Charmed & Deadly Read online

  “Oh, I like this one. Very nice.” I smiled.

  “Pestle to match on the third shelf to your left.”

  I found it and put it on the counter with the bowl. I continued to browse, picking up a few more things and watching him out of the corner of my eye.

  Garnout’s shop is filled from floor to ceiling with oddities for witchcraft and wizardry, almost anything you can imagine, and if he doesn’t have it, he can make it appear. The shop is located in the überwealthy Upper West Side, and his apartment faces the tree-lined paths of Riverside Park. A few months ago he’d nursed me back to health there, when I’d almost died for the third time in two months.

  Whatever was going on with him, he didn’t want to talk about it. Of course, that didn’t keep me from trying.

  “Garnout, is something wrong?”

  He ignored me.

  “Garnout?” I crossed my arms.

  Finally, he looked up. His blue wizard eyes were hazy at first and then focused in on me. Darn, what kind of book was he reading? Maybe it was wizard porn.

  “Bronwyn? Did you find everything you need?” He closed the book and I tried to read the spine, but he moved it. Argh!

  “Yes. I also wanted to know if everything was okay.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle, and if I do need your help, I’ll ask.” He punched the old-fashioned cash register with a vigor I didn’t think necessary.

  Well, okay then. He was right. If he needed my help, he’d ask. We’d always been there for each other. At least since we met five years ago.

  “I guess that’s about it, then.” I handed him the cash for my purchases. “I’m headed home. Can’t wait to have some of Lulu’s chicken-fried steak.”

  “Mmmm. A delightful delicacy, as I remember.” His expression softened. “Tell those lovely ladies who run the diner I said hello.”

  “I will.” I paused by the door with the tiny bell that chimed whenever a customer entered the store. Closing my eyes I sent him a quick comfort spell to ease his worry.

  He shook his head. “Save your strength, young woman. You never know when you may need it most. I’m an old man with a lot on my mind, but don’t worry yourself. I’m fine.” Then he smiled, a real Garnout smile, and I felt better.

  “Garnout, you can tell me anything.”

  He shooed me away with his hands. “I know, Bronwyn. Enjoy your time at home and tell your doctor and friends I send my best wishes.”

  I considered telling him about Jason, but I didn’t want to add to his worries.

  “I will.” I waved good-bye.

  Tuesday

  2 p.m.

  Sweet, Texas

  Thoroughly satisfied witches: 1

  Fantastically talented boyfriends: 1

  Dead guys: 0, but I’m working on it

  Have I mentioned lately what a lucky chick I am? When things get dark—and they usually do—I need to remember days like yesterday.

  My tall, tanned, and handsome boyfriend, Dr. Sam, met me at the hangar as I guided in the jet. He wore jeans, and a black button-down shirt. He’d been spending a lot of time outdoors and his skin had turned the color of caramel. His black wavy hair had just been trimmed and I could tell, even from the cockpit, that he’d had a professional shave. Mmmm. I couldn’t wait to rub my face against his.

  I did a quick systems check and opened the door.

  “Hey beautiful.” He reached up to help me down the steps. I skipped the last two and lunged into his arms, kissing every bit of Dr. Sam’s gorgeous mug.

  Holding my head still with his hands, he captured my lips in his. Sweetness. I would never grow tired of the man’s kisses.

  He tasted like peppermint Altoids and—

  I backed up. “Hey. Did you eat Lulu’s chicken-fried steak without me?”

  He shrugged. “Bron, a man has to eat.”

  I growled. “You didn’t have to eat chicken-fried steak. You know I’ve been craving it for weeks.” I put my hands on my hips.

  “Babe. How can I make it up to you?” He wiggled his eyebrows in a silly way.

  I thought for a moment. “Well, you could, um, help me make the bed in the back of the plane.” I pointed toward the tail.

  “Really? And why is it messed up? Something you want to tell me?” He pulled back, but grinned.

  “It isn’t messy yet, but it’s going to be.” I tugged on his hand and he followed me up.

