Page 23

CHAPTER 23

“D id you see the text from Maisie and Kinsley this morning?” Cece sat down at the small table they’d snagged near the coffee shop window.

“Oh my God, yes,” Elora laughed. “I have no idea how Maisie talked Kinsley into taking a gondola ride up a mountain. She’s terrified of heights.”

“Her face certainly looked like she was about two seconds from barfing in that picture,” Cece said.

Elora laughed again. “I’m happy they’re having such a good time.”

“Me too.” Cece stirred her tea. “And just a teensy bit jealous.”

“Your time will come, Cece. You’ll be in Alaska and watching polar bears before you know it.”

Cece just nodded without any of her usual enthusiasm when the topic of her Alaska trip came up.

“What’s wrong?” Elora asked.

“Nothing,” Cece said. “How was work this morning?”

“Fine, but don’t change the subject, please,” Elora said. “Why aren’t you enthusiastic about Alaska?”

“I am,” Cece said.

“Cecelia,” Elora said.

Cece sighed. “The water heater died last week, and I had to use my vacation money to buy a new one.”

“Oh, Cece.” Elora took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

“It’s fine,” Cece said. “I wasn’t even close to having enough saved up for the trip anyway.”

“It isn’t fine,” Elora said. “And it isn’t fair that this happened.”

Cece wasn’t crying, but Elora knew how upset she was. She squeezed her hand again. “I’m so sorry, honey. I know how much you were looking forward to your trip, and I also know this is, like, the fourth time you’ve had to use the money you’ve saved on something else.”

Cece shrugged. “I should sell the house, I know that, but my mom and Aunt Sybil loved it so much, and it doesn’t feel right to give it up.”

“Sure, but it costs so much money, especially for one person, that I think they would understand if you sold it,” Elora said. “You could get a cute little condo downtown.”

“I would love that,” Cece said with a soft smile. “And you’re right, Mom and Aunt Sybil would understand. But there are so many repairs that need to be done to the house that unless I fix it up first, I won’t be able to sell it for enough money even to pay off the mortgage.”

“Shit,” Elora said.

“Yeah.”

The utter defeat and worry on Cece’s face made Elora’s chest tight.

“Honey, I -”

“It’s fine,” Cece said, pasting an obviously fake smile on her face. “I’ve been binge-watching DIY YouTube videos on house repairs for the last week. I’ll be an expert before you know it and can fix the house myself.”

“I can help, and I know Maisie and Kinsley will help when they return,” Elora said. “You’re not alone in this, honey, okay?”

“Thank you, Elora.” Cece sipped at her tea. “So, Jonah hasn’t heard a word from his brother?”

“Nothing,” Elora said. “Jonah texted him a couple of times, but Caleb hasn’t responded.”

She sipped at her coffee before saying, “I’m basically living with Jonah.”

Cece paused with her mug held in the air. “What?”

“I haven’t slept at my apartment once since we rescued Jonah that night.”

Cece gave her a careful look. “That was nearly two weeks ago, and you told me it was just a friends with benefits thing.”

“It is,” Elora said. “And there have been a lot of… benefits.”

Cece laughed. “Good for you, honey.”

“A lot,” Elora said. “Jonah has a huge sex drive to go along with his huge dick.”

Cece’s cheeks went pink as she glanced around the coffee shop. “Inside voice, Elora. Inside voice.”

Elora grinned. “Sorry. Anyway, I’ve tried a few times to pack up my stuff and go, but Jonah always has a reason why I shouldn’t. He even made a client come by his house yesterday so I could do a spell for them there rather than at the apartment.”

She dipped her spoon into her coffee and stirred it idly. “He says he likes having my stuff there. He says it makes it feel like a home.”

Cece leaned forward. “Elora, are you and Jonah falling in love?”

Elora shook her head. “No, of course not. You know people like him don’t do love, and I…”

“You what?”

“I can’t be in love with someone who kills people for a living,” Elora said. “And I know I’m being a hypocrite because of my sister, but with Sarina, it’s…”

“Different,” Cece said.

“Yeah,” Elora said. “Like, I know what she does for a living, and it upsets me, and I hate it, but as much as I know Sarina loves me, she also keeps a distance between us. She always has, and that distance makes it a little easier to pretend she isn’t a killer for hire, you know?”

“I get it,” Cece said.

“But with Jonah… I can’t stick my head in the sand and pretend what he does for a living doesn’t bother me. Not when I’m spending every day with him and in his bed every night. No matter how much I wish I could.”

“I’m sorry, Elora,” Cece said.

“Me too, because the hell of it is, Jonah is a fantastic guy with a golden retriever boyfriend energy that is not at all what one would expect from a guy who could kill a person with a rubber band and a push pin.”

Cece smiled faintly. “A rubber band and a push pin?”

“Probably. Although, he wouldn’t need to. He has weapons stashed all over the house.”

“Seriously?” Cece asked.

“Yes. In the front room alone, he has two guns and about seven knives stashed on the bookshelf and under the couch.”

“Holy shit,” Cece said.

“You have no idea how disconcerting it is to reach into a drawer for a spatula and bring out a switchblade.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Cece said before giving her a thoughtful look. “But maybe he would stop killing people and do something else for a living for you.”

“He won’t,” Elora said. “He thinks that’s all he’s good at, and despite how Jonah’s acting right now, he truly is only interested in friends with benefits.”

“He’s giving you seriously mixed messages then,” Cece said. “Guys looking for sex only don’t usually have the girl move in with them.”

