Page 29 of Bitten By Desire (Crooked Point #1)

Tuesday

“Step away from her,” Zoey said. “Or else.”

I blinked and stared at Callum. His eyes were still golden. I must have just imagined it. But I wasn’t imagining the scowl.

I turned around. Zoey was holding a clove of garlic in one hand and a wooden spatula in the other. Did she really think I’d be sitting on the couch with Callum if he was a vampire? “Zoey, stop it.”

She ignored me. “I swear to God, Theo or Callum or whoever you are. Get off my couch. And out of my house. Or I’ll put this stake through your soulless heart.”

I didn’t think that the wooden spatula was sharp enough to cut through skin. And Callum’s heart wasn’t soulless. It belonged to me. “Zoey, he’s not a vampire.”

“Yes he is.”

Why did she always believe Bennett and not me? Oh… Right… Because of the stupid mind control pocket watch. “Bennett’s been controlling us with his pocket watch, Zoey. Everything he says is a lie. All of it. Of course Callum isn’t a vampire. And he is Callum. He explained everything.”

She didn’t move. “I won’t believe you until you eat this garlic. ”

“Look, I’m happy to eat a lasagna or something,” Callum said. “But I’m not biting into a whole, unpeeled clove of garlic.”

Zoey looked down at it and then back at him. “Okay. Fair. Raw unpeeled garlic is obvs disgusting.”

“And look,” I said and pulled the golden pen out of my pocket.

I gently put the tip of it against Callum’s jaw.

Again nothing happened. I would have thought Bennett was just lying about all the artifacts having powers.

But Callum believed the watch could control people.

So the pen’s magic was probably real too.

Bennett should have been the one getting burned.

But maybe he’d manipulated it somehow. Or maybe being a dirty thief wasn’t bad enough to get burned. But it sure felt bad enough to me.

Zoey breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her vampire hunter weapons. “But wait, what about…” Her voice trailed off as she glared at Callum. “You owe my friend a huge apology for ghosting her for ten years, you asshole.”

“He already apologized,” I said. “For all of it. He was trying to protect me from this mess with Bennett.”

“What mess?”

“The pocket watch. And everything else. Bennett and his friends are bank robbers and thieves.” Honestly it all made sense.

The way Titan had spoken about money was so shady.

And the scar down his face? He’d been in fights.

Maybe with bank tellers or something as he held them up at gunpoint.

And they hadn’t had any security in their bank.

They probably didn’t want anyone poking around in their vaults full of stolen treasures.

“What?” Zoey laughed. “That’s not…” her voice trailed off. “Shit. They quintupled my money in six mo nths. Did they steal from someone in order to do that?”

“Definitely,” Callum said.

“Oh my God, I’m going to jail.” Zoey plopped down on the couch next to me. “I’m too beautiful for prison.”

“No one’s going to jail,” I said. “We’re going to take our money out of the bank. And we’re going to get that pocket watch back so they stop screwing with people’s minds.”

“And how exactly are we going to do that?”

We both turned to Callum.

“Well, the watch isn’t in one of the vaults. Bennett keeps it in his pocket. We just need to get him alone and overpower him.”

“Better idea,” Zoey said. “We just need to get in his pants. I’m pretty sure Emma can handle that.” She winked at me.

“You want me to seduce him to get it back?” I asked.

“No,” Callum said.

“Why not?” Zoey asked. “Right now Bennett doesn’t know that we know that he’s a lying thief. Anything else we do will tip him off.”

“Absolutely not,” Callum said.

“But Emma has a direct line right now. We have to use it. I can’t go to prison!”

I took a deep breath and stood up. “I can do it. Zoey’s right. This is our chance. You’ve been trying to get the watch back for ages. I have an in.”

Callum lowered his eyebrows. He did not look at all pleased by this idea .

“Just a quick seduction and it’s done,” Zoey said. “Easy peasy. Let me go grab you the perfect outfit to make him drop his pants.” She hurried off.