  He did that thing where he makes me stand still and he undresses me. Then he slides his hand from the middle of my breasts down to the melting parts and I pretty much turn into jelly-knees at that point.

  Let’s just say, Dr. Sam is very, very good with his hands and has a wonderful bedside manner. An hour and a half later I was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Making love with him does that to me.

  I was also hungry.

  Facing me, he drew a finger over my cheeks and down to my lips. I grabbed his sexy finger and bit.

  “Ouch! What was that for?”

  “For not bringing chicken-fried steak with you.” I kissed the boo-boo to make it better. The sheets were tangled around my ankles and I wondered where we’d left my bra.

  He grinned. “I thought you forgave me and that’s why we’re here.”

  “For total forgiveness you must feed me. Now!” I rolled on top of him. “Or I might have to devour you.” I winked.

  He chuckled. “That’s not a very good threat, Bron. I’ve been devoured plenty of times by you and it’s quite nice.”

  “Nice?” I smirked.

  “Wrong word. Delightful. Quite delightful.”

  “That’s better. So,” I said as I jumped off him and reached for my leather bag to change clothes, “while I finish checking out the jet, you call Kira and Caleb and see if they want to meet us at Lulu’s. We’ll have a good visit. Then you and I are going back to my place. I think you need some practice with this forgiveness thing.”

  He’d been sliding on his jeans, but stopped to grab my arm and pull me to him.

  “Practice? You think I need practice?” He whispered the words into my ear and then followed by tracing the outside of the lobe with this tongue.

  I shivered with pleasure. “Mmmmm,” I moaned. “Practice makes perfect, Sam.” I whispered the words back to him.

  “Oh, I’m going to practice on you all night.” His voice was deep and hungry.

  “I can’t wait.” I kissed him.

  Dinner was delayed a little longer.

  Four

  Sweet, Texas

  11 p.m.

  Witches who gained three pounds at dinner: 1

  E ventually we made it to Lulu’s about a half hour past the time we’d told Caleb and Kira.

  They waited for us in the back booth and I waved as I walked in. First I had to say hello to my favorite chefs.

  “Well, I declare our girl’s finally come home, Johnnie!” Ms. Helen yelled as she pulled me into a big hug. “Now, let me look at you. Hmmm. Those are some pink cheeks you have there. Looks like you’ve been getting some exercise.” She winked at me.

  Sam rolled his eyes and walked toward our friends.

  “You could say that. How have you two been doing?” I hugged Ms. Johnnie when she came out of the kitchen.

  Today the twins were wearing straight-leg Levis cuffed at the ankle with bright red Keds and men’s shirts. Ms. Helen’s was bright yellow; Ms. Johnnie’s lime green. These two wild women had lived full lives, and the evidence was in pictures lining the walls of the small diner. Every available space was covered with their history.

  “Johnnie has her a new man. Could be husband number six.” Helen nodded.

  Johnnie swatted the shoulder of her twin. “Don’t go jinxing it.” She looked at me. “Kira and Caleb told me you were on the way, so I’ve fixed you a feast. Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas with jalapeños and three kinds of pie. Hope you’re hungry.”

  That made me laugh and I realized I hadn’t done so since I left Sweet. It ha
d been a very long month. “I’m hungry. Get the wheel-barrow out back ready to roll me out of here.”

  The two older women giggled. “We’re going to put some meat back on those bones, girl. Don’t you worry,” Ms. Johnnie added.

  I made my way to the back booth where Sam had joined Kira and Caleb. I hugged them and settled in.

  Sam and Caleb were dressed exactly the same way, except Caleb’s shirt was white. They could be twins had it not been for Caleb’s sandy blond hair highlighted by the sun and the fact that they looked nothing alike.

  I turned to Kira. “Give me the juice. Everything. I want to know it all.”

  The men chuckled.

  Kira was bursting with news. I could tell. We call her a “reformed” corporate lawyer. She quit her high-paying job in Atlanta to take over the Sweet library. She still wears the suits and stilettos, but she usually piles her long curly hair on top of her head and wears black-framed glasses she doesn’t really need. She still looks like she belongs in a courtroom, but no one’s going to tell her that. And she makes a darn fine librarian.

