Page 50 of Mending Mayhem
“Are you okay?” Ash asked.
She kneaded her muscle. “I’ve got a knot right here, and it’s giving me a headache. I can’t think straight.”
I held my hand toward her. “May I?”
Her hesitation pierced my heart, but after giving me a wary look, she said, “Sure.”
Miles continued typing while Shade watched the computer screen. My brother stared at me intently, and for once, I could not read his expression. If it were one of warning, I couldn’t fathom what he’d warn me about. This witch belonged to me. It was my duty to keep her happy, healthy, and pain-free.
I rubbed my thumb against my fingers, gathering heat on my skin before placing my hand on her shoulder. I squeezed the muscle she had indicated was ailing her, and it was as taut as a guitar string. With my thumb, I applied pressure, moving it in slow circles over the tightest spot.
Ember groaned, sliding from the arm of the chair to sit on the floor in front of me. “Keep doing that.”
Blood rushed to my groin as the memory of our morning encounter played in my mind’s eye. I leaned forward, using both hands to massage the tension from her shoulders.
“How are we going to get close to it if it’s that heavily guarded?” she asked. “We could use a binding spell but I’m sure they’ll have cameras everywhere. We can’t go in wearing ski masks.”
“I’m on it,” Miles said while typing furiously.
Ember leaned back against the chair, nestling between my legs and pitching her head forward, giving me better access to her neck. My entire being ached to be closer to her. To rid ourselves of our clothes and bask in each other’s essence. I would massage her from head to toe until every ounce of tension released from her body.
“What are you doing, Miles?” She rubbed her temples.
“He’s hacking into the auction house’s network,” Shade said.
Ember’s head snapped up. “You’re a hacker?”
A blush spread across Miles’s cheeks as he drew his shoulders upward. “It started as a hobby, just to see if I could do it.”
“Now companies hire him to hack their systems and find the weak spots and back doors.” Shade smiled proudly. “He’s good at his job.”
“I’m alright.” He grimaced at the screen. “They need to verify Boyd’s funds. This is going to take me a few hours.”
“What’s the plan?” Ash asked.
Miles closed his laptop. “I need more power than this. I’ll have to go home to finish it, but I will have it done and be ready to go in the morning.”
“And you can get us in and out without causing a scene?” Ember asked.
“That’s what I’m working on. You have to be registered in their system before they let you through the doors. High-dollar clients can view items up close before they head to the auction floor, which means I have to make Boyd a fake bank account for them to verify. It’ll take time.”
“M’kay.” Ember melted into me, her head tipping back. “Go home and set it all up. Miles, you’re taking point on this. Let us know what we need to do.”
He rose and put the computer into his bag. “Will do. Oh, and Boyd is from Texas, so one of you will have to learn the accent. I recommend watching Dazed and Confused to hear what it really sounds like. Particularly listen to the character David Wooderson. Matthew McConaughey is actually from Texas, so you know it’s authentic.”
The men left, and Ash spoke into the remote control, “Play Dazed and Confused.” The television responded, bringing up the movie she requested.
“In the past, they would have called this technology witchcraft.” I squeezed Ember’s shoulders, making her melt even more.
“They called most things they didn’t understand witchcraft.” She rested her hand on mine, stilling me. “Thank you. It’s okay now.”
“I can continue if you need more.”
She laced her fingers through mine, sending a jolt to my heart. “I’m good. I am starving though. Pizza?”
“I’ll order it.” Ash used her phone to request the delivery, and the movie began.
Ember didn’t move from her spot on the floor. She continued holding my hand, and I fought the urge to pull her into my lap. She had said she needed time to come to terms with our bond, so I would not push her. We remained in the position for half an hour, watching a movie about teenagers acting like imps in Texas.