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“You know, brother. I think you just might be right.”

WINNOW

Gertie and I join Gideon and the rest of the boys when my skin prickles with discomfort. The distinct sensation of being watched. Without having to see her, I already know Seraphine is here, and my stomach gives a sickening swoop. Beau is mid-sentence when I twist toward the tree line and narrow my gaze.

“Uh… you okay?”

Immersed in conversation with Harlan and Levi, Gideon’s sentence cuts short, and his arm slides over my shoulders. “What’s the matter, angel?”

Several moments pass, and I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just paranoia when I hear the sound of tires on gravel. Everyone turns to face the driveway, and sure enough, Seraphine’s sleek black car pulls up. I look up to find fury burning in Gideon’s eyes.

Beau looks disgusted. “Is that who I fuckin’ think it is?”

Levi’s murmur is barely audible, lip faintly curled. “This bitch…”

Gertie looks between me and Harlan. “Who’s this?”

Harlan’s expression is harder than I’ve ever seen it. “What’s the date, boy?”

Gideon shakes his head. “I don’t fuckin’ know.”

Harlan spits. “Well, I take it your restraining order’s officially expired.”

Gertie rears back. “Restraining order? What the fuck is going on?”

Gideon turns to face me and Gertie. “Gertie, take Winnow inside, please.”

Gideon places his palm on my back to urge me toward the house, and I promptly sidestep him and begin to march toward Seraphine’s car as it comes to a stop. Gideon steps in front of me to cut me off.

“Angel, just go back inside and let me handle this.”

I scowl up at him. “You ‘handling it’ clearly hasn’t worked.”

When I move to step around him, Seraphine steps out of her car.

She’s wearing a wig.

A good one at that, because you can’t even tell.

Gods be damned.

I really had hoped cutting all her hair off would be a deterrent.

Even from fifty feet away, I can see just how perfectly her dress clings to every angular curve and perky tit. When her eyes briefly land on me I can tell there’s a war in her mind as to whether or not the little visit I paid her was really all a mushroom-induced hallucination.

Harlan, Levi, and Beau are a wall to our right and Gertie stands to my Left. If it weren’t for our audience, I’d glamour myself back into a terrifying form, but that could cause more problems than it’s worth and I’m not looking to traumatize innocent by-standers.

Harlan calls out to her.

“Miss Prince. Do I need to arrest you for breaking your restraining order?”

Seraphine flashes him a grin of unnaturally white teeth.

“No, sir. Expired yesterday.”

The look on Gideon’s face is somehow bored, repulsed, and angry all at once.

“If you aren’t driving off my property in the next ten seconds, I’m going to have Harlan arrest you for trespassing.”