Callum stood up and grabbed my hand. “I don’t want you touching him. I don’t even want you anywhere near him…”

“I’m not going to have sex with him like Zoey wants. I promise. I’m just going to slip my hand into his pocket while I whisper in his ear or something.”

“You don’t understand. He has the watch on him. He can…make you do more.”

I swallowed hard. I hadn’t really been thinking about that.

Would Bennett use it for that? I thought about the Ferris wheel.

And what happened in his office the other day.

I didn’t want to believe it. But I did. “I’m not going to dilly dally.

I’m going to go in, get the watch, and come right back out. And if I don’t, you’ll come in. Okay?”

“I really don’t like this plan.”

“But you’ll be right outside. Just give me ten minutes to try.” I didn’t want to just do this for myself. I wanted to do it for him. This stupid pocket watch had kept us apart. I wanted it back just as much as he did. “Please,” I added when he didn’t respond.

He pulled me closer. “Be as discreet at possible. You don’t want to upset him.”

No, I definitely didn’t. I nodded.

***

My heart was racing as the three of us stopped a few storefronts down from the bank. All the stores were just opening for the day. The bank would probably be pretty empty this early.

“Are you sure about this?” Callum asked .

I took a deep breath. “I’ve got this.” But I was gripping the container of muffins so tightly that my knuckles were turning white.

“My girl has definitely got this.” Zoey patted my shoulder and winked at me. “We have it all worked out. The plan is too sexy to fail.”

Callum frowned.

Zoey had told me her ideal plan while I was protesting her outfit choice for me. She wanted me to do a strip show. Obviously that wasn’t the plan. But I had worn the short skirt because showing off a little leg certainly would help with my distraction.

Now that we were standing out here though, all I wanted to do was turn around and run. Bennett was a thief. And I was so foolish for almost letting him steal my heart with some kind of ancient magic. I needed to end this. Now. “Wish me luck.”

Before I made it one step, Callum grabbed my wrist and pulled me back against his chest. The intensity in his gaze made my heart race even faster.

He leaned down, his breath tickling my ear. “Remember, Emma. When it’s his hands on you instead of mine. When it’s his lips pressed against yours. I don’t share. You’re mine. Every inch of you. And you have exactly ten minutes before I lose my mind and come in there.” He let go of my wrist.

I looked up into his golden eyes. And I saw the same thing I saw in them last night. He was tormented. Angry. Possessive. And I really liked that side of him.

“I know,” I said. “Ten minutes.”

Zoey slapped my butt. “Go get ‘em.”

I hurried down the sidewalk and up the front steps of the bank. I didn’t dare glance back, because I was worried I’d chicken out. When I walked in, Huxley and Ace were behind the counter again. Both twins smiled at me.

“Surprise!” I said and put down the container of muffins on the counter. “I thought I’d bring by a little morning treat.”

Otto came out of a back room at the mention of food. “You’re the best,” he said and grabbed one of the muffins.

I stared at his hand. I expected for his knuckles to be bruised from the fight he’d gotten in with Bennett yesterday. But there was no evidence of that. Bennett had told me they hadn’t fought, but I hadn’t believed it. Had he really hurt his lip another way?

I tried to push the thought aside. The last thing I needed was for any doubt to creep in.

“Taking care of all of us, huh?” Ace asked and picked up a muffin. He tossed it to Huxley.

Huxley caught it in one hand. “We knew we liked you.”

Ace nodded and grabbed another muffin for himself.

“Is Bennett here?” I asked. For some reason I looked over my shoulder toward Titan’s office instead.

Otto finished chewing a bite. “Are you sure you’re not looking for Titan instead?”

What was that supposed to mean?

Otto elbowed Ace in his side with a big grin.

I pressed my lips together. God, I knew exactly what he meant.

Titan had told them about what happened yesterday.

