7

We ended up having a lovely day. We discussed ideas for pairings for the wines they were going to offer samples of at the opening and what else they were planning. It was going to be nicer out since it was the first weekend of April but not too warm yet especially since it would be at night.

Colton was going to have heat lamps from construction sites and more, so it would work out well. The bakery wasn't going to have a tasting that night but a table of desserts to go with their setup to hopefully help.

I suggested they look at the menus of the restaurants we had deals with. They would want the wine they would be selling, and those owners were always trying to get in my good graces. They wanted to talk to me after Easter about doing more desserts, and now that Jamie was my CFO, he would be the right person to get in good with.

I said they should even go taste a full menu. There were still several I hadn't, and I would definitely trust their opinions.

Plus, it would be something nice for Jamie and his mom to have a nice night together after they'd been through too much. Patti loved the idea and shot me a grateful look, checking Jamie was willing before getting the list and calling to make a reservation.

We actually had a delightful time even if the date took a weird turn. The meat bun ideas panned out and smoking the fish was fun. We had several ideas for the opening menu planned out, and I had like two dozen new desserts inspired by the sundaes. I loved the combinations and flavors.

My only real complaint was there were too many toppings. That sounded silly, but it was truly overkill. There was almost as much whipped cream as ice cream on the large sundae, and that was too much. I kept making more ice cream appear to eat with the toppings.

It was an ice cream sundae after all, not a toppings dessert.

But I still loved the place. I would simply order pints of plain ice cream to go along with it.

Patti seemed like she didn't want to leave after we handled all of that and Isiah the same, so next thing I knew, she was helping me with my house. Jamie got in on the idea since he knew it was something to take off my plate.

We started with his room and painted it, changed the light fixture, and then brought over all of his furniture from where it had been stored. Patti seemed to have a lot to say that he wouldn't be in my room but left it alone.

There was a full guest house, but that was for the twins. There was a main house but like a full other house had been added on to make the impressive square footage, so that was the master suite Jamie had. He said it was much nicer than the apartment he'd had of his uncle's, so he was happy.

We handled the study there for him and the living room of all of his furniture. He was completely set up.

"You're sure this isn't weird?" I checked, ignoring Isiah and his mother were there.

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I agree with the twins. We're nowhere near ready to be living together, but you're also not ready to live alone. Not after what you've been through. You want them to have their own lives, and they're scared to leave you alone, but your power is growing too much for you to be above the bakery.

"This is the best compromise, and I don't scare you. And my family won't make trouble for me here. Yes, this is great. We have our own space and clear boundaries." He cupped my face and made me turn to face him. "That's what you need, Arabella. You needed the push to let people in. Now you need the choice to invite us back. Every time you invite me to sleep over. I know this."

The look he gave Isiah over my shoulder spoke volumes about how he needed to adapt that attitude now too. They'd messed up or even Colton breaking that bubble of safety I'd felt—I wasn't sure, but I did agree with Jamie that I wanted to feel like I was in control and not pushed.

But I also knew he was saying it for his mother. She seemed to accept it and looked relieved. Maybe that she just wanted to know we discussed these things and I took his opinion to heart?

That was fair. I'd want the same for the twins, and she'd probably seen Jamie be pushed around too much since he was a passive wolf.

"I have an idea that I was hesitant to bring up to you," Patti said as we moved back to the original area of the house and she was pulling up things on my tablet. "It's a bit underhanded, but it's been on my brain after learning your brother reinvented himself as Jesus. I kept waking up angry for you how much it must chap your ass to have to bake treats for his false holidays."

"More than I can ever put into words," I bit out, taking the tablet rougher than needed when she offered it to me. "Sorry."

She nodded, knowing I wasn't upset with her.

"This is perfect," I praised, putting in the dining room table to match the chairs. "You have exquisite taste." I gave her a glance. "How is your eye for jewelry? What I said at that function was true, and I do want my daughters to learn more, but I always get too impatient. They need a guide into that world."

"Privately," she said after a moment. "If you have items or…" She trailed off when I chuckled. "Of course."

