Cora crossed the room to peek out of the curtain. Jefferson walked across the parking lot with a briefcase. He glanced in her direction, and she drew back.

“What are ya doing? Come back to bed.” Euann patted the mattress. “I want to hold my fiancée.

“Shh, there’s something strange going on.” She waved her hand at him to be quiet though it was doubtful anyone outside the room would have heard them.

“Let me at least give ya your clothes back so you’re not flashing everyone.” He lifted his hand, and she felt the brush of material over her skin as her shirt covered her chest.

“I’m not flashing anyone. They can’t see me.” Even so, she was glad for the extra coverage just in case.

“What strange thing is happening?” The bed made a noise as Euann stood.

“Jefferson’s here. He has a briefcase. What would a person from town be doing at a local hotel?” Cora asked, keeping an eye on the man.

Euann laughed.

“What?” She glanced at him, not getting the joke.

“Um, we’re locals and we’re here,” he said.

“Oh, yeah, but he’s carrying a briefcase,” she said.

“Oh, no, not a briefcase. How dare he do business at a hotel-motel,” Euann teased. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. For all his worry about her flashing the world, he remained naked. “Ya had better be careful, or ya will become worse than Mrs. Callister.”

“Maybe she’ll give me a job, seeing as I lost mine.” She gave a small laugh. “Then I could give her the real scoop about the mysterious MacGregors.”

“Oh, yeah, and what secrets would ya tell her?” He didn’t sound concerned as he lifted her hair so he could kiss the back of her neck.

“That she’s missing out because Euann MacGregor is good in bed.” She laughed harder.

His lips stopped, and he straightened. “Just good?”

“Mmm, maybe great.”

“Great?” His grip tightened on her shoulders.

“How about pretty freaking amazing, mind-blowingly awesome, best in the entire world, a god amongst magickal men—”

“Closer. But I can do better.” Euann began massaging her shoulders.

“Would it help if I said my magick senses are setting off alarm bells?” Cora leaned to the side to find where Jefferson had gone. “Something is off.”

Euann groaned. Pouting, he sighed and then mumbled unenthusiastically, “Yes, ya should always follow your instincts even if it leads ya out of my bed,” his tone changed to one of low seduction, “but especially if it leads ya into my bed.”

Cora didn’t know why, but she needed to follow Jefferson. She touched Euann’s hand, stopping the massage. Her eyes met his.

He studied her for a moment, and then said, “I understand.”

She felt her jeans covering her legs and her shoes forming on her feet as she went to the door. Cora pulled it open, glancing outside to make sure none of the hotel staff was around. She stepped into the early morning sunlight. The parking lot didn’t look as scary in daylight.

Jefferson disappeared into a covered walkway between buildings. She slowed her steps as she neared. Trying to act nonchalant, she strode past, glancing to the side.

Jefferson turned behind the building. She stopped, grabbed Euann’s arm without looking directly at him, and followed the man down the walkway.

“Did you bring it?” a woman asked in a hushed tone.

“There was nothing to bring,” Jefferson answered. “I did what you asked. I need your promise you’ll leave me alone now. I don’t have anything against the MacGregor family.”

Cora stiffened, not liking any hint of someone threatening her new family.

“I didn’t ask for your thoughts and feelings on the matter,” the woman quipped. “Go back and try again.”

Euann placed a hand on Cora’s shoulder and stepped past her. “Mrs. Callister, what a lovely morning.”

Jefferson jumped, startled, and took several steps back.

“You…you called them?” Mrs. Callister demanded.

Cora followed Euann as he confronted the older woman.

“Of course not,” Jefferson said.

“I couldn’t help overhearing my family name.” Euann kept stepping to the side to block her view.

Cora frowned and stepped in a wide arc around him, keeping an eye on Jefferson and Mrs. Callister.

“Hello, Jefferson,” Euann said.

“Hey.” He nodded at Euann.

“What’s going on?” Euann asked conversationally. He leaned against the building. “If I didn’t know better, it looks like you’re in the middle of a drug deal. Mrs. Callister, are ya dealing drugs with the big-city mafia? What would all your readers think?”

