Page 12 of The Nowhere Witch

“Now you’re just showing off,” I said, pocketing these slips as well. I might frame one and hang it once I got a place of my own. It was nice that Helen thought I was strong, especially when I was having doubts.

The door opened behind me. There was only one person that would come in here this late. The adrenaline that had been soothed by memories and Helen came roiling back to a full boil as I turned to face Hawk.

He walked into the room with that same arrogance I remembered and sat on Zab’s desk, crossing his arms while he stared at me as if he was absolved of all guilt. Or maybe he was incapable of feeling any? One of the first thoughts in my head was that damn, he looked good tonight. It showed how messed up my head was. You didn’t admire the devil’s attractive facade. It was just honey to lure you to the trap. I’d never fall for his trap again.

“Can I help you with something?”

He was utterly calm, always in control. I hated it even as I longed to emulate it.

“You told everyone not to hire me.” I didn’t scream or rage the way I’d planned. He didn’t deserve that much emotion out of me. I’d play his game, as if I were above it all, even if I felt as if I were covered in mud and muck after the day I’d had.

“I didn’t instruct anyone.”

Again with the semantics. Did everyone in this place split hairs? Could we not just sum it up nice and simple for once? “You’re denying that you were the reason I had trouble getting a job?”

“Not at all. I’m simply informing you that I didn’t have to tell them. When you didn’t come back to work here, they were wary of how welcome you were. Since I believe you shouldn’t be here, did you think I’d go out of my way to have them hire you?” He raised an eyebrow, as if to imply I couldn’t possibly be that stupid.

I’d made a huge mistake coming here. I wasn’t laying down the law. I was getting tied in knots of aggravation and fury, while he watched on. I was becoming a jumbled-up mess inside while he was a placid lake. I needed to get out of here, and now, before the tsunami inside me raged outward and it became very clear who was holding it together and who was crumbling.

“I’m aware that you think I shouldn’t be here. Luckily for me, it doesn’t matter what you think anymore, because I will be staying, and someonedidgive me a job. So thank you for trying to screw me, and I’ll be on my way.”

Some papers behind me fluttered to the floor, and the flower pot was rattling on the desk. That was definitely my signal to exit.

I headed for the door, but he blocked my way. He was a foot in front of me, scanning me the length of me, and not in a sexual way.

“There’s something different. I thought I noticed it the other night as well.” His eyes rose to mine. “What have you done?”

My hand moved to my neck before I caught myself and held it in front of me. His glance down made it clear he hadn’t missed the slip.

Out of everyone, he would be the one to notice. I wasn’t even sure if it had done something, but it must’ve the way he was acting.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now step out of my way.”

“There’s something different,” he said, still blocking my path as if I hadn’t spoken.

“Yes.Me. Now move.” Shoving him out of the way was not an option, but only because he was stronger. Otherwise, his ass would’ve been on the ground.

He didn’t budge. I tried to step around him, and he shifted with me, grabbing my wrist and pushing my jacket up so he could feel my flesh, or more specifically, my magic. I was getting a little tired of being handled tonight, although when Oscar had done it, it wasn’t quite so unnerving.

Trying to shrug him off did nothing.

“Get off me.”

He only moved closer, his head dipping down beside mine as if he were going to whisper in my ear. Instead, he breathed deeply of me.

“You’ve gotten stronger. But how is that possible?” He wasn’t talking to me but thinking aloud. It was so un-Hawk-like that it meant he was truly stumped.

I wasn’t. But then again, he’d never known about the tattoo. Or that a couple of specks of ink had remained until recently. I wasn’t sure why those last few spots had bothered me. They’d appeared as nothing more than freckles, but I’d fixated on them when I was stuck in Salem, dwelling on what I’d lost, pretending I hadn’t cared. I’d obsessed enough to get one more laser treatment done so there wasn’t a single reminder of what had been stolen from me.

One hand was still on my wrist as his other threaded through my hair, working its way around to the back of my neck.

“What was here?”

He was skimming over the place that had once had my tattoo. I tried not to shiver from his touch. I’d forgotten how it infused me. Or I’dtriedto forget, but it was all racing back to me now, making my heart race. The huskiness of his voice hadn’t been missed by me either. He felt it too, even now as he tried to concentrate on this other mystery.

“You were marked. Was it your mother? I can still feel the trace of its energy.”

I tried pushing away and ended up flattened against him.