"I can bring you to one of my vaults if you set something up with the twins," I told her and then cleared my throat. "And they will give you their protection should you need it." I ignored when Jamie flinched. "Your husband's brother will be a problem. You know Barb won't be the only issue. The twins can't let that stand."

"No, I would think not," she sighed. "They've all made their beds. I don't think it can be any worse than my mother being one of your brother's minions."

I simply nodded, not wanting to speak on that topic. I hoped Hades had more to that plan than I knew, but… I wanted to have faith in my brother, I really did. "What idea did you have?"

She gave me an evil smile as she took back the tablet. "To hit the hypocrisy at the source." She pulled up several perfect light fixture options and handed back the tablet. "I was thinking how you said you had other bakeries make Valentine's Day treats and give them out… What if you did that for churches?"

Isiah threw back his head and burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he leaned against the wall and kept laughing.

Except the answer wasn't actually funny.

"I've done that, and the church burnt to the ground and about twenty people died," I told them when he stopped laughing, all three of them looking at me in horror. I nodded that I wasn't kidding. "It was the days of slavery, and they used to hold slave auctions after services. I don't think I need to explain more than that why their crimes and my power killed them."

"Right, you warned the vampires not to deliver treats to prisons," Isiah muttered. "Some churches could be just as bad."

"And even the good churches would receive good fortune and karma and pray harder," I drawled. "It would be like feeding a delusion given they're good people who simply are being conned. There's no Jesus. There's no heaven. Only the underworld they don't deserve."

"Oh dear," she muttered. "Yes, that's much more complicated. I apologize."

"The idea might not be completely dead," Jamie muttered. "We just need to think on it better. Could you make treats without your power? Like slip one in a batch?"

"That's what Poseidon said, but anything of my creation has my power," I told him with a shrug. "And yes, we can think of it later, but there's always more. More covens are already contacting you to do more, and we're focused so much on the US, and there's a whole world out there, right? Those churches and more have access."

"True." Patti dipped her head to me. "I apologize."

"You wanted to help and I appreciate it. Truly." I smiled as I changed the light fixture. "I welcome suggestions and ideas. We can keep them for later always. It's when people get pushy or demanding. I even like the way you think. It's when people can't accept their idea won't work in its original form or push me to change my mind."

She snorted. "Idiot men you mean."

"Most times, but do you think your daughter would accept my turning her down?" I didn't push it, but I wasn't going to let it be only male-bashing when we'd both made mistakes as well.

Her other idea of people "finding" a lost container of my treats at more lawless ports now and again as if pirates stole them from Costco would work great. I nodded to Jamie for him to figure it out or locations. I could have one bobbing right up to shore even if that was a real thing. We'd have to talk to Gina since she knew most about the docks and how they worked.

But the day went really well, and Jamie had been excited to have a nice dinner planned with his mom Friday night even.

So nothing surprised me more than getting a phone call from him after midnight and he was slurring so badly I could barely understand him.

"Tell me where you are, and I will come get you, love," I said when he kept rambling. "Stay there, and I will come get you."

"I'm in the bathroom," he rambled. "I didn't cheat. They want me to cheat, and I'm with my human friends. They're such bitches. I wouldn't cheat on you. Please believe me."

"I do. You wouldn't cheat," I mumbled, rubbing my hand over my face to wake up. "I know you're in the bathroom. The bathroom where, Jamie?"

He told me the club, and I nodded even if he couldn't see it. I told him to stay there, and I would handle everything. He promised he would and sounded on the edge of tears.

What the fuck had happened that my sweet lover was hiding in the bathroom of a nightclub drunk?

Seriously?

I almost called the twins for backup, but I didn't want to embarrass him. Changing into what I'd been wearing earlier, I cloaked myself and appeared about a block away from the club where Jamie had told me. I found the right spot to blend in and appear before jogging right up to the bouncer.

"The line's back there," he told me without even sparing me a glance.

"That's great," I told him. "My lover called me from inside and—"

"Yeah, I've never heard that excuse before," he drawled before glancing at me and doing a double take. Heat filled his eyes, but then he frowned. "You're not even following the dress code. You're not getting in wearing that."

