EXCERPT
She moved over to the door, pulled out her tools, and looked over her shoulder one last time to ensure no one was watching. She might be decently skilled at breaking and entering, but that didn’t mean she wanted to get caught. This was her first visit to New Orleans, and she had no desire to see it from the inside of a jail cell.
Satisfied that no one saw her, she quickly inserted the picks into the lock and went to work. While she’d probably done this a hundred times or more, it never failed to kick up her heartbeat and get the adrenaline coursing through her body. Getting in and out of somewhere she had no business being had become quite an art form, and one she was damned proud of. Never mind that it made her a criminal. That was neither here nor there.
For her, the end justified the means, and in this case, it could mean the difference between life and death.
Again.
Right now, all that mattered was getting this job done and done fast. On that note, and with one final twist of the metal picks, the lock clicked free, and the door popped open. She shoved her tools back into her pocket and disappeared inside, making sure to close and lock the door behind her. Having to unlock the door to escape might slow her down for a second, but that was a hell of a lot better than someone waltzing in from the outside and catching her off guard.
The hairs at the back of her neck prickled, letting her know that her spidey sense had been activated. She didn’t have much time. She needed to find the supplies the witch required and get the hell out.
“If you wanted in that badly, sugah, you could have just knocked. For a knockout like you, I would have opened the door whether the shop was closed or not.”
She jerked at the voice that came out of nowhere as she whirled around to find a man standing in front of the door she’d just walked away from. But was he? A man, that was. These days, it was getting harder and harder to tell who was human and who was something else. Once she’d learned to look, she couldn’t seem to walk down a street without tripping over a supernatural or two.
Not to make assumptions, but this one certainly seemed out of this world. He was extraordinarily tall, more than six-four if she had to guess, with dark skin that seemed to mesmerize her. And good God but was he beautiful. It was hard not to stare. Not even his annoyed stance, arms crossed aggressively over his chest detracted from his appearance. No way was he an ordinary human. Right?
Shit. She couldn’t tell for sure without getting closer, and she had a feeling getting too close would not do her any favors.
No one was supposed to be here. The shop had been closed for quite some time. She’d watched the lone female employee lock up and leave the premises more than thirty minutes ago. So who the hell was this guy?
“Cat got your tongue?”
“I need some ingredients for a spell, and it couldn’t wait.” For all she knew, it was likely the truth. The witch hadn’t bothered to inform her why she needed these items, only that they were required before she would lift a finger to help her.
The man eyed her curiously, and she got the immediate impression that he knew she wasn’t telling the truth. That was the thing about these people. They possessed all kinds of unusual abilities, and you never knew for sure which one you would encounter next. Not that she had any business talking about these people.
She’d become one of these people way before Jami, without anyone else realizing.
At the moment, he stood eerily still, simply watching her with eyes that seemed to glow with silver threads that looked her over from head to toe. That stare unnerved her. It was as if he saw something no one else did.
By the time he finished looking her over he had his hands on his hips and one leg cocked her way. “I call bullshit on that answer, sweetheart. Try again.”
His saucy retort caught her off guard. From the Crocs on his feet all the way to the beanie over his head, he gave off the vibe that despite his wild appearance, he wasn’t going to take any shit from her or anyone else for that matter.
“It’s not for me personally, not exactly. But it is for a spell.” At least she believed that to be true.
“What kind of spell? You clearly aren’t a witch, so I highly doubt you can work anything more than a basic love potion, and for that you don’t need anything worth breaking in for. Your local grocer carries that shit.”
She nearly choked on his insult. “I am not looking to work a love spell. A man in my life is about the last thing I need.”
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Gorgeous cover! The book sounds great as well!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteI love the tattoos.
ReplyDeletesounds so good.
ReplyDeleteThe cover makes me want to read this book alone.
ReplyDeletelove this cover
ReplyDeleteLooks really neat, cheers on the blitz.
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