Page 12 of Just a Little Wicked (Wicked Sisters #2)

Missy

OMG, Connor just told me you and Erikson are HOOKING UP?

Missy

I knew it. I just knew it. The way that man looks at you . . .

Winter

Like I’m a bug he wants to squash?

Missy

Oh, he definitely wants to flatten you.

Winter

Missy, that doesn’t even make sense.

“ P unishment for what?”

Erikson was crowding her into the booth with his body.

He was radiating heat, and a hint of his warmed, woodsy cologne made its way through the scents of greasy fries and burgers.

His broad shoulders blocked out the rest of the tavern, and although he was invading her space, she was grateful for the privacy from prying eyes, even as his own ice-blue gaze speared through her.

“Punishment for thwarting my curse.”

At one time, Mother Mage had created Witches with good magic and good intentions, but because the universe required balance, she’d also had to create Wickeds, who had wicked powers to do wicked things.

Yet she loved humanity so much, that she made Wickeds only women, trusting that they would find a way to mitigate the worst of their powers, and they had.

But each time a Wicked used her powers for something other than evil intention, she paid a price that matched the severity of her defiance.

Holly suffered terrible migraines. Missy got flu-like symptoms. Winter did her best never to let anyone witness the price she had to pay, because unlike her sisters’ invisible punishments, hers was quite frightening.

Fortunately, since she’d only saved one life today, the nosebleed had been quite mild.

Erikson’s eyes danced over her face, then flashed back to the booth where the man still had the nerve to be glowering in their direction.

His jaw tightened as his nimble mind made connections faster than she would have thought possible for a good-time Grimm.

She’d always considered Erikson an arrogant playboy afraid of work, but she was starting to think there might be more to him than she realized.

He’d tracked her down with almost nothing to go on, hadn’t he?

And the way he made logical leaps had to be a result of not just intelligence, but also intuition.

It galled Winter to discover she might’ve been wrong about him, that Erikson was possibly more than what he showed the world, just like she was.

“The vision on the sidewalk,” he said, the low timbre of his voice vibrating across her skin. “It showed you something that was going to happen in the future. You knocked over that woman’s steak on purpose.”

Winter shrugged, embarrassment flaming on her cheeks. She wasn’t used to people other than her family knowing what she was and what she did. “She was going to choke, and the Heimlich wouldn’t have saved her.”

Erikson’s teeth clenched, and fury flashed in his eyes. “And now that high and mighty asshole is demanding you pay for both their dinners, when you just saved his wife’s life? The hell he?—”

Winter grabbed his sleeve before he could push out of the booth. “Stop it,” she hissed. “What would you even say? That I saw a vision of his wife choking and saved her life by ruining the last steak? Like they’d believe that. Besides, she was nice enough. He’s the jerk.”

“It’s not fair,” he snarled. “It’s not fair that you suffer through visions, and then if you decide to enact good instead of furthering evil, you suffer even more, and all the while no one knows the sacrifices you make.”

It really wasn’t fair. If Wickeds chose to be evil or used their powers for their own gain, they could destroy the world in a fraction of the time humans were doing it.

But instead they suffered, day after day, finding ways to subvert the Universe’s attempts to compel them into evil.

They may have allowed themselves to be erased from history, but they were still integral in holding the scales of the world in balance.

Winter balled the bloody napkin and shoved it deep in her pocket. “Thanks for making sure I had privacy.”

Erikson still looked like he was seconds from stomping over to the older gentleman and choking him , but her gratitude seemed to ease some of the tension in his shoulders.

He slumped back and tugged his hat off, raking his hand through his blond hair before setting it aside.

He opened his mouth to make a smartass comment—she could see it in his eyes—but at the last moment simply said, “Don’t be afraid to ask me for what you need. ”

Emotion caught in her throat, which she cleared away. She didn’t rely on anyone, and she wasn’t going to start now. But . . . it wasn’t exactly a horrible feeling to know that Erikson had her back for the next few days.

She nodded and lifted the greasy, laminated menu to contemplate her choices.

When the waitress arrived, Winter ordered an iced tea while Erikson asked her opinion on the best beer, and then began flirting with her.