I ignored the group of women next in line snickering at my jeans and sweatshirt. "Listen to what I'm trying to tell you, fuckface. My lover is in your bathroom slurring and not safe because your people gave him something. So I'm going in there to get him, and you will allow it, or I'm going in there after the police arrive here and my attorney. Do you understand me?"

He snorted at me. "Yeah, good luck with that. The cops aren't coming for one drunk guy who's ‘not safe' in a club."

And then he basically waved me off, muttering I could have gotten in if I'd just dressed how I should have.

I blinked at him for longer than I should have bothered, floored that he didn't even care to check on what I'd said. I pulled out my phone and called Justina, waiting until she answered.

"I apologize for waking you at this hour, love, but I might need you to bail me out of jail after I beat a bouncer bloody. Jamie called me because he thinks he was drugged at a club, and this fucker won't even let me inside and just shooed me off like a bug."

"Un-fucking-real," she grumbled. "Hand over the phone, please."

I did with a smile. It took about thirty seconds before the large man went pale with whatever she said, and he basically tossed the phone back at me and opened the door for me.

I still dosed him with my power but thanked her and wished her a lovely sleep. She snorted and asked for permission to tear into the club, that it would be enough thanks because she hated places like that, and if they ignored something like that, then it had to be unsafe for women as well.

Yes, I gave her my blessing and agreed to pay for the billable hours.

Hell, I dosed the whole club with my power… And that was when I sensed other wolves there. Now that I knew how to tell and sense the power that had been hidden from me before, I wouldn't ever be fooled again.

I glanced around and locked gazes with two of Jamie's female cousins sitting among a group of human males. They both smirked at me, able to sense me as well. One had the balls to toast me with a drink as if mocking me that I couldn't do anything to them because we were in public.

Idiots.

Absolute idiots. I wasn't a wolf or even just a witch.

I was a fucking goddess.

I chuckled darkly, loving that they were too stupid to be afraid like they should be… And made the one who toasted me puke all over herself and her cousin. Everyone in the group and around them jumped to their feet and exclaimed in shock, completely grossed out as she kept vomiting and couldn't seem to stop. Her cousin screamed at her as she was covered in puke.

I hurried off to find Jamie. I felt his energy by the bathroom and went right to the door—much to the shock of the men waiting there.

"I apologize, gents, but my lover called me from in there," I explained. "Someone slipped something in his drink. I could use a hand if you could warn the men in there and let Jamie know Arabella is here?"

"I could take you home instead if he's not up for the task?" one guy offered.

"You wouldn't survive it," I purred, putting fear in him since I was out of patience. It worked and he practically fled, shocking the few other men around.

One was nice and ducked in his head, warning guys to cover their cocks and calling for Jamie. "Arabella is here to pick you up. Come get your woman out of here before someone tries to carry her off. She's too hot to be here, stupid."

"She would never cheat on me," Jamie yelled back. "And she'd break any idiot who tried to put their hands on her. They should be scared of her."

"Damn right, love," I chuckled. "Can you make it out here? I don't want to see strange penises."

"I can make it. I don't want to scare you after what you've been through. Sorry, I should have hidden in the women's restroom."

I flinched, and one of the guys figured out what Jamie was talking about.

"I'll get him," he said gently before turning to two other guys. "Don't let anyone even bump her. My sister couldn't handle that after she was assaulted."

"Thank you," I said quietly.

He gave a firm nod. "He must be a good boyfriend for you to risk being triggered to come get him."

"I have a feeling he was drugged as revenge for being with me," I admitted. "It's the least I could do."

"The world is so fucked," he grumbled and went inside.

That it was.

I made a few business cards appear in my pocket and handed the guy one when he came out with Jamie. "We're making exceptions to the no-men rule and giving them membership passes. Call and you can get on the list, and I'll make sure you get some goodies as my thanks."

"I thought you looked familiar," he muttered, accepting it. "I can help you outside."

"Nope, I've got him, thanks though." I used my power and I made Jamie look like he wasn't too bad.

