20. Murder, Marathons, and A Still Naked Fitz

KUSHIM

I growl and hang up on Amias. Four hours for pizza is unacceptable. Apparently, the guy bringing it wasn’t happy about playing errand boy. Well, by the time I’m through with him, he’ll be wishing errand boy was all he was.

The air sizzles as a massive influx of energy pops somewhere close by. It’s alarming considering I haven’t seen anyone other than that redheaded guy with the stupid turtle shirt who was with that tall blond woman who would even be remotely strong enough. But this energy doesn’t feel like his. It feels more like…

I quicken my pace as I head back to our room. This feels like what happened at the bar. Damn it. If something happened to Clover while I was on the damn phone.

I fling the door open, and my brow scrunches. The supposed-to-be-dead man from the casino is in a bloody heap on the floor, his hands and feet bound by…rainbow yarn? Mip is sniffling on top of the pizza boxes, and Clover… Clover is tucked into the shifter’s chest. A blank expression on her face.

“What happened here?” I direct my gaze at Fitzroy. He’s scowling at me over Clover’s head, and if I wasn’t me, perhaps I might be frightened.

“Clover’s powers did their thing, and Morfran’s remnant showed up. Aldrich jumped back into that realm to lure him away and told us to meet him in Spells Hollow.”

So that’s why Clover and her little friend are upset. I gesture at my man. “And here?”

Fitzroy’s face darkens more, and I quirk my eyebrow. Damn, if I didn’t like collecting debts so much myself, I’d get him to do it. He’s a scary motherfucker. Maybe we can work together after this is all resolved.

“That fuckwad decided instead of just delivering the pizza and choosing to live the remainder of his sad life in peace, he would call her a whore and demand a tit-job. Only reason he is not dead yet is because he is your man.”

My hands clench, and I suck in a breath as I calmly start to roll up my shirtsleeves.

“I see.”

There’s a little coffee station on the table by the TV, and I grab a plastic spoon, tearing it out of the wrapper and spinning to face my man.

“Aren’t you the one who bruised my sweet at the casino? Amias didn’t kill you? I am certain I sent you to him for that one task.”

Amias chose a horrible moment to try to get back at me for cleaning duty. I will be docking his pay after this.

Fitzroy growls, and my man’s eyes widen with alarm.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

“That would be the sock,” Fitzroy supplies, helpfully.

I shake my head. “So disrespectful to women. Let’s see how well you disrespect them with no eyeballs, shall we?”

Fitzroy’s grin is feral, and I find myself returning it. We’ll take care of this perverted asshole, then when I know he won’t prey on innocent women again, we’ll go find Clover’s Fae mate. I’ll make sure we do.

ALDRICH

I have lost what little remained of my mind, I suppose. What was I thinking, sacrificing myself like that? I shake my head. I know precisely what possessed me to do so. My mind was wrought at the thought that she would be harmed. I’ll do anything to keep Clover safe. The remnant is getting desperate. Either it is past time for his normal feeding, or it must have realized that we’re attempting to break the curse when Clover closed that portal at the bar. It could be both. My powers have strengthened the more Clover bonds with the others, and I have a feeling her powers are strengthening as well.

I throw a weak blast of power at him before rolling away. Now that I’m not with Clover, my reserve is draining fast.

I’m not sure what’s worse, being completely devoid of power or having so little that I’m merely an irritation to ol’ Blobby. Dammit, Clover. Morfran … When we first began our endless battles, I always had the upper hand. ‘Twas supposed to be a simple matter of time to vanquish him. If only I had realized the source of his growing strength. Then mayhap we wouldn’t even be in this predicament in the first place, and Clover could bring not only me home, but some of her family as well.

It blasts a huge stream of its fog at me, and I leap into the air, rolling deftly, barely avoiding it as I turn to make my escape. I cannot perish now. Not after promising my sunshine I’d meet her in Spells Hollow.

I vaguely recall these landmarks from when I was first thrown into this realm all those years ago. Now, though, they look ruined. I sprint past the ruins in the direction I think the town still stands. A roar in the distance tells me that I’m still faster than the bastard, at least. A blessing among curses in this rotten void.

A grin stretches my face as I pick up the pace.

I’m coming for you, Clover. I’ll always come for you.

FITZROY

I wish I could’ve taken notes when Kushim was carving that idiot asshole up with that plastic spoon. It was a sight to see, for sure.

I don’t know if Clover was just out of it, or if she’s truly fine with her mates being murderous psychopaths. Because after Kushim popped that second eyeball out, stomping it into the old motel carpet, he magicked the plastic spoon into a knife and peeled that bald asshole’s skin off before stabbing him in the heart.

I’d have done the deed myself, but Clover was holding onto me for dear life. I don’t know if she thought I’d disappear like Aldrich, or if she was just in shock, but I’d wager it was a bit of both. She’s been unflappable since I met her. Not blinking an eye at the world her mates on this plane come from, but now, with Aldrich gone, she needs me. According to them, he’s been by her side since they met. I can imagine it would be a shock to the system for him to willingly throw himself at the thing they’ve been running from all this time.

“Ugh, killing is so messy without magic. But that was quite satisfying, if I do say so,” Kushim says as he wipes the blood off his hands with one of the clean towels from the bathroom. “We should go.”

“You gonna do something with him?” I ask, nodding at the body.

He sighs. “I suppose I should.” He pulls out his phone. “Vee, I need you to come collect something. You’ll need to bring a cleaner with you. Then have it placed in Amias’s office. Without his knowledge.” He snaps the phone shut and waves his hand, and the objects damaged from the fight disintegrate. “My second will be happy to find that in his office in the morning,” he says with a cold smile.

I chuckle darkly and stand with Clover still in my arms. Mip went silent sometime during the torture session, and he teleports onto Clover’s shoulder.

Kushim holds his arms out, and I reluctantly hand our little mate over. She snuggles into him immediately, and a brief flare of jealousy flows through me, but I wave it away. She’s mine as much as she’s his and the Fae’s.

“Get the stuff and meet me at the van,” Kushim says, turning to leave. “And put some clothes on!”

That demon’s lucky Clover wants him, otherwise I’d be stabbing the pompousness out him, one horn stab at a time. I pull my jeans on and put on a fresh shirt and some socks. Then I slip my feet into my boots and grab the pizza and Clover’s bag, scanning the room once more before I close the door behind me.

Spells Hollow, here we come.