When Bennett’s mouth was on me but I stared at Titan as I came.

But I didn’t feel as embarrassed when I knew it was probably that stupid watch guiding my every move.

Did they know about the watch? They probably did.

Which made it really inappropriate for them to joke about.

I cleared my throat. “I’m just looking for Bennett.”

“It’s your lucky day. They’re both in Bennett’s office.”

Ace hit him in the back of the head.

“Ow.” Otto scratched the back of his neck.

I was wasting time. I probably only had a few minutes left until Callum came barging in here. “Thanks for your help, guys.” I walked over to Bennett’s office and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” he called from the other side.

I opened the door.

Bennett was sitting behind his desk calmly. And Titan was pacing in front of it. Bennett smiled and stood up. “Hey, Emma.”

Titan froze when he saw me. For just a second his eyes dropped to my lips.

Why was he looking at me like that? “I brought muffins,” I said and pointed over my shoulder.

Titan just kept staring at me.

“Um…they’re still warm.”

“We’re not doing this,” Titan said. “We need to come up with a better plan.” He turned back to Bennett. “He’ll hurt her. You know he will.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. Bennett had told Titan about my plan to burn Callum with the pen? I kind of thought that was between him and me. Not me and all his friends. “Can I have a moment alone with Bennett, please?” I asked .

Titan folded his arms across his chest. “No, doll. You can’t. We’re coming up with a better plan together.”

Bennett walked around his desk. “Just a minute, Titan.”

Titan shook his head. But he finally left the office, closing the door behind him.

“You told him about our plan?” I asked.

“I don’t keep secrets from my friends, Emma. And he can help.”

So you just keep secrets from me, huh? I clenched my jaw. I wanted to punch his stupid beautiful face.

“Are you okay?” He reached out and touched the side of my face. “Are you nervous about today? I swear I’ll be right there the whole time.”

“I don’t want to talk about Callum.” I stepped closer to him. “I just want you to distract me from everything.” I pressed my hand against his chest. “Take my mind off all this crazy stuff.” I slid my hand up, wrapping it behind the back of his neck.

“Well, I can definitely handle that.” He closed the distance between us, pressing his lips against mine.

I reached my free hand down to his belt. Now which pocket is it? Left of right? I slid my hand lower. And then immediately moved it left instead of touching him.

He groaned into my mouth.

Nope, not there. I slid my other hand down his chest and abs, feeling the right pocket of his pants.

Damn it, where was it? One of the back pockets? I moved one of my hands toward his right ass cheek. But he grabbed it and pressed it against his hard cock instead .

Jesus. My hand instinctively wrapped around it. What the hell am I doing? But Bennett was definitely distracted. He put his hand on top of mine, rubbing it up and down his length.

And I was distracted too because for just a few seconds I was thinking about how big he was. Stop it. I put my free hand on his other ass cheek. That pocket was empty too. What the hell? Had I missed it?

I moved back to his front pocket and slid my hand into it this time. I moved it around, searching.

Bennett laughed against my lips. “What are you doing? That tickles.” He lifted his face from mine and stared down at my hand in his pocket. He frowned.

I immediately pulled my hand out of his pocket. “Sorry, I thought you might be into that.”

“Into what?” He shook his head. “Why were you feeling around in my pocket?”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! “It’s a sex thing. The what’s-hiding-in-your-pocket tickle.” Ew, what?

Hid Adam’s apple rose and fell as he stared at me. “Were you looking for something?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I…I just…” my voice trailed off. I couldn’t think straight. And I was wondering if he was already manipulating me. “I know you have a secret. I know you’re hiding something from me.” You dirty bank robber!

“And you wanted the pocket watch to try and get me to tell you what it is?” He sighed and walked around his desk. He opened up a drawer and pulled out the golden watch.

Wait, it wasn’t on him? Callum said he was always using it… Manipulating me. Using me.

Bennett dropped it on the top of his desk. “Then do it.”