Only Skin Deep: Paranormal MMM Romance, page 33
“I can’t… I can’t believe you did this.”
“Well, I did very little in the grand scheme of things. I had the idea, but not the magic. I asked the people who did to make it happen.” Ash grinned. “And they’re waiting inside to see your reaction.”
Colby eyed his home. “I don’t know what to say.”
Ash grabbed his biceps gently and turned him. He caught Colby’s gaze in his warm one. “If I missed the mark, and this isn’t what you want, all you have to do is tell me and we change it back.”
Colby searched Ash’s face a moment, unsure. They’d completely revamped their spaces and turned it into his home. It was a lot.
Bittersweet… but wrapped in a heavy dose of love from them.
Ash exhaled. “Colby, be honest. I swear it’ll be okay if you don’t want it.”
“I…I’m…” Colby sighed. He fought tears. “It’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I love it.”
Ash watched a few seconds, silent. “You’re sure?”
“I am…” He placed his palms on Ash’s chest. “You and Luca are sure this is where you want to live? It’s not the home you’ve had here.”
“We wouldn’t have done this if we weren’t willing.”
“Okay.” Colby paused, frowning. “Is this using up Luca’s magic? I don’t want it to drain him again.”
“The building itself is enchanted, and the architect uses the imbued power to make changes. It’s not draining any witch.”
Colby released a pent-up breath. “Good.”
Ash grinned. “Ready to go inside?”
Colby nodded.
Approaching the front door, he took Ash’s hand in his. He stood in front a good thirty seconds before he had the nerve to open it. As soon as he did, the familiar scent of home filled his nose.
Tears threatened. He walked inside and examined the space, the foyer and staircase exactly as he remembered them.
“To the left was your formal living room. We’ve changed that into Luca’s study, where he can create his art for tattoos, but the living room, kitchen, and dining room are all as they were,” Ash said.
“Coby!”
Colby lifted his gaze to his smiling brother at the head of the stairs.
“My bedroom is back!” He lifted two of his favorite WWE action figures. “It’s all here!”
Colby grinned. “That’s awesome.”
“I gotta go see where my Star Wars action figures are. Gotta go,” Daniel said before disappearing back into his bedroom.
“You’ve made his day,” Colby said.
“While I’m grateful he’s pleased, my focus was on someone else.”
Colby met Ash’s gaze. “This… is amazing.” He fought tears. “That you all would do this for us.”
“There’s more,” Ash murmured as he threaded one hand through Colby’s.
He led Colby into the living room, where Luca, Gideon, Cassius, and another familiar-looking witch stood, wand gripped firmly in hand. Luca’s gaze flipped to his, searching.
Anxious.
Seeing the man’s worry over whether he liked it was adorable.
“What do you think?” Luca asked.
“It’s… amazing,” Colby whispered. “I'm not sure where to begin to say thank you.”
“Does he know the best part yet?” Luca asked Ash.
Colby frowned. “The best part?”
Ash drew Colby toward the kitchen and on through to the back door. He opened it and pointed.
Colby peeked past Ash into the backyard. He froze for a moment, goose bumps skittering over his entire body. “My studio?”
Ash grinned.
Colby raced down the steps and across the yard, skidding to a halt in front of the door. As he entered, he was stunned. It was exactly as it had been. The scent of clay and earth hit his nose. Rows of open shelves filled with pottery in various stages of completion. His wheel… tools. His kiln! He scanned the familiar space, his heart slamming against his ribcage. When he turned, he noticed the witches had followed him.
“I can’t…” He shook his head, tears filling his eyes. “I can’t believe you did this.” He cast his glance around. “It’s… exactly as it had been.” He walked closer to the huge kiln and ran a reverent hand over the surface. “Thank you.” He spun to face them, a tear slipping. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this.”
“You’re a member of this coven,” Cassius said. “You lost what was yours because of your connection to us. We needed to make that right.”
“It wasn’t your fault they burned our house down,” Colby murmured.