  “Bronwyn, you know I don’t believe in gossip. I simply relay the facts as I see them.” She pretended to be offended. Then she raised an eyebrow. “I think Margie and Billy are getting married,” she whispered. Sweet’s a small town with very big ears.

  I gasped and accidentally spit tea through my nose. That’s why they call me the graceful witch. Sam handed me a napkin and pretended like it wasn’t odd I’d just snorted tea through my nostrils.

  Kira laughed. “I know, right?”

  “Did Margie tell you?” I dabbed my nose.

  “Um.” She looked uncomfortable.

  “They told her,” Caleb interjected.

  Kira, along with being a lawyer/librarian, is also psychic, something she discovered a few months ago when dead people began talking to her. She’s still not happy about the idea but accepts it more each day.

  To his credit, Caleb doesn’t seem to mind at all. He thinks it’s far better to be a psychic than a witch. At least it’s safer.

  “Are they a reliable source?” I buttered one of the soft rolls Ms. Helen had left on the table.

  Kira nodded. “Oh, yes. It’s Mrs. Henry who used to own the five-and-dime. She knows everything about everyone. None of her family is alive for her to look after, so she’s pretty much in everyone’s business. Anyway, she saw Billy stuff a ring in his sock drawer.”

  “I wonder what Margie will say?” Margie’s another friend of ours. She works at the nursing home where Sam’s on call a few days a week. She and Billy have been dating for a couple of months, but it seemed kind of soon for an engagement.

  I didn’t say that out loud, though. Kira and Caleb’s relationship had been moving at a pretty fast pace, too. Who was I to judge? Sam and I had been through so many bumps and potholes on the road of love, some days I couldn’t believe we were still together.

  Ms. Johnnie wasn’t lying about the feast, and of course I felt like I had to eat everything because I didn’t want to disappoint her. By the time we made it out to Sam’s SUV, I could barely breathe.

  Lulu’s is on the town square, which is populated by Gothic-styled buildings. And it’s one more reason I like this place so much. It looks like a small European town, but it’s set in the middle of the West Texas plains.

  “Hey, Bron. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Caleb followed me out. Kira was still in the ladies’ room, and Sam was having boxes of leftovers wrapped for us.

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Have you talked to your friend Garnout lately?”

  The question kind of threw me off guard. Caleb knew Garnout, but they didn’t run in the same circles. “Yes, this morning. Why?”

  “There’s some heavy-duty corporate action taking place; looks like maybe some insider trading, you know, that sort of thing. There have also been rumors of magic being involved.”

  While we don’t keep our magic a secret from the regular folks, we don’t like any kind of press. I wondered if this might be the problem Garnout faced. Perhaps the warring covens had taken things too far.

  “He didn’t say anything about it to me.” I shrugged. That was the truth.

  “Well, I wondered if maybe you thought it’d be okay if I talked to him. I’m covering the story for the magazine, and flying up tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know. He doesn’t like talking to the press any more than I do.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing like that. I’ve been doing some research and I think I have a couple of different leads. I don’t want a quote from him, I just want to run a few things past him.” The investigative part of Caleb’s brain seldom slept. If there were a story there, I wouldn’t keep him from it.

  “I don’t see the harm in asking him, but don’t expect much.” I wrote down the address of the shop and Garnout’s phone number. I looked up at him. “Be careful, Caleb. Whenever there’s money and magic involved, things can go bad fast.”

  I watched as Sam and Kira walked out. She would never forgive me if anything happened to Caleb. As he moved toward his truck I threw a protection spell at him. I’d do my best to keep him safe.

  Wednesday

  10 a.m.

  Witches wanting to murder a sexy sheik: 1

  I’m going to kill Sheik Azir. I mean it. The next time I see him, he has a big, fiery ball with his name on it. Stupid man.

  I swear, he must have my schedule somewhere and is purposefully trying to keep Sam and me apart. Arrogant jerk. Azir, not Sam.

