Page 10 of Fool Me Twice

“No,” Cane growled again, “but those are all good ideas. Who can I pay to do that to you?”

“Cursebreaker blood, baby. Can’t be cursed no matter how much you wish it upon my sweet, sweet ass.”

Cane rolled his eyes at Ash’s smug cockiness.

“But since there’s none of that grossness,” Ash continued. “That means Black is out too, so you can thank your lucky stars for that. That narrows it down to interpersonal or nuisance curses. No way for me to know for sure, sadly.”

“Not even if you came down here?”

“Nope,” Ash said. “But on the bright side, Hart and Fix are the best at what they do. They’ll sort you out. I’ll send them over first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Hart,” Cane said slowly, his heart jumping at the name in time with the strobe lighting streaking by. “Uppity? Three-piece suits? Stick shoved up his ass?”

They weren’t really questions.

“Aww, it’s like you know him,” Ash crooned. “Yes, that’s him. Why? You got a crush, Candy Cane?”

“Bright and early, Cursebreaker,” Cane said, dropping the call and leaning his forearms against the cool glass.

He could take the hit of some fights going astray and the bar tab being way off. He wouldn’t be ruined by it. As long as it got handled as fast as possible, he’d be fine. There was no reason for panic to creep up his spine. He’d ignore the ghost of a mocking laugh in his ear.

At least he had the uptight little cursebreaker to look forward to.

Bright side, Cane.

Look on the bright fucking side.

Chapter 3

Hart

…as we embrace a new day, let’s reflect on the collective strength and resilience that defines this team. Each of you plays a crucial role in our shared journey, contributing to our success and making a positive impact every day.

Hart gave his newest company-wide email another glance. Satisfied it was conveying the right message, he hit send. Being case-free for a day like he had been yesterday really gave him a chance to dedicate himself entirely to building up the team spirit. His small…fall off the wagon had just been a small distraction from his usual productivity. He’d also been able to prep today’s national holiday materials.

He glanced at the clock and saw he had a few more minutes to head down to the conference room for their morning briefing. His office was the last one in the long hallway leading from the main lobby to the conference room, but Hart liked to be timely. He picked up his tablet and materials, and with a last check of his calendar, walked out of his office and into the white hallway, metal beams stretching overhead.

He entered the door right next to his, finding the conference room empty as usual. He was used to being first to arrive in the morning, and it benefited him most days, allowing him to set up for the day’s festivities without bother or constant interruptions.

He laid the pamphlets he’d printed off yesterday in front of every seat, setting the separate checklists he’d made next to them at precise angles. Each had a name printed on the top and stickers attached—animals for Wren, gold stars for Midas, happy faces for Fix, fire engines for Ash, and rainbows for Black since Hart refused to frequent the websites Black did to find anything more gruesome.

He poured them all coffees and laid out each person’s breakfast pastry of choice on napkins, noting to himself that he should really push for some plates and cutlery around the place.

He was just straightening his banner when Taylor, their receptionist and intake manager, waltzed into the room.

“Good morning to my favorite child,” she drawled, heels clicking on the stone floor.

Hart glanced over and took in the pink streaks in her hair that hadn’t been there the day before, matching the pink suede pants and silver button-up she was wearing. She had open-toed silver boots on and more jewelry than any sane person could possibly need.

If your name wasn’t Midas.

“Good morning, Taylor,” Hart said, straightening his jacket. He pulled her chair out for her and fixed her a cup of coffee. “Did you sleep well?”

“My downstairs neighbor decided to have a party last night,” she said, rolling her eyes so hard Hart was pretty sure they’d get stuck like that eventually.

“So you joined?”

“Obviously.” She accepted the steaming coffee and took a large sip, seemingly unbothered by the heat. She was her own species. “Thank you.”