“He is,” Elora admitted, “which is annoying, but he’s lonely and worried about Caleb and their relationship, and he still can’t shift, which is freaking him out more than he’ll admit. I can’t bring myself to point out his mixed signals when he’s struggling like this. It seems like such a dick move on my part. Especially when I’m aware that why he’s doing this isn’t because of love.”

“You’re a good person, and I’m glad you can help him,” Cece said. “But I don’t want you getting hurt or having your heart broken because of him. You need to protect yourself, too.”

“I know,” Elora said. “Trust me, I know why Jonah is doing this, and I’m not blinded by love or anything. Once Jonah makes up with Caleb and he doesn’t feel so alone, his obsession with all things Elora will fade. The sex will start to be boring to him, and he’ll end our friends with benefits, and we’ll go our separate ways.”

“Are you sure about that?” Cece asked.

“Yes,” Elora said firmly. “I am.”

* * *

With a grunt, Jonah moved the heavy cement pot from its spot by the door to the space between the two shelves. It would work perfectly for the lemon tree he wanted to try growing.

He moved a few bags of potting soil and cleaned off the table before watering the aloe and repotting the pothos and snake plants. By the time he was finished, he was hot and sticky and covered in soil. He glanced at his watch. Elora was having coffee with Cece this afternoon and wouldn’t be back for at least another hour. That gave him plenty of time to shower and read the article Cece sent him on hydroponics. He’d wanted to try a hydroponic growing system for years and could easily install a small starter system right here in the greenhouse.

He gave the table a final sweep, smiling when he heard the greenhouse door open. Elora was home early, and if he was very lucky, he could convince her to join him in the shower.

“Hey, gorgeous. How was…” Jonah stared at the Black man standing in the doorway, his chest tightening. He studied the shelf to his left, wondering if he could make it to the gun he had stashed behind the tower of pots.

The man held up his hands in a friendly gesture. “Hello, Jonah.”

“Rick,” Jonah said. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were back in the city,” Rick said.

“From who?” Jonah asked.

Rick shrugged, sticking his hands into the pants pockets of his Armani suit. The gold bracelets on his wrist were new and most likely cost more than one of Jonah’s cars, but Jonah wasn’t surprised by that. Rick had expensive taste.

“You know how it is. Word gets around. Where have you been?” Rick studied the greenhouse thoughtfully, his sharp gaze lingering on the shelving. He was a smart guy, and there was no doubt he suspected Jonah had hidden weapons in the greenhouse.

Jonah picked up some of the empty plastic pots and pushed past Rick, carrying them outside. Rick followed him, watching as Jonah rounded the corner of the greenhouse and stuffed the pots into a recycling bin a few feet away.

“Why are you at my house?” Jonah asked, ignoring the cold air prickling at his skin.

“You’re not answering my texts,” Rick said.

“New number,” Jonah said shortly.

Rick walked toward him, stopping when Jonah reached inside the recycle bin and placed his hand on the gun strapped to the side. “Relax, Jonah. I’m a client, not an enemy.”

“A client I’m starting to regret giving my home address,” Jonah said.

“We’re friends,” Rick said, “Well, as much as men like us can have friends.”

When Jonah didn’t reply, Rick said, “Three years is a long time. Most of your associates assured me you were dead.”

Jonah laughed bitterly. “I bet they did.”

“The mercenary business is a cutthroat one.” Rick paused and laughed. “No pun intended. There were plenty of shapeshifters willing to step into the hole you’ve left for the last three years.”

“Then why aren’t you speaking with them?”

“I want the best,” Rick said. “So, do you want the job?”

“Who’s the mark?” Jonah asked automatically before realizing it didn’t matter. He was tired of this life. No, he was fucking exhausted of this life, and he didn’t want to be that person anymore. Not even if it meant wandering aimlessly through the rest of his life with no purpose.

Rick had turned and was staring at the small garden shed between the house and the greenhouse, his body tense.

“What?” Jonah asked.

After a moment, Rick relaxed and turned back to face him. “I thought I heard something. Do you have someone else living with you now, Jonah? Finally decide to settle down and make baby shapeshifters?”

“No,” Jonah said shortly as Elora stepped out from behind the shed and walked quickly to the house. “I don’t do relationships.”

“Shapeshifters never do,” Rick said. “The job is in Europe. The mark is -”

“Actually, I don’t care,” Jonah said. “I’m not taking the job.”

Rick blinked at him. “What?”

“I’m not taking the job,” Jonah said. “In fact, I’m out of the business. Don’t come here again.”

With a flabbergasted look, Rick said, “The payout is a quarter million.”

“I don’t care,” Jonah repeated.

Rick hesitated before glancing at the bracelets around his wrist. “Half a million.”

“No,” Jonah said. “I’m finished, Rick. I’m out, and no amount of money will bring me back in.”

Rick stared coolly at him. “You aren’t the first to tell me that, and you won’t be the last. But you should know, Jonah, they always come back.”

“Leave, Rick.”

“You can’t help it. Killing is in your DNA. It’s all you fuckers are good for. We both know it and if you think you’ll love your new life of,” Rick stared derisively at the greenhouse, “gardening and meditation, you’re in for a cold, hard reality check, my friend.”

“I am not your friend,” Jonah said. “Leave now, and if I see your face again, my face will be the last fucking thing you see. Do you understand?”

Rick’s cold smile revealed perfectly white, straight teeth. “See you around, Jonah.”