Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Cash dropped us off at my house, pulling me in for a fierce kiss before letting me go.
“Don’t do anything stupid tonight,” Cash ordered, pressing his forehead against mine as he looked in my eyes.
“I would never do anything stupid,” I insisted, and Miss Elva snorted behind me.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Cash grumbled.
“Hey, it’ll be okay. We can handle this,” I said softly pulling away from Cash and running my hand down his cheek. “Just, well, take whatever happens tonight with a grain of salt.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cash asked, clearly annoyed with me.
I pointed between Miss Elva and myself, raising an eyebrow at Cash.
“You may see something unusual. We don’t really accomplish things in a normal way, get what I’m saying?”
Cash’s eyes flitted over to where Miss Elva stood watching us and back to my face.
“I see.”
Cash was going to have to get used to the weird things that happened when I was around. Plain and simple.
I think he realized that as he nodded and dropped another kiss on my lips.
“Just add a layer of magick or whatever to make bullets bounce off of you, okay? I’d like for us to get back to my original evening plans,” Cash said.
“Me too,” I breathed, feeling my heart pick up its pace as I lost myself for a second in his eyes.
“Althea. Focus,” Miss Elva ordered and I shook my head.
“Sorry, sorry. Go, you need to leave,” I all but shoved Cash into the car, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment and lust.
“Stay in contact,” Cash ordered.
“Aye, aye, Captain,” I said, saluting smartly before rolling my eyes at myself and turning back to Miss Elva.
She just shook her head at me, her curls bouncing around her shoulders.
“Child, you gonna have to learn how to keep it cool around that man of yours.”
“It’s hard. Have you seen him?”
“I have two eyes in my head now, don’t I?”
I stopped on my porch and thought about what we needed to do for the rest of the day, anxiety already creeping up my spine as I thought about Luna being held by a lunatic.
“Do you want to stay here or go to your house?” I asked Miss Elva.
“My house. I have more tools there,” Miss Elva said.
“Let me let Hank out and then we’ll go.”
Hank had already seen us; his ears were bouncing up and down below the front windowsill. I knew I’d break his heart if I just left again without coming in to see him.
We stepped inside and Hank danced around my feet before catching wind of Miss Elva. He immediately stopped his bouncing and sniffed at the hem of her caftan before rolling over on his back, his paws in the air.
“Whoa, what did you do to him?” I asked, amazed at the complacency that Hank was displaying.
Miss Elva just smiled and bent over to scratch Hank’s tummy, and if that dog could have died of bliss right there, he would have. I actually felt a little jealous, but wasn’t going to admit it.
“Nothing, child. Animals love me.”
“Is that so? Are you like a dog whisperer?” I asked, moving across the room to slide the back door open.
“Something like that. Child, I’d change into something darker than what you’re wearing now,” Miss Elva said and I glanced down at my white dress.
“You’re absolutely right. I don’t even know what I was thinking buying a white dress to begin with,” I grumbled, taking the stairs two at a time to my bedroom.
“It looks nice against your skin tone, though,” Miss Elva called up the steps.
It wouldn’t look that nice with blood on it, I thought, worried about what would happen that evening. I pulled the dress off over my head and threw it on my bed, and tugged a serviceable black maxi dress from my closet and tugged it on over my head.
I like maxi dresses, okay?
Taking my earrings out as well, I tossed them on top of the dress on the bed and pulled my curls into a loose bun on the top of my head.
It was time to kick a little ass.
Sliding my feet back in my Toms, I all but ran downstairs, knowing that time was at a premium if Miss Elva was to get one of her potions or powders ready.
I stopped by my dive bag and dug out the pouch that Miss Elva had given me earlier, tucking it in my bra for safekeeping.
I’d already learned how quickly you could be divested of your purse or other belongings, so bra it was for safekeeping.
“Is this okay?” I asked Miss Elva, who sat on the back porch throwing a ball for Hank. “Black dress, no jewelry, and shoes I can run in?”
“I don’t know who you think is going to be doing any running, child, but it sho ain’t gonna be me,” Miss Elva said, heaving herself off the couch and whistling once to Hank, who immediately dropped his ball and ran to her side.
“Who is this dog of mine? Usually I have to battle with him to get him to drop that damn ball,” I asked, side-eying Hank as we went inside. That little traitor’d known how to drop all along.
“You just gotta talk to him in a language he knows,” Miss Elva said, bending to pat Hank once on the head while he sat, his boxy head tilted, his tongue lolling out as he looked at Miss Elva with adoration.
“It’s like he doesn’t even know me,” I grumbled, pulling a toy out and tossing it across the room. Hank didn’t even move, just continued to sit and stare up at Miss Elva. “This is ridiculous. Let’s go.”
I was more than a little miffed that my dog had chosen Miss Elva over me and I stayed silent as I left the house, carefully locking the door and controlling my urge to stomp to the car.
“Child, no need to get jealous. All dogs are like that with me. Not just Hank. They just know I love them.”
“Hank knows I love him,” I pointed out as we pulled onto the street.
“Of course he does. It’s just the newness of me. You have to understand that I’m old magick. I’m more than Voodoo. I’m all connected, child. I’m in tune with this earth and all its animals. Hank can’t help but love me,” Miss Elva said.
Huh. Well, that was certainly some food for thought.
“I’m sorry. I think I just have a lot of anxiety right now. I’m worried about Luna. I’m worried about rescuing her tonight. I’m not the best at covert operations, if you didn’t know,” I pointed out as I pulled my car to a stop in front of Miss Elva’s house.
The late afternoon sun warmed the street, casting its glow against the brightly colored houses, while puffy clouds wafted through a blue sky. It was another perfect day in paradise and I was about to go track a killer.
How could things get any worse?