The Shifter Romances The Writer (Nocturne Falls Book 6) (9 page)

Alex’s radio came to life in a burst of noise. “Alex, this is Birdie. Pick up.”

He reached over and grabbed the handset. “Go ahead, Birdie. This is Alex.” Birdie wasn’t the department’s dispatcher, but she did sometimes radio with calls.

“Are you in town? You need to swing by Delaney’s shop, pronto.”

He changed directions to head that way immediately. “I’m on it. What’s the issue? Theft?”

“Not sure. Just get there.”

“ETA is four minutes.” He laid on the speed a little and made it in three and a half. Black Cat Boulevard was full, so he parked in the fire lane. Patrol cars could do that.

He strode into the shop on full alert, but it looked like business as usual to him. He took his sunglasses off and tucked them in his shirt pocket as Delaney came out from the back room. “Birdie said you needed me as soon as possible. What’s going on?”

Delaney shook her head. “That’s not what I said at all. But since you’re here, come into my office and we’ll talk.”

Curiosity piqued, he followed her back.

She closed her office door and pointed to the chair beside her desk. He sat there while she took the chair at her desk.

He leaned forward. “Employee problem? Embezzlement? Property theft?”

She sighed. “None of those things. I want to talk about Roxy St. James.”

He sat back. “What?”

“You went out to lunch with her today, right?”

“Yes. I’m not sure what that has to do with anything.”

“What did she drink at lunch?”

“A bottle of some fancy sparkling water.”

“Not the Nocturne Falls stuff?”

“Nope.”

“That makes sense, then. She must drink a lot of bottled water. That’s all I can figure out.” Delaney rubbed her chin like she was thinking.

“I’m not following.”

“She’s clearly not drinking the Nocturne Falls tap water, or not enough of it, because she thought she saw gills on Undrea and a
black panther
in her neighborhood.”

“She did ask me if someone in our area had a big black housecat. She never said panther, though.” No doubt Diego out and about. Alex would have a word with him on that subject this evening.

“Well, she said panther to me. And then she thought my teeth looked odd earlier when she stopped by. Fortunately, I drew my fangs up in time, but this isn’t good. It’s one thing for tourists to think they see supernaturals all around them, but if the human citizens don’t drink the water and they start seeing us for what we really are, we’re in deep trouble.”

The water from the natural springs at the falls had been enchanted by the Ellinghams’ personal witch, Alice Bishop. When humans drank the water, their reality blurred at the edges a bit, helping to keep human residents and tourists oblivious to the supernaturals around them. And because that water fed the reservoirs and was bottled and sold everywhere in town, getting tourists to drink it wasn’t a problem.

Until now. “I can’t force her to drink the water.”

“Neither can I, but I did give her a bottle of it on her way out. Let’s hope she drinks it. In the meantime, you’ve got to cool it around her. No shifting outside your house.”

“I promise you, I’m not the panther she saw. It had to be Diego.”

Delaney squinted.

“My brother. He’s staying with me.” Alex’s expression was less than happy. “He’s not the easiest to rein in sometimes. I’ll talk to him. Make sure he knows the deal.”

“Good. Roxy and I have been friends since college. She’s under enough stress with this divorce. She doesn’t need to think she’s hallucinating too.”

“Why not tell her the truth?”

Delaney’s eyes widened slightly. “When Hugh told me he was a vampire, I climbed out a second-story window and ran off into the woods in the dark of night. And I wasn’t under the pressure of a deadline or a controlling ex who wouldn’t sign my divorce papers. I don’t think Roxy needs that kind of reality dumped on her right now.”

“Okay.” He thought for a moment. “You know, I might be able to help with this. But only if Diego gets the bartending job he interviewed for today and gets out of my house at night.”

That perked Delaney up. “If it’s a matter of getting him that job, I can help with that. I assume it’s at Howler’s.”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll call Bridget. She’ll do it as a favor, I’m sure. Even if he doesn’t last, maybe she can keep him busy for a week.”

“That should be more than enough time.”

“What are you planning?”

He hesitated, then smiled. “Just a little neighborly get-together.”

By the time Roxy got home, it was so late in the afternoon it was practically dinner time. She unloaded her groceries and, for a moment, wished she was good enough friends with Alex to make use of his hot tub. A soak would be glorious. She rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tightness in them. She might have to take Delaney up on that offer of a spa day.

But as much as Roxy wanted to loaf, the book called. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, set it on her desk in the office, then went to change.

A few minutes later she was in yoga pants and a Lost Boys T-shirt, sitting in front of her computer and staring down at Chapter Two. She put her hands on the keyboard and thought for a moment about what events needed to happen next. Then she dove in.

Marabella tugged against the restraints holding her. For eight long months, she’d suffered at the hands of the druids, imprisoned in this damnable tower and kept from her beloved, Wolfgang. No doubt he thought her dead. She closed her eyes and a prayer escaped her lips that he didn’t think she’d also been the one to betray him.

