whiskey witches 02 - blood moon magick Read Free Page A

Leah’s fifth birthday, she’d caught the Whiskey women by surprise.
    When Rachel served Paige with custody papers, they’d been aghast.
    When the police and social services showed up to remove Leah from the Whiskey home, they’d been terrified.
    When the judge awarded custody to Rachel without grounds or solid justification, they’d been astounded.
    But when Rachel disappeared with Leah, Paige had been enraged.
    She’d summoned a demon to murder her mother and retrieve her daughter.
    Alma found out, blocked all memories of Leah, and warded her gift so Paige could do no further damage to the world.
    That was five years ago.
    So, when Paige had leased this apartment, she’d had no reason for the second bedroom. She couldn’t remember having a daughter.
    Until last week.
    Last week, all the memories flooded back, along with her abilities. All the love. All the pain. All the anguish.
    All the rage.
    That damned second bedroom door. Her heart’s way of telling her something was wrong, she was missing something.
    Her daughter.
    Burning hatred aside, she couldn’t be too upset. Her daughter was safe. That was a hell of a lot more than Paige could offer at the moment.
    Which only pissed her off more.
    Dexx stepped through the spare bedroom door, towel-drying his short, dark hair. He wore a pair of jeans and nothing else. “Oh, hey, Pea. You’re home early.”
    There had to be something wrong with her. The man was amazing to look at. His chiseled chest. A real chiseled chest with dark hair. Tight arms and shoulders. The man took care of himself.
    But her body gave no response. Not even a tingle. Not a tickle.
    She was off balance. The drive home from the crime scene hadn’t eased her worry, and then to be reminded of Leah by that damned door? Fuck. She needed to get her life under control. “What’d you do today?”
    He belched, patted his chest, and ducked into the bathroom beside her. “Worked on Jackie. She needed a tune-up.”
    Jackie was his car. A 1970 Dodge Challenger, to be exact. She was a beauty and a beast. Paige loved her. “Hmm.”
    “She runs like a kitten.”
    Paige leaned against the doorjamb of the tiny bathroom. It was barely big enough for a tub, a toilet, and a small sink. She had to straddle the toilet to close the door. Which was why Dexx used it with the door open. Even in those moments when the door should have been shut. As in… shut to keep the whale songs in .
    She met his brilliant green gaze in the mirror. “Something strange happened today.”
    He slapped some smelly liquid on his face. Men. So delicate and pretty. “You went to work.”
    “I see your sarcasm font. No.”
    “You went to a crime scene where someone was killed.” He put a finger to his chin and tossed his head about, giving dark statement a comedic tone.
    Paige folded her arms over her chest. “It amazes me how you think you’re funny.”
    He turned, propping himself on the sink’s edge.
    Something tingled in her lower regions as she took in his hairy bare chest, his loose-fitting jeans riding low on his hips.
    Finally. But just a tingle? Really? Was she dead inside?
    “Oh, but I am.” He fanned his fingers to his lips, raising an eyebrow. “I am.”
    “Oh, but you’re not.” But he was taking the edge off her nerves. “A woman was murdered. I did go to a crime scene. She was killed by a demon.”
    Seriousness slammed over his chiseled face, his brilliant green eyes narrowed. “Here. Coincidence?” He shook his head in answer to his own question.
    “Yeah, no.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “He left a four-tiered candelabra as a mark on her arm. You wouldn’t happen to know who that is, would you?”
    “Sounds familiar.” Confusion furrowed his brow. “Don’t remember, though, and my books are in a storage unit in New York.”
    “Helpful.” She pulled the card the demon had left behind out of her back pocket. “And he left me this.”
    “Left you?” He took the card. “Shit.”
    She