca lifted it to his lips and scarfed a good half of it with one bite. “Yup.”
Daniel laughed at him, pointing at his icing-covered face. “Now you have a purple moustache.”
Ash lifted a brow. “Kinda hot, Luca.”
“Actually, I have to agree,” Colby added. “But I’d call it more a goatee.”
Luca licked his lips, holding Colby’s stare. “If my beard didn’t come in curly, I’d consider growing one. It grows back into my face and the itching drives me insane.”
“Ah,” Colby murmured. “So, I have one bearded and one unbearded mate. Best of both worlds, I suppose.”
Mates. Luca grinned. “Same.”
“I get no beards,” Ash scoffed.
“You have a beard!” Daniel hollered.
Ash rubbed his face. “What? This old thing? It’s not a beard.”
“Yes, it is,” Daniel said.
“Nah. It’s my tail.”
Daniel frowned. “Your tail?”
“I’m a squirrel shifter.”
Daniel’s expression made Luca realize they’d never told him that news. “I’m a witch, and Ash is a squirrel shifter. He’s my familiar.”
“You’re joking with me, right?” Daniel asked.
Ash rose. “Why don’t you follow me out into the hallway for a minute, Daniel?”
The pair took off, headed for the hallway that linked all the businesses with coven housing.
Luca shoved the rest of his cupcake in his mouth, wiped it, and rose. “We shouldn’t miss Daniel’s reaction.”
“Actually, I’ve never seen Ash shift either.”
By the time they reached the hallway, a squirrel was standing on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel stood wide-eyed, laughing—though there was a bit of terror in his eyes.
“He’s a squirrel, Coby. He really is!”
Ash jumped off Daniel’s shoulder, shifting back. He landed on two human feet and turned to face them, bowing. “See… I told you.”
Daniel narrowed his eyes. “Is your beard really your tail?”
Ash scrubbed a hand over it before grinning. “No.”
“I knew it!”
Daniel hugged Ash around the middle. Ash leaned down to press a kiss on the top of Daniel’s head.
“Do you love nuts?” Daniel asked.
“Love them!”
Daniel lifted a fist. “Me, too.”
Ash laughed. “We’ll have to get some to snack on for the next time you kick my butt in that wrestling game. For now, I’m sorry to say I have to go back to work.”
“Awwww,” Daniel cried.
“I’ll be home later.” Ash turned toward Luca. “Colby’s exhausted. Make sure he gets a nap.”
Colby scoffed. “Like I said. A four-year-old.”
Ash leaned in close and slanted his lips over Colby’s before whispering, “We might want to keep you up late tonight. Best get some rest while you can.”
Colby grinned sheepishly.
Ash stole another kiss from Colby and one from Luca before heading for the door.
“What about me?” Daniel asked.
Ash spun, marched closer, and pressed another kiss to Daniel’s head. Daniel squeezed Ash in a bear hug. “See you tonight. Keep them safe for me, Daniel.”
“Yes, sir!”
Luca narrowed his eyelids. “I might enjoy a nap myself.”
Colby grinned. “A nap. Sleep. Nothing more.”
“Who said anything else? I see whose mind is in the gutter,” Luca said, wrapping an arm around Colby and leading both brothers toward the apartment.
Chapter
Nineteen
Not twenty minutes after leaving lunch, a notification buzzed on Ash’s cell. Lifting it, he saw the Celestial Council had sent him a message. A hunter by the name of Farrington would be arriving, and he should be expecting a call. He sighed with relief. While the Council’s people could be a pain in the ass, a demon hunter in their corner wasn’t a bad thing. Hunters, while typically human, were imbued with powers and well-trained, and he’d seen a couple in action over the years.
They were—as Daniel liked to put it—badassed. They had specific skills and the know-how the coven needed to handle a problem such as theirs, although Ash sensed their situation might be larger than they expected.
Their demons planned something… something big… He sensed it. Demons typically preferred one-on-one human interaction. A contract for a soul here. A soul stolen there. Not the huge number of humans that he’d viewed pouring out the front door of Dark Arts, all seemingly clueless to what they were involved in.
As soon as Ash entered the Boston Police substation later that afternoon, his phone rang with a number he didn’t recognize. “Montgomery.”
“Detective, it’s Raymond Farrington. I’m here in Salem. I’ve just hit the hotel, and I was wondering when you are free to meet?”
Ash was visiting fellow Boston detectives at the substation to see what information he could gleam from the investigations into the fire and the subsequent murders next door. Not only for his and Colby’s peace of mind, but for the hunter as well. He cast a look around the station, lively with a couple of perps yelling at the uniforms bringing them in. He ambled toward a quieter corner, considering when and where to meet.
From his experience with the Council and their team, he expected less-than-friendly, by-the-book intensity, so he needed time to get his head right and his facts straight. He couldn’t keep the guy waiting long, though. “I’m involved in something right now. This evening might be better. There’s a place called No Witches Allowed. It’s on Lafayette Street, on the right, before the turn for Peabody Street. If you pass Peabody, you’ve gone too far. It’s in South Salem.”