“What?” She gasped. “No, I… This ruffian called me and demanded I meet him out here or he’d do something to me. I told you he was no good. I don’t know what he would have done to me if—”

“Ah, come on,” Jefferson said. “You’re blackmailing me.”

“I am not. I am a pillar of…” Mrs. Callister lifted her chin. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, ruffian.”

Cora lifted her hand, silently asking Euann if he wanted her to stop the woman from leaving. He shook his head, not concerned.

“Why does the busybody think ya have something that might hurt my family?” Euann asked when Mrs. Callister was gone. He let a bit of magick show on the tips of his fingers in warning before rubbing it away.

“That lady is crazy,” Jefferson said. “She’s threatening to publish an article stating my food gave seven people severe food poisoning and include pictures of rats in my kitchen. I don’t have rats, but that kind of publicity will kill me in this town. It’s hard enough getting people to come through the doors.”

“What did she want you to do for her?” Cora glanced at the way he gripped the briefcase.

“She did some research and found out that my cousin works as a private detective. She said she’d publish her story about me unless I contacted him and had him dig up dirt. I have no clue why but she acts like I have powerful connections.” Jefferson looked at Cora. “I’m sorry I even considered it and asked my cousin to check.” He glanced back and forth between them before reaching into his briefcase. He handed Cora a folder. “I was going to leave a copy of the information in your car to warn you. She won’t get this from me, but another detective might find it.”

“If ya weren’t going to give it to her, why bring the briefcase?” Euann asked.

“I was trying to secure her promise not to publish her lies.” He reached into his briefcase and took out a phone set to record. “I wanted to record her blackmailing me. My next stop was Cora’s car.”

Euann lifted his hand and waved it over the phone. “Sorry, but I need to delete that recording.”

Cora opened the file. “Why me if she wants intel on the MacGregor family?”

“She seems kind of obsessed with you, Euann,” Jefferson said. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s more than a crush. I think she’s jealous.”

“What’s in there?” Euann looked over her shoulder and refused to address Mrs. Callister’s hypothetical feelings for him.

Cora stared at dated black-and-white photographs. “It looks like the back of my car.” She flipped through them. They showed the Kansas trooper walking up to her car. Her breath caught. The next was of Lewellen by her window, then one of her standing by the car with her arms up, and finally one with the trooper holding the trunk up with a child’s arm lifted from within.

It was Jewel in the back of her car.

“I don’t know the story, but the officer says everything was fine when he checked the trunk, and he voided the ticket. They think it’s some kind of digital matrixing, but it looks bad out of context. I put a copy of the full report in that file so you could contradict anything she might come up with.”

“Of course Cora didn’t kidnap a child in Kansas,” Euann dismissed.

Cora closed the file and folded it in half to make sure nothing fell out.

“That woman has her eye on your family and that mansion.” Jefferson looked dejected. “She’s going to ruin me, but I won’t be blackmailed into ruining someone else to stop it.”

“No, she won’t.” Cora didn’t like what was in the folder, but she also didn’t like people taking advantage of others. Remembering what Euann said about instincts, she followed hers. “We’ll make sure everyone knows about your pulled pork nachos. One taste of those and people will be back. Right, Euann?”

Euann didn’t appear happy about the blackmail file but followed her lead. “Mrs. Callister won’t be able to superimpose rats in your kitchen. Trust me. I’ve seen her computer skills. It’ll look like a kindergartener’s collage project.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry I had my cousin poke into your past,” Jefferson said.

“I believe you.” Cora felt there was more to it. She placed her hand on his shoulder, not sure why she did so. A light filled Jefferson’s eyes for the briefest of moments. She felt a sting in her fingers. She let go of him.

Jefferson’s voice lowered to a monotone. “I had a moment of weakness when I asked my cousin for the favor. This restaurant is everything I have. I need it to make money. Mawmaw and Aunt Cheryl are counting on me.”

“Jefferson?” Cora asked. His eyes were blank. She waved her hand in front of his face, but he didn’t blink.

