Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I say, lips curving into a smile. I haven’t seen him since the day after the djinn attack, and while I’ve gotten updates from Melinda on how he’s doing, I haven’t reached out as much as I should have.
Though to be fair, I’ve been kinda busy trying to keep the world from imploding.
“Callie,” he breathes, coming to a stop. One of the hunters he’s with slows, looking me up and downClick here to enter text.. The baby attached to my chest throws him, but it won’t take long before he realizes who I am.
“Hey babe,” I joke and Easton laughs.
“If I never hear that again, it’ll be too soon.” He shakes his head and casts his eyes to Juliet. This is only the second time he’s seen her. A lot was said between us the last time we were together, and that awkwardness hangs heavy in the air, made only worse when Easton looks back into my eyes and doesn’t say a word.
“I know you,” the hunter next to Easton jeers. “You’re that Martin bitch.”
Chapter
Eleven
“Just call me a half-breed while you’re at it,” I sigh, rolling my eyes.
“Watch it,” Easton hisses, taking a step forward, putting himself between the hunter and myself.
“Of course you’re defending her,” the hunter huffs and elbows the other guy in their little group. “Can you believe this?”
The third hunter looks at Juliet for a moment then shakes his head. “I don’t know man. Last we heard she married a vampire.”
“It’s her, I’m telling you,” the first hunter jeers.
“And I’m right here,” I deadpan. “And yes. I’m Callie King. Martin was my maiden name.” I force a smile, resisting the urge to make a dig at the Martins since Abby is behind me.
“What’s going on?” Ricci asks, brown eyes open wide, unable to hid the bit of excitement on her face from watching drama unfold.
“Nothing,” Easton and I say at the same time.
“We’re leaving,” he presses, narrowing his eyes.
“You’re just going to let her go?” Hillbilly-Hunter’s mouth gaps. “After what she did to you?”
“She didn’t do—” Easton starts, looking annoyed, and is interrupted.
“She fucking blew up a house!”
“She’s still here,” I say, bringing a hand up to rest on Juliet’s back. “And it was just a few lights in a room. And maybe a window.” I tip my head, thinking back. “A big window, I’ll admit.”
“See, she’s fucking insane?”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Easton rounds on the hunter, motioning for us to go into the restaurant. The sounds of the busy Chicago street disappear as we step inside the French cafe. It’s definitely not a place I’d guess Easton and who I suspect are two members of the Order of the Mystic Realm to come to.
“Girl,” Ricci says as we get to the table, pulling out her chair and sinking down. “You’ve got to give me deets! Please tell me you were banging that good-looking man. Mmmm. You can just tell he knows what he’s doing.”
“We dated,” I tell her, blinking and getting a flash from years ago. Dated is an understatement. There was a time when I was head over heels in love with Easton. When I thought I had finally found someone who saw me, the real me, and loved me back just as much.
When really, he’d been ordered to kill me.
“So he’s single?”
“You’re married,” Abby reminds her, fighting to get Penny into the highchair. The kid has gone rigid all of the sudden.
I take the diaper bag off my shoulder and drop it to the ground next to me and sit, leaning back in hopes of not waking Juliet.
“He is single, but he’s…he’s trouble,” I tell her. “Good guy, just, uh, basically is a walking red flag.” I almost feel bad, though it’s true. Even if Easton hasn’t fake-dated me to confirm I was a witch so he could then get close enough to murder me, the man should not touch a serious relationship with a ten foot pole.
“What did he mean you blew up a house?”
“I just, uh, got really pissed when I found out he cheated,” I say, unable to help my mind going back to the day Easton broke down and confessed everything. My feelings for him had been real from the start. I loved him so much at that time. I gave him my mind and my body, and he took it like the entitled asshole he was. “I might have thrown a few things.”
The rage boiled inside of me, manifesting as raw energy like it always does. The thrilling of magic in the air caused the lights to grow brighter and brighter as I cried, until the glass got so hot it exploded. It fell like rain around us, and I threw out my hands, creating a telekinetic shield to cover Easton at the last minute. The force blew out the window behind him, but he didn’t get hurt.