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Dash sent a ferocious scowl Binx’s way.

“I wondered where he’d gone off too. He usually sleeps with me every night.”

I winced and apologized. “I’m really sorry for stealing your cat, Dash.”

The entire sentence had been a flat out lie. I wasn’t sorry in the least.

He opened his mouth but snapped it shut. His eyes roamed over my bed as he muttered, “What in the fuck is all this?”

My face heated. I had forgotten all about the letters and photographs scattered all over the bed. I would have pulled the blanket up to my chin to hide, but I couldn’t even do that because I had fallen asleep on top of the comforter. And, I hadn’t changed out of my clothes and into my pajamas. I probably looked like a rumpled mess.

I moved my pillow to my lap and scooted back until my back was pressed to the headboard with my legs stretched out in front of me.

I made kissy noises at Binx while I patted my lap and demanded, “Come here, pretty boy.”

Immediately, the dainty cat got up and walked towards me. He climbed on to my lap and plopped down, curling into a little ball. His eyes closed, and he started to purr.

Goodness, he was adorable.

“Ariel?”

“Yeah, umm…” I cleared my throat, and explained, “It’s all stuff I found hidden in my mother’s closet.”

I paused, thinking. My mother. Or, was it simply Vivian now? Aunt Vivian?

“It’s all letters from someone who claims to be my father. That my mother was actually his sister and she stole me from him because she was jealous that I was born with magic and she wasn’t, even though she was supposed to have been. There’s a man with her in the photos. He, Dash, it’s crazy, he looks just like us. Well, he looks more like me than her because of the eyes. I have his eyes. My mother’s eyes were blue and this man,” I leaned forward and tapped at a picture with my fingertip, “he and I have the same green eyes. It’s insane. And, in the letters he accuses her of stealing me away from him and he’s been looking for us for years. For years. It’s like he’s crazy. In one letter, he’s nice and friendly. Then, in the next, he’s telling her he’s going to find her and kill her for taking me from him.”

I stopped talking and slumped back against the headboard. Binx blinked big green eyes up at me, asking me to pet him.

“Jesus,” Dash muttered angrily.

He didn’t know the half of it. I didn’t tell him about crying over my findings or desperately wanting to know the name of the man who’d written the letters. And wanting to know how to send a letter via magic without knowing the persons physical location.

What was I supposed to say to him? Hey, Dash. Good morning. Thanks for letting me move in with you! And, oh, hey, guess what? My mother might not really be my mother after all. She might be my Aunt. And, my dad might be her brother. He sends her letters using some magical juju that seems to work far better than an address and a postage stamp because he has not one single clue as to where we are. And, sometimes he tells her he’s going to kill her. Other times he calls her “My dearest sister”. My real mother’s name might be Maude and my potential grandfather is dead. What are you making for breakfast?

Yeah, he didn’t know the half of it and I wasn’t about to share with him.

“Do you have coffee?” I asked hopefully and changed the subject. If he didn’t drink coffee I might have to rethink these living arrangements. I liked my caffeine and

if I had to be up in the morning I needed it to function. And I got whiney without my coffee.

He frowned at me and scratched at his beard. “There’s no coffee. I just got up and haven’t gone downstairs yet. I heard you in here talking and came in to see if someone else was here. I can make coffee for you, though, if you want me to.”

Boy, did I ever.

How sweet was he?

“I would love some coffee,” I gushed. “I don’t even care if it’s fresh. I would take yesterday’s coffee so long as it’s heated up in the microwave. That works for me.”

I would take day old coffee. Heck, I would take two-day old coffee. So long as I didn’t have to make it myself I would be happy with it.

I probably shouldn’t expect Dash to make my coffee for me and I certainly shouldn’t be asking him to do it. Forget this arrangement not working out for me, he was going to kick my butt to the curb before I even really moved in.

“I’ll make you coffee, sugar,” he told me in a soft sweet voice. “I’m going to warn you now, though. I’m going to call Quinton while I do it and let him know about these letters and photos. Knowing Quinton, he will probably rush on over before we are even off of the phone. I don’t want you to be surprised when he shows up here and badgers you with questions and demands to go through your shit.”

I wrinkled my nose.

“No, no,” I said. “Don’t you worry about Quinton. I know all about him. He probably won’t even knock on your front door before he just barges in. He does this to me all the time. And, I saw him to it to Tyson before when we were in his room. He didn’t leave until after he had bossed us both around and made Julian feed me.” I waved my hand at him, dismissively. “You go right ahead and call him. I know how to deal with Quinton. I’ve got him all figured out.”