“My hotel is close to the Peabody Museum. I’ll find it. Seven okay?”
“Yeah, sure. See you there.” He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
Sidling up to the counter, he asked for the man assigned to the case—Detective Cam Harper. He soon met the broad-shouldered, gray-haired human with a keen gaze. “Something I can help you with, Detective?”
“Just checking in. As I told you, I’m friends with the family and they’ve been asking for an update. I thought I could check in and see if there was anything new?”
Harper surveyed him, eyes narrowed. “Follow me.”
Ash trailed behind the man, scanning the substation as they moved. It was larger than the Salem station and wasn’t even their main one. Busier than theirs, he chuckled to himself. Colby would’ve been much more entertained.
“Have a seat,” Harper said before sliding into a chair behind his desk. He dragged out a file from a stack of them and opened it. “I asked this before, but can you walk me through how you got into the Martinez home?”
“I knocked on the door when Mr. Kennedy and I didn’t see Mrs. Martinez outside. Mr. Kennedy stated her husband was infirm, and she rarely left the home for that reason. Being that close to the fire, and having oxygen tanks inside, we realized they might be at risk, so I entered the home and found them in the back bedroom, just as you saw them.”
“Yeah… but the how you entered the home is the part I was curious about,” Harper asked, pegging Ash with a glare.
Ash chuckled inwardly. “I found a key under the planter beside the door.”
“I noted no key in the door when we arrived. Did you take it with you?”
Ash fought to keep his face expressionless. “I doubt I would’ve taken it. Maybe one of the uniforms or CSI techs removed it?” I need to get Gideon over here ASAP.
Harper stared at him, an odd look on his face. He closed the file and smiled. “Of course. I’m sure that’s what happened.”
“Why do I get the sense I’m being looked at for something?”
Harper leaned back in his chair. “I dunno. You guilty about something?”
“No,” Ash murmured. “I feel bad for the Martinez’s. I never met the husband, but Mrs. Martinez was kind and she’d been a great help to Mr. Kennedy and his brother.”
“I’d love to come interview Mr. Kennedy and his brother soon. I'm sure I wrote down the address, but I can’t find it in my notes.” Detective Harper pulled a notepad out. “Mind giving it to me again?”
Ash smiled and prattled off the address, knowing full well that the scrap of paper would end up blank again not long after it was written. The building’s protective spells would ensure that.
Oh yeah, Gideon needs to visit and soon.
Detective Harper glanced up from his notepad. “I’ll stop by later today or tomorrow. Make sure you make Mr. Kennedy and his brother aware.”
“Will do,” Ash murmured. He cast a glance down and noted the chicken scratch already faded away from the pad. “Is there anything new you could share with me?”
“Besides the demons?”
Ash stiffened, lifting his chin. Was Harper an otherworldly creature? Ash didn’t get any vibes. “Demons?”
“Well, those were demonic symbols, were they not?”
“Maybe. Not sure.”
Detective Harper drew in a rattling breath, the sound unnerving. “I served on a cult taskforce for several years when I was a detective in NYC. I remember seeing symbols just like this before. Kids get their heads all turned around by psychopaths and do some god-awful things. These freaks of nature are sick.”
A cult? Ash scoffed inwardly. If only Harper learned demons were real.
“I bet Salem attracts these nutjobs. All those witch museums and occult shit, I’ve bet you’ve seen some things.”
“I have,” Ash murmured. “Seen a lot of freaky shit.”
“Yeah. Maybe that’s why you didn’t seem bothered by seeing those bodies all marked up,” Harper murmured, watching him close. “You were as cool as ice, man.”
Ash narrowed his eyes. “As I said, I’ve seen a lot of freaky shit in my years with the Salem PD.”
Harper grinned. “Yeah, your boss said the same thing when I called. He said you were a straight shooter and had a solid record. Also seemed to always be in the right place at the right time when those kinds of cases came through, from the way he was talking.”
“I don’t know if I’d call finding Colby’s neighbors cut to pieces like that, being in the right place at the right time,” Ash murmured. “I might’ve seemed like I was cool as ice, but that shit tore me up inside. Daniel, Colby’s brother, doesn’t even know they’re dead yet. We haven’t had the heart to tell him.” Ash shoved a hand through his hair, attempting to look distraught. “I mean, how are we supposed to tell him? Hopefully he hears nothing about the demonic bullshit, because—how would we explain that to him? It’s going to terrify him. I bet he wouldn’t sleep for weeks.”
Harper surveyed him for a moment, silent. Something seemed to shift in his eyes. “Yeah, I bet the retard would struggle with that.”
Ash envisioned his hands around Harper’s neck, squeezing the life out of the man. He had to remind himself there were too many humans circling around him to cause the bodily harm he so wanted to inflict. “Person with Down syndrome.”
Harper’s gaze flipped up. “What?”
“You don’t call Daniel that word,” Ash said, his hands fisting with rage. “Ever.”
Harper considered him curiously. “Ah, you’re on the PC police, too, hmm?”
