Mystically Bound (Frostbite, Book Three) Read Free

to
Amelia, wrapping an arm around her waist. “We’re staying with Wayde
until his death is solved.”
    While I didn’t give a flying flip about him , one thing I did care about was his marital status. Kipp
had been slightly jealous of Dane, or so I thought for a while.
Turned out, Kipp didn’t trust Dane and he shouldn’t have. Dane was
a nasty bug I wanted to stomp. “Why didn’t you tell us you had a
wife?”
    Dane’s gaze became ice-cold. “My personal
life isn’t your concern.”
    The rage seething in my veins burned hotter.
“ Your personal life isn’t my business?” My fists
tightened, ready to deck this man right up to the damn moon. “Oh, I
see, but it’s all right that you happily fucked with mine?”
    Dane’s eyes narrowed into slits, and his lips
parted, no doubt ready to offer another round of insults, when
Amelia interjected, “Stop it, Dane. She’s here to help.”
    After a long staring contest I wouldn’t dare
lose, Dane turned away from me to his wife and sighed. In the same
moment, Gretchen squeezed my hand, probably because my limbs
trembled.
    Jerking my head toward Gretchen, I spotted
her troubled expression and I didn’t need further confirmation. I
was stuck between fucked and royally fucked. I had bound myself to
the promise with Wayde. As much as I wanted to leave and refuse to
help Dane, considering Alexander was family to him, I couldn’t. But
something else at the moment held an equal concern. “Did you know
about this?”
    “I told Wayde to tell Dane to stay away.”
Gretchen glared at Wayde before looking back at me with a softer
expression. “Regardless that he clearly ignored me, Dane doesn’t
have to be involved and you need their help. They will have
answers for Kipp. There is no other way, Tess.”
    I did need their assistance—badly—but my mind
remained fixated on Dane. “If he doesn’t have to be involved in
this, then why is he here?”
    She frowned at the enemy. “Why, indeed?”
    “Alexander was my family,” Dane
retorted with a bite to his voice. “I’m staying in this house until
we find answers for him. Deal with it.”
    Pulling out of Gretchen’s hand, I shook my
arms out, shedding my need to castrate Dane. You’re doing this
for Kipp . Besides, what choice did I have now? The promise to
Wayde couldn’t be undone, even if now I regretted doing the binding
spell. “Fine. You’re here. I can’t change that. But stay the hell
out of my way.” I pointed at Dane, hoping my finger looked like a
knife ready to slit his throat. “I mean it.”
    He scoffed. “Not an issue.”
    “We’re grateful,” Amelia interjected with a
smile her husband didn’t extend, and tears filled her eyes.
“Anything you offer can help us.”
    Dane glanced down at her and all the coldness
directed at me melted away to a warm expression. While normally I’d
have a gooey moment, it boiled my blood to witness their love. Dane
had her, I lost Kipp because of him, and he caused my heart to
shatter. His happiness infuriated me.
    “She’ll find him,” Dane said softly.
    Amelia wiped her cheeks and smiled at him,
then at me. “I know.”
    The sadness drifting along her expression
touched a part of me I wanted to hide in Dane’s presence—my
kindness. I cursed under my breath, hating I couldn’t be a
cold-hearted bitch. “I’ll do what I can, Amelia.” Gratefulness
filled her features and I disliked that I couldn’t hate her. I
wanted to, simply because she associated herself with Dane. “Where
do I start?”
    “Dane has felt his presence in the swamp,”
Amelia said, continuing to brush the fallen tears off her cheeks.
“It's faint, but he still lingers there.”
    I sighed at the daunting situation, for more
reasons than the obvious. “Do you have any rain boots?”
    All notes of misery vanished from Amelia’s
face, replaced by an arched lip. “Rain boots?”
    At any other time, her bemused expression
might amuse me, but the seriousness now erased the funny.