  Last night we were practicing some more and it was all very lovely until Sam’s cell phone rang. It played some high-pitched song that sounded like something you’d hear on the streets of New Delhi.

  We’d just come back from a rather arousing shower together, when Sam reached for the phone.

  “You are not going to answer that!” I tried to sound stern, but it’s difficult when your body is humming from incredible lovemaking.

  “Sorry, Bron. It’s important.” He pushed the button.

  “Hello? Yes.” He picked up his watch and grimaced. “What time will it be here?…No, I’ll be ready.”

  He hung up and couldn’t hide the guilt from his face.

  “I’ve got to go.” He took my hands in his. “I promise I wouldn’t leave if it weren’t absolutely necessary, but this is something that can’t wait.”

  “That was Azir, wasn’t it?” The sudden urgency meant only one thing: the sheik needed help—again.

  “Yes.” He sighed.

  “He needs you on one of his saving-the-world trips, right?”

  “Yes.”

  I could have pitched a fit, whined, and done any number of unattractive things, but I didn’t. Azir was known for going into third-world countries and saving women and children from horrible atrocities. It was one of the ways he used his incredible wealth to make the world a better place, but I selfishly wished it didn’t involve my boyfriend.

  Azir was a client of mine and I still checked on him now and then. There was a time when I wasn’t sure if maybe I might be in love with him, and he’d told me once that he loved me. One day I just decided Sam was the dude for me and I sent Azir on his way. It wasn’t as easy as I make it sound and I still wonder sometimes if I’m over the sheik.

  I knew if he called Sam, it meant the people they had to save had an obvious medical crisis.

  “Okay.” I sighed again. “Do I have time to put a couple of protection charms together for you?”

  He smiled. “I love you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I love you, too. Just come back in one piece.” Then I hugged him. He’s said those same words to me more times than I can count.

  I put together the charms while Sam gathered his things.

  “Sorry about the rush, but I need to run home and pack. He said this one might be awhile.”

  I bit my lip. I swear, I will kill Azir next time I see him. There are hundreds of doctors he could call. Why did he have to call Sam? I knew the answer
. Sam was discreet and talented. There wasn’t anyone more qualified for the job, and Azir always wanted the best.

  We kissed good-bye and I handed him the charms. “I’m not terribly happy with him right now, but give the extra one to Azir.”

  Sam kissed me again, and I drank in as much of him as I could, from his patchouli scent to the warmth of his strong arms.

  1 p.m.

  I called Peggy, who is the head of the local coven. The coven is what keeps Sweet the special place that it is. No evil is allowed in, and they can spot it fast if it does drop by for a visit. They’ve helped me out so many times over the past few months it isn’t funny. They don’t seem to mind that evil is attracted to me, but they do like a warning now and then if possible.

  We went through all the niceties. Then I had to give it to her straight.

  “Here’s the deal.” I cleared my throat. “There’s a warlock who is involved in some dark magic.”

  She clucked her tongue. “Let me guess, he’s been trying to kill you?”

  I was glad she couldn’t see my eyes roll.

  “Yes. He’s someone from my past and he’s nasty. We haven’t been able to trace the magic back to its source, but we are fairly certain it’s him.”

  “Hmmm. I guess we’d better prepare for the worst.” She didn’t sound angry. It was all very matter-of-fact.

  “That’s probably not a bad idea. If you see anything at all suspicious, you definitely want to check it out.”

  “We always do, dear. I suppose the coven will be glad to have something to do. It’s been rather quiet while you’ve been out of town.”

  There was the tiny dagger in my side. I’d wondered when she’d get in a dig. The funny thing is, she’s also one of my mom’s best friends from college and they are so much alike in that way. It must have something to do with being a mother.

  “We’re meeting next week, and would love for you to join us.” That was a nice way of saying, “Young lady, the least you could do is come help us strengthen our protection spell.”

  “If I’m still in town, consider me there.” I turned the oven timer so it would go off. It buzzed on cue. “Oh, there goes the buzzer. Have to run, but thank you. I’ll see you soon.”