Page 37

Once I started the Jeep, I pulled out of the driveway as fast as I could. I wanted to be gone before any of them realized I’d left. If they needed me, they could call my cell phone. I didn’t want to alert them until then. The truth was, they’d shit on my idea. They were wrong though. They’d make decisions out of worry for me and not what was actually a good idea.

The drive from Ipswich to Boston was further than Salem to Boston. This late at night, however, the roads were clear, and it took me a lot less time than it would have had I tried to make the journey during rush hour.

Like we did when we were following a pull, I parked down the street from the house. The Spanish style mansion loomed in front of me in the distance. We weren’t right in the city of Boston. We were on the outskirts next to a lot of nice houses. These people were loaded and flaunted it. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the car door open and decided to do a walk by. I could just pretend I was anyone. Alone. At night. Taking a walk.

I shrugged and did it anyway. An iron gate blocked off the driveway. I could see that much even before I got that far. A four-foot stone wall outlined the perimeter of the property, too. Several of the other houses on the street had the same thing. My confidence wavered. Both of those would effectively keep me out of the house tonight.

A whistle pierced the air. Not the kind that called dogs, but the catcall kind. I turned to find the whistler just as I crossed the pavement of the driveway. Sure enough, there was a guard just on the other side of the iron gate staring at me. A smile curved my lips. I knew the outfit would come in handy, I just didn’t know how until then. I pointed at me, pretending to be coy. The guard nodded. I moved closer, standing just inside the circle of light from the streetlamp above. “Hi,” I said, cozying up to the iron gate.

The guy moved closer. He was magical, but I couldn’t tell if it was inherited like a Natural or learned through Wicca. It didn’t matter, he didn’t have much magic at all. Probably not even enough to clue him in to the extent of mine. He pulled the hoodie of his sweatshirt down, revealing a head of dark hair and thick, black eyebrows. “Hey there.”

I looked up at the house, pretending to be wondering what he was doing. “You just stand in people’s lawns and whistle at girls who walk by?”

He snickered, showing off a dimple. “Just the hot ones.” I gave him a look, and he shook his head. “Actually, no. I’m a guard. This is the Reid house.”

“Oh,” I said, grasping the iron bars. “I’ve heard of them. They’re like super rich, right?”

The guy nodded. “Loaded.”

“Is that why they have guards?” I asked, looking him up and down and forcing an interested face forward.

The guy moved closer. He unfolded his hands from around his chest and gripped the iron bar right below my hand. “One of the reasons.” He cocked his head to the side. “So, who are you? I’ve never seen you around before.”

“I’m new to town. Just, you know, out looking for people like me.”

I raised an eyebrow, and he nodded knowingly. “Well, you found one.”

No shit. “Yeah, I just moved from Louisiana. I heard there was a lot of people like me around here, but I haven’t found very many. Well, few who I actually care to know. Are the Reid’s at home? I’d love to meet them.”

A shadow crossed over his face. “No. They’re gone for the day. Out to some party on Martha’s Vineyard with all the other wealthy witches.”

I teased my lip and moved my hand up to graze against his. “Could be better. Maybe you can show me around the house?”

His eyebrows raised, but he looked interested. “The Reid’s wouldn’t like that.”

“Oh,” I said, shrugging. “That’s okay. I guess I’ll just come by some other time.”

I walked away, hoping my little act worked. “You’re leaving?” he called out.

“Well, yeah,” I said, turning around and walking backwards. “I’m looking for something fun to do tonight. Not talk to someone through iron bars.”

The bars made a low, groaning noise as he pulled them open. “Well, hold on.” I stopped, and the guy stepped out. “We can take a walk around the outside.”

I walked forward. “The Reid’s won’t mind that?”

“No, they wouldn’t like that either. They’re private people, but...” He shrugged.

“Rebel,” I said, teasing as I brushed past him and beyond the front gate. That was one barrier down. Now I just had to get into the house, find the book, and leave. I shrugged, trying to play it light. “I understand, but what can someone like me do? I’m just here to try to make some friends who are like me. Normal people are so hard sometimes. You ever just want to put a mute spell on them?”

He laughed, loudly. “More than you know, babe.”

The urge to vomit crawled up my throat. I’d thought this would be easy, but ew. I wasn’t his babe. The four guys I had in my coven were a thousand times better than this guy. Not that he was all that bad, he just wasn’t them. “So, how old are the Reid’s anyway? They got any kids?”

“They’re like forty-somethings. Their ancestry goes back to the Salem Witch Trials, so they have deep roots in the area.”

“Wow,” I said, truly meaning it. That was a long time. They were most likely powerful witches. A shiver worked its way up my spine.

“And they have two kids. A teenage girl, and a guy who’s twenty-two. He’s cool, sometimes. I mean, he can be a dick, but most of the time he’s pretty cool.”