Did he understand that this was all his brother’s doing? She couldn’t be sure, but Wolfgang was no one’s fool. If anyone could have discovered Ulric’s plan, it was him.

She went very still and listened but the hall beyond her chamber seemed deserted. This might be her only chance. Her captors could return at any time. She closed her eyes and, at long last, summoned the witch’s power she’d been born with.

All these months, the druids had laced her food and drink with herbs meant to destroy her magic. And they nearly had. But the incessant use of them had begun to create an immunity in her. One she’d kept hidden.

One she’d nurtured. And what the druids in Ulric’s control didn’t know was that her magic had almost fully returned to her. In a very short time, she would leave this dank prison behind.

Then she would find her beloved and together they would rain down vengeance upon the head of Ulric and his minions.

She concentrated, calling upon her powers to manifest themselves. The magic curled inside her, aching to be free, almost bursting from—

Roxy’s doorbell rang, and her head came up. How many times had the chime sounded? Once? Three times? She had no idea. A glance at the window told her the sun was just about to set. How long had she been sitting here? She scrambled out of her chair and made it to the foyer as the bell rang again.

She pulled the door open and smiled. “Oh, hey, Alex.”

“Hey. I thought I’d invite you over for some celebratory pizza.” He grinned. “Diego got the bartending job.”

“That is worth celebrating. And I love pizza, even if it’s not really on my diet.”

He gave her a little side eye. “You don’t need to diet.”

She was curvy. She knew that. Thomas never let her forget it. Dieting wasn’t something she did, it was a way of life. “Watch what happens when I don’t. With my job? It’s a constant struggle.”

“Well, I think you look great. And I’m ordering from Salvatore’s. If you haven’t had their pizza yet, you really should. It’s kind of legendary.” He cocked his head. “Or are you sick of hanging out with me?”

That she was not. “No. I’ll come over. One slice won’t kill me. Can I at least make a salad or something?”

“So long as you don’t mind being the only one eating it.” Then he laughed and held his hands up. “I could try some, I guess. So long as there’s a lot of dressing on it. And maybe cheese. And bacon.” He shrugged apologetically. “The Cruz men aren’t really salad eaters.”

“Okay, forget the salad. Are you ordering the pizza now? I’d love to finish this scene I’m working on.”

He looked at his watch. “Come over in an hour?”

“That would be perfect.”

“I’m also making my mother’s famous lemonade. You’re not allergic to citrus or anything, are you?”

“Nope. What makes the lemonade famous?”

“Um…” He thought for a second. “I don’t know actually. It’s just lemonade with some mint in it. She usually adds vodka, too, but tomorrow’s a work day, so I’m not doing that.”

“Well, I’m game. I’ve never had lemonade with mint.”

“Great.” He started to leave then stopped, his hand on the column of her front porch. “Oh, bring your suit if you want. It’s a perfect night for the hot tub.”

“Sounds good. Will do.” She closed the door. Then, realizing what she’d just agreed to, she leaned against it and let out a big sigh. Wear her bathing suit in front of Alex? That shouldn’t bother her. But it did. Her figure was far from perfect. Of course, Diego would be there too, but for whatever reason, she didn’t care what he thought.

Then why should she care about Alex seeing her in her bathing suit? He was just her neighbor. Not a guy she was interested in. Was she going to turn down a chance to soak in the hot tub, something she’d just been wishing she could do, because her
neighbor
might think she wasn’t in perfect shape?

He’d already said he thought she looked fine. Which could have just been him being polite.

Either way, she was letting Thomas get in her head. It was so hard to shut out the years of living with him. She could hear his relentless criticism about how sitting all day was going to make her fatter, how she needed to get off her butt and work out, how he didn’t understand why she wasn’t interested in keeping herself attractive for him.

Meanwhile, he went out drinking beer and bowling with his buddies all the time. Like that was the equivalent of time at the gym.

Her chin lifted, and anger filled her belly. Thomas could shove it. She did yoga every day and went for walks when the weather was nice. Could she do more? Sure. Who couldn’t? But she wasn’t exactly a shapeless blob who lay around the house all day eating bonbons.

Although, technically, she’d had a bonbon today. A strawberry champagne bonbon. Her mouth watered at the memory of that particular goody sampled at Delaney’s.

Then her back teeth ground together. Thomas was not in charge of what she did. She was going over to Alex’s, and she was having two slices of pizza, and she was definitely getting into that hot tub.

Because Roxy St. James wasn’t about to let her soon-to-be ex-husband ruin any more of her life than he already had.

Alex texted Delaney.
She’s coming over.

A few minutes later, Delaney texted back.
Good. Let’s hope this works.

Then you’d better hope Diego doesn’t do anything to get fired on his first night.

I already told Bridget to make sure he stays busy the entire shift.

He put the phone down and sighed. He was lying to Roxy, and he hated the way that felt. Yes, Diego had gotten the job, but Diego wasn’t going to be here this evening, which was pretty much what he’d led her to believe. Instead, it would just be the two of them, and his real objective was to get her to drink as much lemonade, made with good old Nocturne Falls water, as possible.