Chapter 10
WEDNESDAY
IN WHICH DESSA THROWS A WALLOW PARTY
“Hello?”
Dessa screamed and jumped to her feet, her phone falling to the floor as she realized way too late that she’d left her pop-stake in her glovebox. Hell, she really was rusty.
“Whoa, hey, no, chill, it’s just me.”
No sooner had Dessa seized a nearby lamp to use as a projectile than her eyes focused on none other than Jamison Kane standing in her doorway. Except, a very different looking Jamison Kane than had left the office only an hour ago.
“Jamison Kane, what are you doing here? And what did you do to yourself?” She gaped as she took him in.
His jaw was smooth, and his hair had been trimmed short into a neat Oxford cut, the sandy locks swept to one side in what looked like effortless style.
If he’d been attractive before, he was beyond hot now in a way that was unfair to the rest of mankind.
“Um, I got a haircut?” Jamison shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked around the room. “I drove by, and your car was still out front, so I wanted to pop in and make sure you didn’t need help or something. Looked like you were swamped all day.”
The kindness of such a gesture made Dessa want to cry all over again.
Strike that, she was crying again. And she was still holding the lamp.
Just perfect. She put it down and quickly swiped a hand across her cheeks, forcing a smile.
“No, um, I’m fine, thanks. Just moving in and all.
” She grabbed a throw pillow and tried to subtly hide behind it.
Maybe she could just sink into the couch until she disappeared.
“Cool place.” If he noticed her tears, Jamison didn’t mention them as he glanced out the front window that faced the street. “It doesn’t look like you’ve moved any of your stuff out of your car though. I can lend you a hand if you want.”
As much as Dessa would’ve loved to turn him down, getting the four huge plastic bins out of her car and up the stairs was definitely going to be a pain.
Honestly, if she’d had any friends to call for help, she would’ve.
Then again, this was Jamison Kane they were talking about.
Had he ever done physical labor in his life?
She peeked out from behind her pillow at him.
Though he was thin, the defined muscles were certainly evident in his biceps and forearms. It was the type of body that spoke of a personal trainer rather than everyday drudgery.
More importantly though, why was he being so nice to her when so far she’d used every opportunity to push him away?
A useless effort really, seeing as he’d taken Werewolves, Vampires, and Uncannies in stride.
If they were truly going to be partners like Brad had intended, she’d have to trust him, at least a little.
But here, sniveling on her couch, was not how she imagined she’d extend this olive branch. With another sigh, she sat up, not bothering to smooth her mussed hair or put on a fake smile. “Seriously, can’t you just let a girl wallow in peace?”
Jamison offered her a weak smirk, the expression not reaching his green eyes.
“As an expert in wallowing myself, I find it’s better not to try to multitask wallowing and say, moving into a new apartment.
And”—he shrugged—“even then, wallowing is usually more effective as a team sport. Really, you’d be doing me a favor if I could tag along. ”
With a wet chuckle, Dessa rose and dug her keys from her pocket.
“Well, all right then. But only because you asked so nicely.” She lifted her chin toward the door, and Jamison followed her quietly out.
“I’m not super familiar with wallowing parties.
Like, do we wallow aloud? Or do we both just wallow silently while also still together? ”
“Definitely aloud,” Jamison said as they jogged down the stairs. “I haven’t been to many silent parties.”
“Okay, after you then.” She pushed open the door with a jingle and unlocked her car. “What could Azalea Springs’ golden boy possibly be wallowing about?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Jamison offered her an easy grin as she opened the trunk and thrust a plastic storage bin into his arms before claiming one for herself. “But it might be that my girlfriend died last year.”
Dessa’s head whipped toward him with a surge of guilt.
“Oh crap, Jamison. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have joked.
I really wasn’t thinking,” she babbled, closing the trunk and locking it once more.
She’d been so self-absorbed and sure that Jamison was at least partially the villain here, she hadn’t considered the other angle.
He was grieving.
“It’s okay.” He pushed inside, holding the door for her while she manhandled the other tub. “It’s not something anyone ever talks about, so it makes sense.”
Dessa couldn’t believe how casual he was being, and the questions she wanted to ask surged to the surface. “And they…they really never found out who did it?”
