Page 44 of A Witchy Spell Ride

She didn’t even look up. “Yours is sexy. His is… soy latte and mild serial killer.”

“You got anything?”

She clicked a few keys, scrolling fast. “Okay. So, we pulled transactions from the shop register during that week Selene said they met. I ran timestamps, filtered by male names on card payments.”

“That’s terrifying.”

She grinned. “Thank you.”

I leaned in as she tapped one receipt. “Adam L. Bought an obsidian ring and a ‘heart-healing’ spell kit.”

Briar raised a brow. “Who buys that on a first visit?”

“Someone with a plan.”

I nodded. “Run the card.”

She was already doing it. “Prepaid. Purchased with cash. No billing address.”

“Of course it was.”

“But—” She pulled up another window. “He left an email on the shop loyalty program form. That’s something.”

She typed quickly, tracing the email domain. “Encrypted. Masked IP. Burner account.”

I blew out a breath. “This guy knew exactly what he was doing.”

She nodded slowly. “It wasn’t random. He came into that shop with eyes already on her.”

“Which means this started long before that coffee date.”

“Yep.”

I stood, pacing. My jaw ached from how tight I was clenching it. I hated this feeling. Hated the silence before the storm. But most of all? I hated watching Selene shrink into herself. Like every breath was a risk.

That night, I walked her home. She didn’t argue. Didn’t throw out her usual sarcasm or try to pretend she didn’t need it. She just… let me walk beside her. Which scared me more than ifshe’d pushed back. Because it meant she was finally feeling it. Finally believing it.

The danger. The weight. And that pissed me off more than anything else ever could. We didn’t talk. Not until we hit her apartment and she unlocked the door. She paused in the entryway. Looked back at me.

“Come in,” she said, voice soft. “Just for a bit.”

I nodded. Followed her upstairs. She poured two fingers of whiskey into a chipped glass and handed it to me. Then sat on the couch with a sigh that sounded like it came from her bones. I stood by the window. Watched the street. Checked every shadow.

Every movement. Nothing yet. But it was coming. I could feel it. Then I heard her breathe in sharply. I turned instantly. She was staring at the hallway. At the wall. At nothing.

“What?” I said, already moving.

She blinked. Shook her head. “Nothing. I thought I saw…”

Her voice trailed off. I stepped past her and checked the hallway. The doors. The windows. Empty. Silent. But not safe. Never safe anymore.

When I turned back, she was rubbing her arms like the air had turned to ice.

“Come here,” I said.

She looked up. Didn’t argue. Just came. I pulled her into me. Held her there. Not tightly. Not like a shield. Just enough. Herface rested against my chest. And my hand slid up her back, steady and slow.

“I’ve got you,” I said.