Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Camilla
As we pulled out of the driveway, I stared at the napkin of cookies as if they would hold some untold answers.
Harris glanced over at me with a look of concern. “I don’t know why you grabbed those cookies. Let me toss them.”
I pulled them close to my chest. “We just got an earful of scary news. I need these cookies. Plus, you know that homemade oatmeal cookies are my favorite.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “How could I forget. And yes, the news is concerning, but we have some answers. I know what we need to do about who cursed us. If it’s the warlock, I think it is, it won’t be hard for my people to find him.
It seems like your powers are fully back, so the portals shouldn’t be opening back up. ”
I looked out of the window. It was beautiful out.
Everything looked lush and serene, and the ocean was a brilliant blue.
I wanted to have fun again, but ignoring this mess seemed silly.
Still, what more could I do? I’d study up on shadow beings and make some calls to those who might know better.
I could sit in a ring of fire to keep them away.
Harris continued. “Let me work on security. And for all we know, the warlock is behind the shadow creature as well. I don’t believe in coincidences. This creature didn’t appear until after we ran into each other again at that restaurant.”
Remaining quiet, and frankly, overwhelmed, I tapped my head against the window.
I had faith in Harris; I knew how powerful he was.
He got things done. He’d found my father in another realm.
Still, I felt deeply uncomfortable. An agitation nagged at the pit of my stomach.
I couldn’t wait around like some damsel in distress waiting for him to save me.
I was not safe. I did not know what this shadow creature wanted from me.
I did not know if or how it would come for us again.
And I did not know if or when we could find the warlock who cursed us.
We couldn’t be this close forever, no matter how nice it was.
It wasn’t practical. And I could think of nothing to fix it all.
I felt a warm hand on my skirt-covered thigh. “Talk to me, baby. I need to know what you’re thinking.”
“I feel helpless,” I said quietly.
“I’ll fix this.”
Of course, he would think only he had the solution.
I wanted to argue that point, but it felt exhausting.
It was easier to let him think only he knew the fix and do my own thinking in the meantime.
Not that I had any ideas or resources at the moment.
I turned to him. “What if you can’t? How can we live like this? ”
He shrugged. “Is it so bad to be a room away from me forever?”
I side-eyed him. He was way too calm about this. Then again, that was Harris. He was too calculated to lose his cool. “I have to go to work.”
“Do you?”
“Don’t make me hurt you.”
He sank his teeth into his lower lip as he looked me over. “I can get into pain.”
Damn it, why was that sexy? I was supposed to be all discombobulated with worry, and now I was distracted. “I’m being serious.”
“There’s an art museum I want to take you to. It’s something I think you might like. Might even get some inspiration for your gallery,” Harris said, seeming to ignore my worry.
I looked at him, eyebrows raised. It was sweet, but our world was currently on fire. “All that’s going on, and you want to look at art?”
“I have my people working on things. We have some free time. No sense sitting around the house waiting. Unless that’s where you’d like to rest.”
I knew what Harris was doing. Putting me first once again. Truth be told, I didn’t want to go back. The creature didn’t have to be there, but it felt like he would be. Waiting. For me. “No, let’s go.”
He picked up my hand and kissed it, eyes still on the road. “Princess, I’m going to give you the world. Just wait a little longer, and I’ll get us through this.”
I was still surprised by how romantic he could be, and my heart squeezed in my chest. I wanted to jump on him and sprinkle him with kisses, but that would be bad because he was driving. “I don’t need the world, Harris. I just need you.”
And so, we went to the museum and then for a late lunch. As it had been in our quieter moments, it was nice. As scary as everything was, I was glad he was here with me to face it. He could be controlling, grumpy, stubborn, and pessimistic, but he was mine. And he was who I wanted.
When we returned to the house, it appeared as if even more people were there. Had he doubled patrol without telling me? He didn’t have to say anything; it was his place, but a girl needed a little privacy.
Paulo was already at the door when we entered. “Hey, Boss.” He nodded his head at me. “Ms. Camilla.”
I nodded back, giving up on telling him that he could drop the Ms. There was a darkness to his gray eyes that let me know this was not the time for that chat.
“Where is he?” Harris asked.
Paulo tilted his head to a closed door on our right. “In the garage.”
I frowned. Who were they talking about?