“Maybe not, but we take care of the members of our coven,” Gideon said. “All I ask for in return is a few of those cool bowls I saw on your TikTok.”
“Has everyone been checking out my social media?”
Gideon chuckled. “It helped me fill in some gaps out here. Your memory was crisper in some areas more than others. The videos on Insta showed nearly every inch of this place if I put them all together.”
“I can’t believe y’all did this,” Colby murmured, his gaze not sure where to land.
“It was Ash’s idea,” Luca said. “We just followed his game plan.”
Colby squeezed Ash’s hand. “Thank you.” He held their gazes one by one. “Thank you so much.”
“Now you can get back to work—whenever you want to,” Luca said.
“The shops have already put in orders for planters, bowls, and such,” Ash said. “He’s going to be busy.”
Colby grinned. “Yeah, I suppose I will be.”
Daniel came racing in, hands full of action figures. He paused, looking about. “Your studio, Coby!”
“Pretty amazing, huh?”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah.” He lifted one of his action figures. “Remember Lulu ate this one? It’s back.”
“Lulu?” Luca asked.
“Our old dog,” Daniel said. “She ate his head off.”
Luca sighed. “Darn Lulu.”
Daniel grinned. “But I got him back.” He showed it to Colby.
Colby glanced at the figure. “Yeah, I remember this guy. Isn’t he in Star Wars?”
“Empire Strikes Back,” Ash answered.
“Yes!” Daniel said. “Empire Strikes Back. Get it right, Coby.”
“So sorry,” Colby said, chuckling.
Daniel rested his figures on one of the work benches. “Can I have my old job working here, too?”
“Whenever you want to join me out here, you can,” Colby answered.
“Well, we’ll leave you guys alone and let you enjoy your new apartment,” Cassius said just before an echoing knock sounded. He froze mid-step. He turned, an odd look on his face. “Luca? Ash? We’ve got to go.”
“Go where?”
“We have… an issue,” Cassius murmured.
Ash spun to face Colby. “You and Daniel stay here until we get back, okay? Promise me.”
“Is it the demons?” Colby asked under his breath.
“Maybe,” Ash said. “Promise me you’ll stay here.”
“Yeah, sure,” Colby said, concerned.
Ash dragged him close and planted a kiss on him. Luca moved in close and did the same.
Colby snatched Luca’s arm. “You just got your power back but don’t let that get you cocky. You have a family to come home to.” He lifted his gaze to Ash. “You both do.”
They both watched him, mixed emotions in their eyes.
“Just hang out until we get back,” Luca murmured. “We’ll be safe. I promise.”
“There’s food in the fridge,” Ash yelled as he raced out behind the others.
The studio door closed. Colby moved closer, opening it again. All he saw was his backyard. It was then that he realized he might have no way of getting out of the apartment. He raced back to the spot where he’d entered and couldn’t find a doorway back.
He and Daniel were trapped.
“Couldn’t go anywhere, even I wanted to.” What if they didn’t come back? Panic hit him.
Two kids raced by on bicycles. A bird flew past and into a nearby bush. He turned around and gasped when he saw Mrs. Martinez waving to him from her front porch.
A vision of her laying across her husband’s hospital bed returned to haunt him.
“What the fuck?”
“I haven’t seen you two in forever! Make sure you come over and get some of my besitos de nuez I made this afternoon,” Mrs. Martinez yelled.
His favorite cookies. She only made them once in a blue moon—and only before her husband’s health had turned. She had little time to bake once he’d gotten ill.
Another gasp came as her husband came walking out and took a seat in a rocker beside her—looking as well as he had before the illness. He noted Colby and waved. “Colby! So nice to see you.”
Colby waved, not sure if he liked the idea of a fake Mr. and Mrs. Martinez neighbors living beside them. A thought hit. What if they weren’t fake? Luca was a necromancer, according to Nix. Had he brought them back to life? Or were they really ghosts?