The waitress had dark hair and beautiful tattoos down her neck and chest. She’d been harried when she’d come over to them, but by the time she had their drinks order, she was smiling and chatting with Erikson like they were best friends.

Winter didn’t know why his easy, flirtatious nature bothered her so much. She didn’t care what he did, or who he did it with, but her whole life was on the line, and he couldn’t even prevent himself from flirting for one afternoon?

The waitress was lingering—they were talking about the Red Sox now—and Winter was scowling so hard at her menu she thought the laminate might melt.

“My sister and I are in town visiting an old friend,” he said casually, and Winter’s ears turned red.

He was calling her his SISTER? He’d done it once at the inn to wheedle an extra room out of the innkeeper, but now he was doing it so that the waitress didn’t have to worry about competition, not that Winter was competition for Erikson’s affections.

The waitress could have him. “He went to Lubec High School. His name is Atlantes, but I bet you were too young to have gone to school with him.”

She tossed her hair and laughed. “I’d say so. Lubec High School closed down over a decade ago. Just how old is your friend?”

“About my age.”

She lowered her hip and said in a throaty voice, “That’s okay. I have a thing for stern brunch daddies.”

Winter’s lips parted. What the hell was a stern brunch daddy? And why was Erikson laughing like he knew what it was? “Nothing stern about me, Erin. I’m all about fun.”

“Now that we have in common, handsome.” She winked and whirled away to fill their drinks order, and when Erikson turned to face Winter, none of the flirtatiousness remained.

“Well, that’s useful information. No one Erin’s age is going to know who Atlantes is.

We need to go to the hardware store or the church, where the older folks hang out. ”

“Are you for real right now?”

“What?”

“Did you make the waitress think you like her just to get information? That’s kind of shitty, Erikson.”

“Who says it can’t be both?”

“Well? Do you like her?”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, dragging her attention to it. “Yeah, she’d be my type usually. But I’m kind of busy trying to change the future right now. Plus, I have an angry pixie on my hands, and trust me Win, you’re a two-handful deal.”

“I am not on your hands. I am not your responsibility. You forced yourself on me , if you’ll recall. And I am NOT a pixie! God! Why couldn’t I have been given a decent curse, like creating disease? I’d make pustules pop up all over your body.”

He rested his arm on the booth behind her and simply smiled down at her, like she was the most amusing and interesting person he’d ever met.

“You can move to the other side now,” she said, shoving at him.

Laughing, he scooted out of the seat and dropped onto the other side of the table. “All you had to say was you wanted a better look at my face.”

“Does this arrogance actually work on anyone?” she asked, genuinely perplexed. It had seemed to work for the waitress, but then with Erin he’d been smooth and charming rather than conceited and annoying.

He arched a brow. “You think I act like this around other women? This is all for you, Elf.”

“Lucky me.”

Before he could reply, the waitress returned for their orders. They both chose burgers and fries, Winter’s well-done and Erikson’s practically raw.

When their meals were delivered and he bit into the burger and she spotted pink, she blanched.

“Don’t make that face when I’m eating.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I think your burger is mooing.”

Erikson smirked. “I learned to eat it this way when we did an episode in Nebraska. They’re really serious about their beef there. Just try asking for a burger well-done and see how it goes over.”

“Did you like it? Nebraska?”

“Yeah. I like most places that I visit.”

“What’s been your favorite state?”

“Maine.”

She rolled her eyes. “Really? Maine?”

“Sure. It’s got everything. A little rural, a little city, a little ocean, a little mountain. It’s got apples and cows and elves . . .”

At her glare he laughed again before taking another bite.

“What’s been your least favorite place?”

“Tennessee.”

“Why?”

“Being in Nashville made me feel like shit.”

She waited him out with her eyebrows lifted.

After a deep swallow of his beer, he leaned back in the booth. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a country music star. My dad loved Hank Williams, and it was all I heard growing up. My mom was a big country music lover, too. Her favorite was Dolly Parton.”

The corner of Winter’s mouth lifted a tiny bit. “Dolly’s kind of awesome.”