Page 79 of Pocus
Seer laughs and shakes his head at me. “You, my friend, have a wild imagination.”
“You’re not going to tell me about this vision, then.” It’s a question, but Seer nods in response, anyway.
“You’ll see, mon ami,” he says, picking up his book again. “It’s bound to happen soon.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Pocus
“... Thanks to an anonymous tip to the FBI, the Director of the Department of Code Enforcement, Hans Butcher, and Business Magnate, Anderson Gray, were picked up from their homes earlier this morning by FBI agents on serious charges which are yet to be disclosed to the public. This comes as quite a shock as the people of New Orleans are still recovering from the disturbing news of the Mayor’s corruption allegations. On Wednesday, Mayor Gary Craig was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and as an accomplice to murder, among other grave charges. Investigations are still ongoing in this case, and according to a confirmed source, we may witness more shocking arrests like these in the near future. That will be all for today on Good Morning New Orleans. Stay tuned for more updates on the case. Amanda Jones. NBC News.”
“Whoa!” Hex hollers, fist bumping Blight excitedly. “You did it, Prez! You put that son of a bitch in his place.”
“No, Hex,” I reply with a big smile. “We did it. We all did this! So let’s cheer to victory.” I raise my scotch glass, and they all follow suit. “To victory!”
“To victory,” my men echo after me.
I gulp down the booze, enjoying its sharp sting in my throat and its smooth sail in my veins. I look around the large main room, filled with the men who have become my family over the years…I’ve never felt luckier to be a member of the Ruthless Kings.
“Hey, listen up, everybody!” I holler, slamming my glass cup against the table to get their attention. The room goes silent, and everybody turns their attention to me.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone present in this room.” I look at each of their faces, hoping they all feel the depth of my gratitude and appreciation. “You all made it possible to be here today. I would have given up long ago, but you gave me the strength to continue…to push on. And when I fell, you all were here to catch me. I am not the president of this club because I am the wisest or strongest…it’s only because you chose me and you have faith in me that I’m capable of making decisions that directly affect your lives. I thank you for your trust and support, and I promise always to earn it. I’ll never stop proving myself worthy of the mantle which you have handed over to me. Next time, scumbags like Anderson will think twice before messing with us.”
“You got that right, Prez!” Bones says loudly. “I bet he regrets messing with the Ruthless Kings even now.”
“You bet,” I reply with a loud chuckle.
* * *
Abigail
Ican almost hear the sound of my heart hammering against my chest as I stand outside Pocus’s door, questioning the good sense that brought me down here in the first place. I raise my hand to knock but drop it again as my stomach tightens in apprehension.
Maybe I shouldn’t be here. I could always do this some other time. Right?
I start to turn around, but the door is pulled open from the inside. I gasp softly, surprised to see Pocus staring at me through those eyes that seem to see through my soul.
“Hey! Uhm…Hi!” I clear my throat nervously, wondering why I’m suddenly a foolish, bumbling mess when I have the meeting mapped out in my head. I’ve practiced my words and everything. Now, they’ve failed me woefully.
“Hey, Abigail,” Pocus says softly, brows furrowed with concern. “What’s wrong? Do you need something?”
His deep soothing voice is made even deeper with sleep. My eyes unconsciously slide down to his bare chest, and my throat suddenly goes dry at the sight of his ripped muscles and the sinful promises that lay just beyond the band of his hanging pants. It’s been so long…too long.
“Abigail?”
My eyes fly up to his, and my cheeks instantly color up in embarrassment. I lick my lips quickly and clear my throat. My thoughts have suddenly become all muddled, and it’s safe to say I’ve completely forgotten the purpose of my abrupt midnight visit to his chambers.
“I…uh…I’m sorry,” I stammer quickly, ducking my face to hide the rapidly spreading blush on my face. “I was just…um…,” I swallow nervously, racking my brain for something plausible among the thousands of flimsy excuses in my head. “I was passing by.”
Really, Abigail? Passing by?
Pocus chuckles quietly and shakes his head in amusement. “You’ve been standing at my door for the past thirty minutes, Abigail. That was not you just passing by.”
At this point, I feel I’d very much prefer to be swallowed by the ground. I bite down on my lower lip and drop my gaze bashfully.
“How did you know that?” I ask in a small voice.
“I sensed you the minute you walked up to my door,” Pocus replies, smiling at me still. “I was only waiting for you to turn the knob.”