“I’ll stop in later. I’ve got some pieces I need to finish in the studio,” he fibbed. Until he talked to Luca, he wasn’t stepping foot over there. He loved the Martinez’s, but being haunted by them wasn’t on his to-do list, either.
“Okay, hijo. I’ll bring a tray over and give them to Daniel. You can have them later.”
Wide-eyed at the thought of Daniel coming face-to-face with the ghost of Mrs. Martinez, he walked closer. “On second thought, maybe I should get them and let you enjoy this afternoon.”
“Muy Bueno,” Mrs. Martinez said, jumping from her rocker.
He followed her into her brightly painted home, remembering the many lovely meals she’d fed them there, particularly after his parents had been gone. Thoughts returned from the last time he’d stepped inside that house.
“Get your thoughts away from negative things, hijo. This is a home filled with joy,” Mrs. Martinez said, her back to him. She collected the tray of cookies and slid some into a small tin. “We are happy here, Colby.”
“Happy here? Are you real?”
“Real enough.” She placed a lid on the tin and smiled to herself. “And I got my Arturo back. Before all the bad times. Your Luca is a good man, hijo.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“Are you ghosts?”
“This is heaven. Better than where we were after we di…” She cleared her throat and handed him the tin. “This is a much happier ending than we got.” She sighed. “And we can be there to help you with Daniel whenever you need us.”
“He doesn’t know… about… what I witnessed. He doesn’t know you’re gone.”
“Were gone.”
“Were gone,” he corrected.
“I’m glad he doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to.” Mrs. Martinez stroked his cheek. “I wish you hadn’t seen it either.”
“Me, too.”
“It was quick. There was no pain.”
“I saw what they di—”
She took his chin firmly in her hand. “It was quick. There was no pain.”
He nodded, and she lowered her hand. She rapped her fist on top of the lid. “Make sure you eat those. I only made them as a housewarming gift for you.” She threaded an arm through his and led him back to the door. “I’m so glad you’re back home.”
Colby smiled. “Me, too, Mrs. Martinez.”
When he walked outside, he spotted Daniel walking closer.
“Mrs. Martinez!” Daniel raced up her stairs to hug her and then Mr. Martinez, too. “You’re not sick anymore.”
“No,” Mr. Martinez said, grinning. “I’m all better now, Daniel.”
“I’ve just given Colby some cookies for you both,” she said, brushing Daniel’s hair back. “Oy, you need a haircut. Come over tomorrow and I’ll trim it up. You look mangy.”
Daniel laughed. “Okay.”
She pressed a kiss to Daniel’s forehead. “Both my boys are finally here.”
“We should get back,” Colby said. “We need to check out our new digs. Still lots to see.”
“You come over for dinner later. I’m making my enchiladas.”
“Oh yeah!” Daniel cried. “Enchiladas are my favorite!”
He chuckled at his brother’s excitement. “Sure thing,” Colby yelled back. He led Daniel back to their home and shut the door behind them. His brother snagged the tin from his fingers and took a bite. “Oh, Coby… these are her best ever.”
Colby took a bite, agreeing that ghost Mrs. Martinez was a damned fine cook. “Indeed, they are.” He closed the canister. “Can you take these to the kitchen?”
“Can I have another?”
“One more,” Colby said. “You don’t want to ruin your appetite for enchiladas.”
“Okay,” Daniel answered peevishly. He took the canister and headed for the kitchen.
Colby’s gaze drifted over the new-old house, still stunned they’d gone through so much trouble. He wandered room to room to room, reacquainting himself with the home he’d grown up with. The home he’d taken for granted, assuming it would always be there. He’d done much the same with his parents and had thought he’d learned the lesson never to take anything for granted.
Fortunately for him, his mates had returned what had been lost. In some ways, they’d brought back his parents, too. They were a living, breathing part of the house, memories of them in every room. Tears burned the backs of his eyes as he thought of them and how pleased they’d likely be with Luca and Ash.