“They didn’t, though they do know who’s at least partially responsible,” Jamison said, climbing the stairs once more.
“What? Who is it? Why haven’t they found them?”
Jamison put down the container on her floor, his face strangely expressionless. “Because for all intents and purposes, the perpetrator seems to have disappeared. We don’t even have a name.”
Dessa put down her container beside his. “Well, do you have any details? Maybe we could use our resources in AzRIO to try to find them.”
“Unfortunately, I am forbidden from saying more.” A shadow fell across his face, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “But trust me when I tell you, I’m always on the lookout for leads.”
Dessa froze, her brow furrowing as she tried to read between the lines.
While it was possible he’d signed some Nescient NDA, the word forbidden stopped her in her tracks.
That sounded like a paranormal complication.
If his girlfriend and the others had died from paranormal means, then Brad would’ve been involved in some way.
Which might explain why he’d given Jamison a job here and why the spicy magic scent soaked the air around him.
She still had so many questions, but all at once, she relaxed.
Because, now, more than ever, she could believe that not only had Jamison not killed his girlfriend, but he also very much belonged here in the paranormal world with them, whether he wanted to be there or not.
“I’m sorry, Jamison,” she whispered at last.
“Yeah.” He scratched at the back of his neck and continued down the stairs.
“It’s a mess. What’s even worse is that over the course of the investigation, they found evidence that she’d been cheating on me, which of course, put me at the top of the suspect list.” His voice grew softer.
“But I had no idea. I knew we weren’t a great match, and we were probably only a few weeks away from calling it quits, but it still hurt.
And I couldn’t even be angry about it, because, of course, she was dead. ”
“Geez, Jamison, that’s awful.” Dessa winced, her mind involuntarily slipping to Aiden and Stephanie entwined on her desk. “Did they find out who she was cheating on you with? Because he had to be a suspect too, right?”
“He would be,” Jamison agreed as they pulled the last two containers out of the backseat. “But they couldn’t find him either.”
Dessa wrinkled her nose. That could mean that whoever the cheater was might’ve had some paranormal help.
“Okay, I’ll admit, that is some serious material to wallow over.
” She grabbed the pop-stake from her glovebox.
While the cylindrical weapon could easily be mistaken for a six-inch flashlight, both sides could extend into a lethal stake—one of oak and the other of silver.
Maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t accidentally brandished it at Jamison. “You’re definitely winning this round.”
“This is a party, Blue, not a competition.” Jamison chuckled, his muscles flexing as he turned with the tub.
“Thanks for trusting me with it.” Dessa followed him back inside. “I know it can’t be an easy thing to talk about.” And it would be something that he’d carry around for the rest of his life. A moment he’d want to cut out of his memories, just like she’d begged Brad to erase hers.
“Yeah, well, it was nice to be able to tell someone.” He bumped her container with his. “But now it’s your turn. Wallow at me.”
Dessa snorted. “Mine all seems tame compared to that. Let’s see.
” She looked up at the ceiling as if pretending to think, like it wasn’t forever branded into her brain.
“I caught my fiancé cheating and ran back home. But my parents are off on their dream retirement adventure, and all my friends, well—” The decision point reared its head so quickly, Dessa cut herself off mid-sentence.
Did she tell him the truth? Did she trust him with this?
Her lips tightened as she stepped into her apartment.
If he was going to help her find Carly, he had to know.
“Peter and Zach didn’t die in a car accident,” she whispered.
Jamison dropped the tub on the fuzzy blue rug and stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“What you and all the other Nescients were told was just a cover story.” Dessa put down the last container and sat on it, folding her hands.
“No way.” Jamison’s eyes rounded as he sat on the plastic bin across from her. “So it was a paranormal accident? How did you all keep something like that a secret?”
“Magickers and Uncannies up and down AzRIO channels have many gifts. My uncle is particularly useful when we need a cover story, which is why he’s in such high demand.”
Jamison narrowed his gaze. “But you’re not going to tell me what his gift is.”
“Nope.” Dessa offered a wan smile. “He’s been working in this town for a while though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you found out before too long. The ghosts can be horrible gossips, so be careful what you say around them.”