Harris turned to me. “Stay on this floor.”
I shook my head, confused. “What’s going on?”
“We found the warlock. I’m going to get some answers from him and break this curse.”
“I need to ask him about the shadow creature.”
Harris placed a hand on my shoulder, his eyes intense. “I can do that. I don’t want you seeing what I have to do.”
He looked at Paulo. “Get her my noise-canceling headphones from the guest room.”
I tossed my head back. “Is it going to be attached to an iPad playing kids shows? I’m not a child. If I’m with you, I’m with you.”
“I’ll meet you inside, Paulo.”
His right hand gave a curt nod and left as Harris turned fully to me. “You’re a badass, I get it. There’s no need in trying to prove yourself by going in there. You don’t know this side of me, baby. And I don’t want you to know it.”
“How can I be with you if I don’t know every part of you?”
He raised a hand to my cheek, and I pressed into it, grabbing his hand. “Baby, you’re mine now. Do you understand that? If I let you in there and you see something you don’t like, nothing changes. You aren’t going anywhere. Curse or no curse. I’m not letting you go.”
Okay, that kind of felt like a threat, but also, it was kind of hot. I was disturbed. And scared, my new favorite emotion. Did I really need to go and watch him possibly torture some guy for answers? Did I need to see that side of him to love him? Know him?
I got on my toes and kissed him lightly on the lips, balancing my hand on his chest. “I’ll go sit on the deck.”
He breathed what sounded like relief and remained still as I walked away.
I heard him open the door and close it by the time I was halfway to the sliding glass doors.
And when I sat and waited, watching the gentle waves of the ocean, I wished I had gotten those noise-canceling headphones.
I’d never heard anyone scream in agony before.
I think, perhaps, it would haunt me for the rest of my days.
***
When I heard the sliding glass doors open after what felt like hours, but barely two hours, I turned to see Paulo standing there. Frowning, I stood up on shaky legs. “Where’s Harris?”
“Taking a shower. It’s done. The curse is lifted. We tested it out by leaving the house,” he explained.
“Why are you telling me and not Harris?”
Paulo cleared his throat, appearing uncomfortable. “Would you like me to order dinner? Anything in particular you would like?’
I walked past him. “Whatever you want. Make sure everyone eats.”
He quickly followed behind me. It took him no time to catch up because he was a foot taller than me. “Give him a moment.”
I ignored him as I continued to walk. “Nope. And don’t try to stop me. This is your life now if I’m in it. It’ll be a lot easier if you just let me do what I want.”
“He’s going to kill me,” Paulo muttered behind me, but I didn’t feel him breathing down my neck, so he must have stopped.
“I’ll tell him not to. If you die, he dies. I got your back, man!” I called, raising a fist in the air as I quickly climbed the steps.
I walked into the bedroom suite, hearing the sound of running water from the shower. I stormed in, stomping so I wouldn’t scare him because mafia orcs were paranoid and punched first before asking questions. “Why are you showering?” I called over the water.
He peeked his head out past the translucent glass shower wall, then rolled his eyes.
Even annoyed, he looked so damn pretty. His long-wet hair draped over his shoulders in a way that was distractingly sexy.
I tried my best not to get sidetracked by the droplets covering that ridiculously toned chest of his.
My mouth watered with just the visual of licking the water off his smooth green skin. Why was I here again?
He grumbled something. “I’m going to have to talk to Paulo.”
I pointed a finger at him and gave him my best threatening face, which I feared did very little to scare him. “If you touch him, I’m leaving.”
His eyes darkened. “Why are you defending him?”
He looked like he wanted to murder someone. What was this? Jealousy? He had nothing to worry about. I tossed my hands up in front of me. “Calm down and tell me what happened.”
He scrunched his face up and went back under the water. “No.”
“This jerk,” I muttered before quickly pulling off my clothes and undergarments. I then got in the shower with him. I wasn’t planning to wet my braids today, but some sacrifices were worth it.
I poked at his chest as he looked down at me with curious eyes. “Tell me what you know?”
He smirked at me before wrapping his large hands around my waist and pulling me against his hard body. “I know the curse is broken.”
“Yes, Paulo told me. So, the warlock complied?”
The playfulness in his eyes dimmed, his smile faltering. “I had to force it.”