whiskey witches 02 - blood moon magick Read Free

boobs.” His voice was so calm. Dangerously calm. “What is that?”
    There was something definitely off about her partner. “Nothing.”
    “Bullshit, nothing.” He pushed at Paige’s hand, his nose inches from her chest.
    She shoved his face away. “Hey, boundaries, man.”
    He took a few steps back, all the playfulness of her old partner erased. Something primal replaced it, something old and powerful. “That’s a symbol.”
    Paige raised her chin, her cigarette forgotten. Was he what the door was calling to? Seemed unlikely, but anyone could be possessed. But if it was him, then why would he be asking so many questions? Why wouldn’t he just know? And how could he be standing this close? There weren’t that many old and powerful demons running topside.
    “That’s a scab of an occult symbol on your chest.”
    No. That was the physical representation of the demon door her soul housed. “Drop it.”
    His gaze lifted to meet hers. “The killer caught you.”
    Paige ground her teeth together.
    He rubbed the corners of his widening mouth. “This is bad, Paige. Are you harmed?”
    She tried to reconcile the face of her smart-assed, good-natured partner with the solemn, serious, and predatory man standing before her.
    He leaned in. “Are you harmed?” His voice rolled over her, dark and mesmerizing.
    No. “Yes,” she whispered.
    “Are you compromised?”
    No. She ground her teeth but forced out, “Yes.” Her heart raced.
    Something flashed, like a ball of light in the back of his dark eyes.
    She staggered as whatever had been controlling her disappeared.
    Controlling her?
    He took a step back and blinked. “Go home, Paige. I’ll finish up here.” He turned to walk away.
    Her body shook. She had never met a demon who could do what her partner just did. “Tony?”
    He turned back to her, his lips set, his expression tired and pissed. “Yeah.”
    She paused, gathering the courage to ask the question that could blow her cover. “What are you?”
    He bit the inside of his lip. “What are you?”
    Crushing her half-finished cigarette, she shoved her tongue in her cheek. How was she supposed to answer that? It seemed like he was something that could exist in her orbit. But if that was the case, why couldn’t she peg him, define him?
    He nodded, looking away. “Go home. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    “Yeah.”
    Questions trailed her feet as she scurried back to her car, the tug on the door within her soul decreasing as she moved. Her partner, whom she’d known for five years, was a part of the supernatural community? He didn’t feel like a “psychic.” He was solid.
    Predatory and old.
    Demon?
    He hadn’t possessed her, so, no.
    Then what?
    She’d go home and ask her demon hunter. Maybe he’d have an answer.

P aige walked through the back door of her apartment. Whoever heard of an apartment with a front door and a back door? She stepped through the dining room with the lone, high table and dropped her jacket and bag in the overstuffed, white chair of the large living room. She heard Dexx puttering around in the spare room.
    The spare room.
    When she’d moved up from Texas, she’d rented a two-bedroom apartment. She hadn’t even known why. She barely used the second bedroom. For the first year, she’d kept the door closed and refused to go in.
    Now, she understood why. In Louisiana, the blocks on her memories had been removed along with the wards around her gift.
    Not only did she have power, she had a daughter. Leah.
    Paige’s gift had manifested in elementary school. Her mother, Rachel, had abandoned her and her sister, saying they were evil. She took their younger brother, though, and left for New York. She didn’t call, didn’t write, didn’t send birthday cards.
    Their grandmother had raised them. Alma was a kitchen witch, and a powerful one. She’d taught them as much as she could, but even she balked at the idea of Paige’s abilities.
    When Rachel had shown up just after