No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Cafe Series) (33 page)

“
What’s going on?” Rory asked.

“
Elly Blair needs to come with us.” The taller of the two men moved toward me.

Chapter
Forty-Five

Kidnapped twice in one day. That must be some kind of world record. My mama always said I’d be famous, now I knew she was right. In the Book of World Records for being kidnapped multiple times in twenty-four hours. Lucky me. The two men grabbed me and dragged me off. Rory made a lunge for us. I don’t know what the bigger of the two men said to him, but it made him stop in his tracks. I didn’t know where they were taking me.

“
I thought everything was taken care of,” I said.

The men held their guns and pointed them at Rory the whole time they dragged me to their car. I kicked and screamed but it didn’t have any effect on the situation.

“
Where are you taking me?” I demanded.

“
Be quiet and get in the car,” the taller one said.

They both wore black suits with white shirts and black ties. Their black sedan had dark tinted windows. The taller one shoved me in the car and got in next to me as the other one climbed behind the wheel.

We spun out from the gravel drive and, just like that, I was gone from Rory’s house. What was going through his mind? Probably the same thing that was going through mine. Who in the heck were these men?

“
I demand that you tell me who you are.”

The driver glanced back in the rearview mirror.

“
We’re saving you.”

“
Excuse me? Come again? What are you saving me from?”

“
We had information that you’d been kidnapped.”

“
Had been kidnapped. Had been. That was hours ago. Where were you when I needed you? I was at that man’s house because I wanted to be, not because I’d been held captive. Now turn this car around and take me back this very minute. I order you to.”

“
Sorry, no can do. We have to take you to the boss.”

Chapter
Forty-Six

“
We were told to come rescue you. Although, I was told it was a woman who’d kidnapped you, not a man. Where was she?”

“
I was kidnapped by a woman this morning, but not now, you big dummy. Now turn this car around, you’ve made a huge mistake. Huge. Do you mind telling me who your boss is?” I asked through gritted teeth. My heart pounded loudly in my ears. It was one thing to be kidnapped by Kim, but entirely another to be whisked away at gunpoint by two intimidating men. Being kidnapped by Kim was like being kidnapped by a puppy compared to these two roughnecks.

“
Do I mind, she asks.” He laughed, holding his stomach. “Do I mind,” he whispered to the driver who glanced at us in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Wibble, of course.”

“
Of course. Do you mind if I call Tom Owenton and tell him about this madness? I think he’ll have something to say about this.”

The back of the limo had black leather seats, of course, and smelled of cigar smoke and old liquor. The last time I’d been in one of these was in New York when I dragged my drunken, half-naked boss out of the back of one and helped her inside her apartment. She had called me at two a.m. from a nightclub insisting if I didn’t pick her up, she’d end up in jail. That was probably one of her more sane assumptions, which were few and far between.

The limo had a small bar stocked with a variety of liquors. I wasn’t much of a drinker, but now seemed like a good time to take up the habit.

“
I’ll call him.” He fumbled in his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed the number and handed it to me.

Tom picked up on the first ring.

“
What is going on, Tom?” I yelled into the phone.

“
I’m eating a doughnut,” he mumbled. I envisioned the crumbs all over the receiver.

“
Can you explain to me why I’m being held against my will in the back of a black limousine?” I asked matter-of-factly.

He coughed. I assumed over the chunk of doughy goodness. “What the hell. Where are you?”

“
I went to Rory’s like we discussed. But in the middle of our conversation, these two scary-looking…” I cleared my throat. “Um, gentlemen stormed in and took me away.” I glanced over at my backseat abductor. He frowned as if he were offended by being called creepy. I just called it like I saw it.

“
What are the two goons’ names?” Tom asked.

I moved the phone from my face a little, then asked, “What are your names?”

He hesitated, then finally answered. “I’m Bob and that’s Charlie.”

I put the phone back up to my ear. “Charlie and Bob. That’s all they’ll tell me.”

He groaned. “Put one of them on the phone, would you?”

“
No problem.” I handed the phone toward Bob. “He’d like to speak with you.”

He quirked a brow, then took the phone. “Hello,” he said. “Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah, but I was just following orders. Whatever the boss says is what goes. Yeah, well, why don’t you have the boss call me?” He hung up the phone and glared at me.

Apparently, he was upset that I’d ratted him out. I shrugged. “It’s not my fault you messed up,” I said.

His phone rang and he answered. “Uh-huh. Yes, sir. Yes, right away.” He hung up. His face had turned a shade whiter.

“
That man is following us,” Charlie said.

I whipped around to look out the back window. Rory was in his truck, now tailgating the limo. He’d come for me. Aw, my hero. How he planned to rescue me from these numbskulls, I had no idea, but that was beside the point. He’d cared enough to come after me. Did that mean he was willing to accept the magic? Did he no longer think I was one pudding cup short of a six-pack? With any luck, I’d soon find out. Jumping out wasn’t an option. I wasn’t brave enough for that. Plus, at forty miles an hour, I’m guessing it would have been a tad painful.

“
Do you mind pulling over now?” I demanded.

“
No can do,” Charlie said, glancing in the mirror at me, “we have to take you to the boss.”

Bob cleared his throat. “Um, about that…We may have made a teensy mistake.”

“
What?” Charlie straightened behind the wheel, glancing back in the mirror again.

“
Um, apparently I didn’t listen to a voice mail that said we weren’t supposed to pick her up.” He shifted in the seat.

“
You two are the worst rescuers in the history of rescues. Now pull over.” I glanced out the back window again. Rory’s truck remained inches away from the limousine’s bumper.

