Chapter 3 #3
“That’s what Hunter wanted me to ask you about,” I said, shutting down my brain’s attempts of mentally fucking him. “Being a guest.”
“Ugh, Max, come on.” He crossed his arms. “I really don’t like the holidays anymore… and I—”
“No, Graham. A guest in our bedroom.”
“Excuse me?” He stepped back; his arms fell to his sides.
“Hunter is… um… open in the bedroom… Very.” I cocked a brow. “It’s been fun. Well, you’ve seen.” I smiled. “His only rule is that he’s the only one who can finish in me. You can go in, but you can’t come.”
“Yeah, no fucking way… that’s not happening. I don’t do dudes.”
“You wouldn’t be doing Hunter, Graham.”
“No. Let’s just go to the aunts… Hell, I’ll even go to Salem myself and ask all the old crones there if they knew anything. We’ll figure something out.”
We stared at each other, at an impasse, and I melted into those swirling storm clouds again.
“Okay… fine… but until then…” I stepped closer to him and ran my finger up his arm. “Will you join us?”
“Max, I’d give anything to be with you again, but I’m not having some dude tell me where I can empty my cock… especially when I’m fucking the one woman I love.”
Hearing him say it again—that he loved me—made Hunter the most painful part of this puzzle. Because I did have feelings for him… I maybe even loved him.
The memories with Hunter came in a rush.
Dancing in the park under twinkling lights…
the beautiful bouquets he’d bring just because “he wanted to see me smile”…
the way he showed me off to anyone he met, bragging of how precious I was to him.
Or the nights he’d hear me crying in bed…
the nights I’d rather drown in my emotions, or cut them out…
knowing I was thinking of another man, yet still choosing to comfort me…
Hunter wasn’t a bad guy, in fact, out of all my hexes… his love felt the most authentic.
Hunter came out fisting bunches of red and light blue tinsel in each hand. “Which do you think for the ice fairies?”
And shit like that… where he’d want my opinion on something small, just to give me the choice.
“Why don’t you decide. Whatever you choose will be perfect,” I said, spinning him around and directing him back inside.
“Wait, this is Graham, your ex—the cop, right?”
I nodded.
“We got your voicemail about the serial killer last night—”
My eyes darted between the two of them. “I’m sorry… the what?”
“—and I have this thing we have to attend for my company tomorrow,” Hunter continued.
“Since I have to present awards and schmooze the crowd, I’d like to hire you to watch over Maggie at the event.
As Pretty Things, she and Katie are required to attend.
Plus, the two of them will be receiving the Amateur Hotties award. ”
“I don’t know, man. I—”
“I’ll pay three thousand for the evening,” Hunter offered.
Graham’s eyes went dinner plate in size. “Say no more. Where and when do you need me?”
“We will arrive at 5:30. if you could be there ten or fifteen minutes early, you know… to catch a feel for the paparazzi, that’d be great.
” Hunter pulled out a promotional card for the event and handed it to Graham.
“Formal attire only. Any weapons need to remain concealed.” He pointed to Graham’s leg holster.
Graham nodded. “Understood.”
“Great, see you there.” Hunter kissed my cheek. “Let’s do the blue,” he said, holding the tinsel up as he stepped over the threshold and closed the door.
“Paparazzi?” Graham tilted his chin slightly, giving me a sideways grin that said, you can’t be serious with this guy.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” He dropped a chuckle, almost under his breath. “It’s just... I’m glad he asked me to protect you. He clearly isn’t up for the job.”
I crossed my arms against my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Max, come on. The guy’s wearing fucking lip gloss.”
“How do you know it didn’t rub off?”
“With that precision? Please.”
“Your point?”
“I’m just saying there is another murderer possibly targeting you… and your boyfriend’s hands look like he gets a manicure daily… there’s no way he could actually defend you, should the time come.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Obviously, but I need to know you’re safe. He’s not up for the task.”
I snapped back, “What, and you are? That worked out real well the last time you were supposed to protect me.” I regretted it as soon as I said it.
Dammit.
“Fuck, Graham, I’m sorry.”
“Forget it.” He held up a hand, stopping me. “We could chase each other around in circles over what a shitty person I am—because I will agree with you one hundred percent of the time. But we don’t know what the killer is like besides that they target women that look like you.”
Graham’s eyebrows lifted as he ran his gaze down my body. “And… God, I don’t blame him.” His voice dropped low, feral. “It’s taking everything not to grab you, pull you in and fuck you against this railing.”
I let the silence fall between us.
“Maybe that’s exactly what I want you to do,” I said softly, running my fingers against the back of his hand. “But I can’t hurt Hunter. Not after what I took from him. I can’t betray him. I owe him that much. At least if you’re here with us, you’ll know I’m safe… and we can be together.”
Everything in me wanted to step forward, strip him bare and let the cold night and that railing take the rest. I needed Graham…
needed him like I needed air, like I needed blood—but I had a chain binding me to Hunter.
I’d crossed a line that I couldn’t uncross, and magic like that didn’t fade—it festered.
Hunter wasn’t mine by choice—he was mine because I had shackled him to me.
And there was no neat little spell reversal or all-great-and-powerful wizard waiting to fix it.
It wasn’t love; it wasn’t loyalty—it was a consequence. I cursed Hunter. I made him mine. And now I was the one who had to pay the price for that decision. Graham was just caught in the crossfire.