Ash smiled, and he let all the evil intent in his heart show in that expression. “PC police? Nope. I’m just a decent fucking person. Unlike you.”
Harper chuckled. “Unlike me. I’m so sorry I don’t measure up to your standards.”
Ash clenched his jaw. He rose before he dug himself into a hole he couldn’t get out of. “Have a good day, Detective Harper.”
“You, too. Don’t forget to let the Kennedys know I’m coming.”
Not hardly. Ash left before he opened his mouth again or squeezed the life from the jerk. As soon as he stepped outside, he dragged his cell out and called Gideon.
“Hey, Ash, baby!”
“I need help.”
Gideon sighed. “When don’t you?”
“The Boston detective assigned to the murder of the Martinez’s is going to be a problem.”
“Cool. What do you need me to do?”
Ash slid behind the wheel of his car. “Make it go away. The murders, the investigation, everything. And if you can get me the files, I’d be appreciative.”
“Why did you bother calling the cops in for that, anyway?”
“I figured the detectives would chalk it up to some sadistic killer and come up empty. Instead, the lead detective is eyeing me. Might be eyeing Colby, too.”
“Nice,” Gideon said. “Text me an address and I’ll get it managed.”
“The lead detective… Harper… make it hurt.”
Gideon was silent for a moment. “Ash? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“He called Daniel the r-word.”
“Fuck that motherfucker!” Gideon yelled. Ash pulled the phone away from his ear. “What a fucking asshole!” Gideon growled. “Oh, it’s going to hurt. Bad. I’m on my way.”
“Appreciated. I’ll text you the address as soon as I hang up.”
“Hurry,” Gideon said before ending the call.
Ash shot off the text. He gave the substation one last glance before starting the engine. After a second to reconsider, he shut off the engine and waited. No point in not offering Gideon some backup.
Not ten minutes later, Gideon opened the passenger door of his car and slipped inside.
“That was quick,” Ash murmured.
“Didn’t expect you to still be here.”
“I decided I wanted to stay put and see karma in action.”
“He fucked around… ‘bout to find out,” Gideon whispered. “Though it’s probably best that you stay outside for a few minutes. I’ll wave you in.”
Ash nodded. He exited the car seconds after Gideon departed and leaned against his vehicle.
The air thickened around him, that same sucking sensation hitting him and making it harder to breathe. Two cops that had just exited the building walked backward, reentering it. Memories of the melting man and the subsequent wiping event that followed came to mind.
Panic hit his chest.
Had Gideon been involved in that?
No. Impossible. Gideon is a good person.
A few minutes passed, and the tiny witch appeared at the front door, waving Ash inside. He struggled to move closer, like he waded through water. When he met Gideon at the door, he searched the witch’s face.
“Go grab the files you need off his desk,” Gideon said.
Ash entered the maelstrom. Inside, humans stood frozen. No… they ever so slowly moved backward. The deeper he moved, the thicker the air grew. He stopped at Harper’s desk and saw utter torment on the detective’s face. Guilt slammed into Ash. Had he lost his cool? Did the punishment fit the crime?
Before he mired himself, Ash snatched the files and tucked them under one arm. When he spun, Gideon stood right behind him, appearing as innocent as ever.
“Get what you need?”
“Yeah,” he choked out.
“Best get out of here so I can wrap this spell up.”
Ash nodded and forced himself outside where the air was lighter. He drew in deep breaths, tossing the file onto the front seat of his ride.
Gideon appeared a couple of minutes later and the thick air returned to normal. “All done.”
Ash knew a ‘thank you’ was in order, but there were too many ugly questions racing in his head. “Remember the melting man at Washington Square?”
Gideon appeared bemused. “Yeah. Why?”
“The spell… the one that erased everyone’s memory… it felt like the one you just did.”
“Well, yeah—it’s one some memory witches use to rewrite history, especially when there’s been a lot of eyes on something.”
“Memory witches are rare. Right?”
Gideon smiled. “Yeah, but I—” He narrowed his eyes, his smile fading. “Is this your way of asking if I did that spell, too? Or better yet—if I’m in league with the demons?”
Ash didn’t speak. He couldn’t imagine their Gideon being involved… but assumptions got people killed, too.
“Fuck you, Ash. How could you think that? I mean, we’ve only known one another for well over a decade. Have I ever given you a reason to question my loyalty to the coven?”
“No. You have not.” Ash shook his head. “I’m sorry. It just felt… exactly the same as when I’d been in the Square.”
“I didn’t author that spell, nor am I the only one who can wield it. It’s been in existence for centuries.”
“How many witches can cast it?”
“Few,” Gideon said. “As far as I know, there’s only a handful of living witches who can. Not all memory witches are strong enough to pull it off. There are a lot of moving parts.”
“You seem to do it with ease.”
Gideon shoved a finger into Ash’s chest. “Yeah. Because I’ve had a lot of practice cleaning up your messes, Detective.” He stepped back, sorrow in his expression. “Maybe I should leave you to clean up the rest on your own from here on out.”