Charlie guided the long car over to the side of the road, gravel crunching under the wheels. Rory had almost rammed us when Charlie had slowed down. He pulled his truck up behind us and jumped out, not bothering to close the door behind him. I pulled on the handle, but it didn’t budge. Rory pounded on the window. I was afraid the glass would break into a million pieces he was beating so hard.

“
Unlock the door now,” Rory’s voice boomed through the glass.

The door clicked and unlocked, but before I had a chance to grasp my fingers around the handle, Rory yanked it open. When I jumped out, Rory captured my hand, pulling me toward him. Once away from the car, he grabbed me with both arms.

“
Oh my God, are you all right?” He held me at arm’s length and looked me up and down.

“
I’m okay.” I nodded, taking in a deep breath.

He pulled me close again, hugging me tightly. My heart thumped. His chest felt so right pressed against mine.

“
What the hell happened?” he asked with an edge to his voice. Rory looked as if he wanted to punch both of them.

“
It was all a misunderstanding. They thought I still needed to be rescued from Kim.”

Rory responded with a lift of his eyebrows. Charlie stepped from behind the wheel and Bob fumbled with the lock on the other door. He finally shoved it open and jumped out.

“
Right fellas, everything is okay now?” In spite of wanting to clobber them earlier, I kind of felt sorry for them now.

“
Yeah, sorry about that, man. Let us know if we need to have your front door fixed.”

Rory scowled. “Don’t worry, I will. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Rory led me by the elbow toward his truck.

He glanced back several times, frowning at Charlie and Bob. He was none too happy with those two. I hopped in his truck and he closed the door behind me, then went back to the limo where Bob was getting into the vehicle. Uh-oh. Did I need to break up a fight between these three? I wasn’t sure Rory could take on these two meatheads although, as mad as he seemed, maybe he wouldn’t have any problems.

The men talked and Rory pointed back at me. Bob held his hands up in surrender, then Rory stomped back to the truck and climbed in behind the wheel.

“
Everything okay now?” I asked.

“
I can’t believe that they’d just break into someone’s home like that. What if I’d had a gun? But I guess they had guns too, huh?”

“
It would have been an ugly situation, I’ll admit that. But they had my best interests at heart.”

He let out a
deep breath
as he started the truck. “Yeah, I suppose they did. It was just a bit of an adrenaline rush, that’s all. It’ll take me a minute to get over it.”

“
I understand. I was freaking out, too. I’m really sorry about all this.”

“
It’s okay now. I need a minute to calm down, that’s all. It’s not every day someone breaks into your home with guns.”

“
I’m sorry I dragged you into all this.”

“
You didn’t drag me into anything. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.”

Chapter Forty-
Seven

Rory turned the truck around and headed back in the direction of his place. As much as I liked the thought of going back there, spending time alone without worrying about ex-girlfriends and magic spells, there was one last thing I needed to take care of in order to reopen the café.

And one last thing needed to be settled before I continued any kind of relationship with Rory. The magic. I had to make sure the spell was reversed. Plus, I could show Rory that I wasn’t a complete nut-job. Our relationship would be stuck in neutral if I didn’t right my wrong. When he saw the sparks from the spell, he’d have to believe me.

“
Are you hungry?” I asked. “How about some good down-home cooking?”

“
Are you trying to add magic again?” He steered the truck, not taking his eyes off the wheel.

I frowned. He’d never eat another bite of my food.

“
Sorry, forget I said that.”

“
Consider it forgotten.” I pushed forward with my mission. “You must have burned up a lot of calories with that adrenaline rush. How about we go back to the café and I’ll fix us some food. The picnic wasn’t much.”

No more secrets, I reminded myself. I didn’t want to tell him what I was trying to do. Maybe he’d rush to get out from under the spell. After all, women still followed him almost everywhere he went. Two cars full of women tailed us now. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I recognized one of the women behind the wheel of a gray Buick as my first grade teacher.

“
No, it sure wasn’t much. Kim never could even make a sandwich, although she liked to think she was a gourmet chef. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what went on today, though.” He glanced over at me. I didn’t think he’d noticed the women following us.

“
I know it was weird and, in hindsight, perhaps I could have dealt with things differently.” I looked in the side mirror and willed the women to go away. It didn’t work, they continued their trek.

“
No, you did what you had to do, I understand that.”

“
She broke into my bedroom, you know. I still can’t believe she did that. I think the city smog may have gotten to her.”

“
Well, apparently the small-town fresh air didn’t reverse it,” he said.

“
Do you still have feelings for Kim? I know you said you didn’t love her but, deep down, I think she might have some redeeming qualities. Somewhere.”

A small smile crossed his lips. “I’ll always have feelings for her, but not in that way. Not the way I feel for you.”

My stomach tingled against my will. I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. That was the answer I’d wanted to hear.

“
I stopped loving her a while back. She wasn’t exactly an ideal girlfriend, if you know what I mean.”

“
So I’ve heard.” I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“
There’s a lot of talk in this small town, huh?” Rory steered the truck onto Main Street.

“
Everyone knows everyone, no way to hide much. That’s the way it works.”

“
Yes, it does. And since it’s hard to hide much, you want to share more of this magic story with me?” he asked.

Not really, but I knew I had to. “Apparently, my grandmother has been performing a little magical intervention on Mystic Café patrons for years now. She wanted to retire to sunshine and golf in Florida. Heck, knowing her, she probably wanted to find a younger boyfriend.”

He chuckled.

“
Anyway, as you know, she left me the café. But she didn’t spring the full job description on me until she was on the way out the door. No wonder my mother didn’t want to take over the business, well, that and the fact she’s a terrible cook. The spells are all good, only to help people feel better—physically and mentally. A little love.” I cast a glance and grinned. “Maybe something to take away the aches and pains. That sort of thing.”