"My legs were just cramped from sitting in the stall too long," he said, getting in on what was going on. That seemed to be the truth though because he was better after we were even out of the hallway. "I have to tell my friends I'm leaving. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

"I made your cousin puke all over both of them," I warned him.

"Good. Fucking bitches drugged me," he grumbled. "I'm telling my mom."

Oh boy. He was so adorable drunk—or I guess drugged—like this.

How did a wolf shifter get drugged? I didn't think there was anything that would work on the twins like this?

"Jesus, fuck, she's hotter in person," one of Jamie's friends grumbled as we reached them. "And you were right that your cousins were jerks. They puked all over."

"They drugged me," Jamie snapped. "I told you I didn't want to drink that, but you guys switched it as a joke, didn't you?"

"Shit, yeah, I did," one of the guys confessed, and did a double take. "I think I saw your cousin drink from that too. Is she seriously so stupid she drugged herself too?"

No, but it served them right that that was what people would think of them now.

"You guys are all assholes," Jamie bitched. "I told you we weren't okay and not to let them sit, but they're hot, and you wanted to get laid. They were trying to get me to cheat on Arabella and drugged me to set it up. You're not my friends anymore!"

Oh boy. I agreed with him, but he sounded like a toddler.

"Let me help you get him out of here," the one closest to me said, trying to take Jamie's arm.

"I'm not trusting any of you," I said, smacking his arm. "What kind of friends don't listen when they know there's a family rift?"

"I arrived late and didn't know what was going on and asked Jamie if he was okay," he defended.

"I was already drugged," Jamie mumbled. "I don't know what and who."

"Okay, outside then," I agreed, seeing how packed the nightclub was.

And it wasn't as if the staff was going to be of help. They were too busy yelling that there was a mess of vomit and asking who was going to clean it up.

Them? As horrible as it was, it was their job.

Jamie's friend helped him get outside and then offered to get him to my vehicle. I lied and said we had a ride coming, so if he could just get us off to the side it would be fine.

He did and sighed as he pushed Jamie's hair back off his forehead. "I think it's time we ditch them, buddy. Their jealousy is eating them. They didn't come out on top like they had been in college and it's making them vicious instead of growing up. It's why I said I wasn't coming."

I glanced between them. "How long have you had feelings for Jamie?"

He didn't even try to deflect. "The moment I laid eyes on him." He smiled at me. "Do you blame me?"

"Not in the slightest. Sorry."

"He says you're good to him even if it's complicated and you're dating someone else too. He's not into guys, so as long as you keep being good to him, we're fine."

"I've got so many issues we could fill Boston, but he's got a lot of them too," I said after a few moments. "I think ours are so different that we're the right fit to help each other. If that changes—I won't ever intentionally hurt him, and I'm very careful to be honest so he doesn't unintentionally get hurt. I'm not sure what else I can do."

"Then you're better than the rest of the women who have come near him." He gave Jamie's forehead a kiss. "Let me know you're okay in the morning, yeah? If I have to beat someone up—"

"Arabella will handle my cousins, and I'm telling my mom on them," Jamie said, giving the guy a sad smile. "Sorry, Todd." He cupped his cheek. "I'm really sorry, Todd."

Todd's eyes flashed shock, but then he smiled too. "Of course you knew. Yeah, I'm not as smooth as I think. Don't be sorry. She's gorgeous and everything you deserve. Just don't cut me out, yeah?"

"Never, Brother." He patted his shoulder. "She's healing me. She spoils me. It's not ever about Barb or being a Kraft with her. She'll take me home and probably make me fresh cookies when she has to get up in a few hours for the bakery. She sees me like that."

"I'm glad. Really." He dipped his head to me. "Lovely to meet you."

"You safe to get home?" I checked.

"I valeted and didn't drink. I was waiting for Jamie. I thought he was just calling you. Sorry I was wrong." He shot Jamie an apologetic look. "Sorry I let them hurt you."

"I was too messed up to know you were there."

And clearly, the human didn't know the full story and was upset Jamie had been "drunk" and ignoring him. Mistakes like that happened.

I dosed the human with my power when I saw he was a good soul and then got Jamie out of there. There was a lot to handle.

And most of it had to do with punishing people.