CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
LETTIE
“Oh, for the love of Pete! Get the lead out, Nicolette. The boys are waiting for us,” Julie hollered from the living room of Connor’s apartment. Dean had called moments ago. He was back from running Fallon home to pick up a few things and said that Zander was finished with the interference amulets. They were waiting for us over at Dean and Julie’s place in order to put us womenfolk under magical protective custody. If it meant that the boys stayed clearheaded because they didn’t have to worry about us… then so be it. At least this time it wasn’t solitary, and it meant Connor was less likely to end up arrested for stealing the stupid athame if he had his head in the game.
The day had gone too fast, and no one else seemed really worried about tonight. It was a silly task, and they were the Horsemen of Legend, but I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that this was a bad idea. That feeling only grew worse as the day progressed. My anxiety ate at me all through lunch. I was full of nervous energy and unable to eat, so I began cleaning the kitchen. Fallon seemed to understand I needed this, needed to stay busy, and gave me space to do so, talking about unimportant things like celebrities, and playing YouTube clips of her favorite stand-up comedians. It didn’t make things better, but I think it helped them from getting worse.
Fallon stuck around till Connor returned around 4:00 p.m. He was way better at distractions. I was like melted butter by the time we ate dinner and the guys called to say that Zander had arrived. They wanted Connor back to strategize. “Warren is fucking anal about this shit,” Connor explained. But as soon as he was gone, all the fear and stress of the unknown… thing that was gnawing at me started creeping back. I was cleaning the already clean kitchen again when Julie knocked on the door. Connor was only down the hall, so either he just knew or sensed I was getting wound up again. We talked books and movies and movies about books till Dean called.
“Lettie!” Julie bellowed. Crap, where’s that stupid book? I had the brilliant idea, after all that book talk, to grab my current read to bring with me. I didn’t foresee myself actually getting any reading done, but perhaps everyone would be less worried about me if they thought I was. Truth was, I would be worried sick till they all arrived back home safely. There.
“Got it,” I shouted, grabbing it off the chair where I’d abandoned it days before in Connor’s spare room. I rounded the corner and into the living room only to stop dead at the sight of Warren, not Julie, waiting for me.
“I asked Julie to give us five minutes, and I’ll walk you over. After I promised to not be a butt-munch, she agreed,” Warren informed me.
“Okay, is there something you need? Did I do something wrong?” I asked, keeping a good distance between us. Yes, he was Connor’s brother, so in theory, I should be safe. But since Warren had made it abundantly clear that he was no fan of mine, I thought it best to err on the side of caution.
“The opposite, actually.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out my bracelet from my mother. “I wanted to return this now that we no longer have use for it and it has been cleared by my tech and security team. I am aware it is important to you, so I made sure they were careful with it.” I was touched by the care he took, and seeing the bracelet now my breath hitched in my throat with unshed tears. Shit, you are missing so much, Mom.
I stepped forward to accept my treasure back and cleared my throat to ask, “Why? You could have given it to Connor or Falcone to give to me. I don’t understand why you went out of your way. You hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I hated the reminder and the similarities. It made me a bit… grumpier than usual.” I couldn’t help it, I snorted in agreement. “I did try to give it to Falcone, but he took the moment to enlighten me on how much of a jackass I had been. He told me how you tore into him when Connor found out about the athame. He also told me what you told him and the girls at Notes. There were parts to that story I, even having lived through the horrors, didn’t know until a few hours ago. Though it wasn’t your place, I’m grateful to not have to explain my scars to the girls. I’d seen the inquiries in their gazes for a while now.” He moved one fist over his heart and bowed his head. “Thank you for removing the burden and giving me answers to questions that have haunted me for centuries.” He straightened and looked me hard in the eye. “This doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“Nor should you,” I agreed, and Warren’s body went rock solid and alert. “Yet. Trust should not be easily given, and I broke everyone’s when I didn’t give you all mine. So, for now, it will be slowly earned back, and hopefully one day you and I will get there again. Till then, I am very happy with a less hostile but still leery Warren.”
He stared at me for a solid minute, like he was coming to a decision, then spoke. “Let’s get you over to Dean’s before I grow a pussy with all this girl talk.”
Giggling, I put on my bracelet and followed him out.
“Took you fucking long enough. Did you hurt her? Did he hurt you? You’re smiling and not crying, that’s good… right?” Connor shot off questions as we entered Dean and Julie’s apartment. He shoved Warren out of the way and scooped me into his arms for a closer assessment before I could answer.
“Geeze, Mom, I didn’t know she had a curfew,” Warren commented quietly, but not quietly enough as he dismissed us and made his way across the room to a smiling Falcone. It was nice to see him grinning again. It looked like he had spent the last few hours working things out with his brothers. The rest in the room were paired off and talking—Dean and Julie saying goodbyes, and Fallon and Zander were having words, the sexual tension rolling off them in waves. Connor was soooo right about those two.
“Not her mom. I’m her mister, and I worried when my jackass of a brother disappeared to have a word with my woman. Only because I have had my own ass chewed clear out by her and knew she could hold her own did I leave it as long as I did,” Connor defended. My heart swelled at the pride and confidence he had in me.
I ran my hand up his chest to bring his attention back to me. “He was a gentleman. I have a way to go in earning Warren’s trust, but he was very respectful and apologized for earlier behaviors, even though he was justified in his feelings.”
His anger deflated immediately, “Oh, well… good. ’Bout damn time.”
“He actually came to give me back my bracelet from my mom before you guys left,” I stated, raising my wrist proudly. Connor smiled, lifted my wrist higher, and kissed the inside just above the beads, causing my heart to skip a beat and then kick back double time.
“Good,” he whispered against my wrist. Then he kissed it with one more sweet peck before turning to the room. “Okay, Zander, time to do your thing. We have a heist to do.”