His mind wandered to the danger they might soon be in. He was terrified he’d lose them.
They better make it back to us.
Back to their family.
Colby traced his fingers over the swirling mate’s mark on his inner arm.
Whatever power there is in this universe… please keep them safe.
Bring them back to me.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Exhausted, Ash pushed open their apartment door, forgetting for a split-second that they’d walk into the middle of Colby’s neighborhood. Inside, it mirrored the outside, and it was still early, gray light filtering through the trees. After clearing his mind, he stepped over the threshold and drew a deep inhale into his lungs. He could scent the autumn leaves swirling through the breeze past them.
Luca paused at his side, closing the door. “We best get back to him. I’m sure he’s worried.”
“Do you think he is?” Ash asked.
“You saw him as we were leaving. I saw panic in his eyes. Didn’t you?”
“Was it for us, or for us leaving him here in the new digs?”
Luca shrugged. “Not exactly new. He should’ve found comfort in that.”
“I didn’t have time to tell you he initially balked when he first walked in. Said he needed to move forward and not backward.”
Luca narrowed his eyes. “So… he didn’t want this?”
Ash sighed. “I believe—by the time he’d seen it all—he was pleased. We’ll just have to give it a few days and then ask him.”
“I know one of them was happy.”
Ash laughed. “Daniel isn’t as complicated as Colby.”
“Our mate is that. Complicated.”
“Would you want easy? Honestly?” Ash glanced at Luca, the pale light creating shadows over his face, making it barely possible to gauge a reaction.
Luca considered that for a couple of seconds. “No.”
“Me, either.”
“I’m just glad he’s starting to accept us.”
“Same. After being ripped from the world he knew, nearly dying, learning about us, losing his home, and now mated to a shifter and a witch, he’s taking it better than I likely would have in his shoes.” Ash gazed at their home, smiling at the thought of calling it theirs. “We should feel grateful.”
“Fate had a hand in that. Colby sensed our bond. That’s hard to deny.”
“I suppose so,” Ash murmured. He pulled on Luca’s arm before he took a step forward. “Come on. Let’s find our mate.”
He and Luca exited the canopy of trees across from their home and crossed the street. Before they could reach the front door, it whipped open. Colby ran out and into Luca’s arms, wrapping him tight in a bear hug.
“Thank god you’re home!” Colby leaned back and pressed a kiss to Luca’s lips. He spun and dragged Ash into another hug. “I was terrified I wouldn’t see you again.”
“Why would you think that?” Luca asked.
Colby scoffed. “Demons are hunting us, so I don’t know… why would I worry?” He searched their faces. “Where did you go?”
“To fight demons,” Ash murmured.
“What happened?” Colby asked.
Luca groaned. “Can we talk about it in the morning? It’s been a long fucking night, and I just want to go to bed.”
A light flicked on next door, and Mrs. Martinez peeked out through the front and waved. She grabbed her newspaper and reentered her home.
“A little head’s up about our very-much-alive neighbors would’ve been nice before you left,” Colby said.
“Sorry, we raced out so fast, I forgot.”
He eyed Luca. “Are they ghosts?”
“Yes and no,” Luca said.
“She gave the same answer,” Colby said.
“They were in hell,” Luca said. “We couldn’t allow that. Their bodies had the demonic runes carved into them, so Nix and I couldn’t reanimate them. We expected them to cross over, but they did not. The choices remaining were limbo, haunting their old home, or for us to give them a place where they could find peace. I assumed this was the preferable option.”
“They can never leave?” Colby asked.
“Unless they eventually cross over, no. They must remain here.”
Colby glanced next door. “I suppose this was the best option. They’ve got one another, and he’s no longer sick.” He focused on Luca. “You made the right choice.”
Luca leaned closer and stole a kiss. “I’m glad you agree.” He stole another. “Can we go to bed now?”
“Yeah,” Colby said, stifling a yawn.
Ash met his gaze. “Have you been up all night?”
Colby nodded. “Well, yeah…”