“I send them a check when I can,” Jefferson continued in the same tone. “Aunt Cheryl hasn’t been feeling well. The doctors can’t figure out what it is, but they keep sending her to specialists. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Euann?” Cora whispered, confused. “What did I do?”

“I think ya made him confess.” Euann snapped his fingers a few times.

The man didn’t notice, only continued, “I was worried after you cornered me and asked me all those questions about my family, you know, when your face was stuck in that half-shift glamour to hide it from your pretty date sitting by the other man. I have to protect my family, but I can’t hurt yours to do it. I am worried that Mrs. Callister may try digging into my family’s past. We have to keep the fact I’m a dhampir a secret.”

“Isn’t that a human-vampire baby?” Cora looked at Jefferson in a new light. He looked completely normal.

“Where did ya learn about those?” Euann poked Jefferson in the chest to see if he’d react. He didn’t.

“They’ve been mentioned as characters in vampire novels.” She shrugged. He gave her a pained look. “What? I like to read.”

“But vampires? They’re ugly, awful creatures. Why not read about shifters? They’re sexy.”

Cora shrugged. “I don’t know. I like reading vampire novels.”

“Please don’t tell the rest of the family that,” Euann begged.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Jefferson was repeating in his monotone.

“I hope Callister doesn’t write something bad about his business,” Cora said. “He seems like a nice guy.”

“If she does something awful, I’ll magickally hack her computer and bring the whole blog down,” Euann said.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Can you fix him?” Cora became worried. She waved her hand in front of Jefferson’s face, trying to get him to react. She clapped her hands.

“I think I know what power the phoenix gave ya.” Euann nodded in appreciation. “You’re like a lie detector and a bottle of truth potion had a baby and named it Cora.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“How do we make him stop?” She clapped harder. “I think I broke him.”

“Try touching his shoulder again and think of what ya want when ya do it.” Euann motioned for her to try. “Go ahead.”

She thought about stopping the effects and patted him on the shoulder again.

Jefferson blinked and appeared none the wiser. “Thank you for understanding. Please, if there is anything I can do…”

“Tap him again,” Euann mumbled through the side of his mouth.

Cora arched a brow but did as she had before. Jefferson’s gaze changed.

“Tell us, what are the specials tonight,” Euann demanded.

“It’s seafood night. I’m hoping the theme will bring people in. We have lobster gumbo, shrimp and grits, fried butterfly shrimp—”

“Euann!” Cora swatted Euann on the chest lightly before reaching to stop Jefferson.

“I forgot what I was saying.” Jefferson rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“I was saying,” Euann said, “that next time ya have trouble with anyone in town, come to us. We can handle Mrs. Callister.”

“I will. Thank you. I should go.” Jefferson hurried down the walkway to the parking lot.

“So I’m pretty awesome.” Cora held up her fingers and wiggled them. “I should play poker. I’ll be able to tell when people are bluffing. Though, first, I have to learn how to play poker.”

“I think one gambler in the family is enough,” Euann said.

“Who has a gambling problem? Uncle Raibeart?” That MacGregor did seem to have a couple of screws loose. It didn’t mean Cora didn’t like him. She thought Raibeart was hilarious.

“Malina’s husband,” Euann corrected. “He takes people’s good and bad luck, as needed. Malina said he’s at a poker event. As for Uncle Raibeart, his problems are too numerous to go into.”

“What did Jefferson mean about your glamorous face and shifting?”

“Oh, that,” Euann chuckled. “Let’s just say our first date went wrong in many ways.”

“Does this have anything to do with Iain turning into a bird? When I was in the hollow, and he shifted right outside of it? I should have mentioned I saw it, but I had other things on my mind.” She patted his ass, so he’d get her meaning. “Though, bird shifting wasn’t the strangest thing I’ve seen all week.”

“I’m not a bird. I am…well, I was a fox. For some reason, I can’t shift anymore. When we were at the Crimson Tavern, my face was stuck in a half shift and Iain had to put a spell over it so no one would notice.”

“Is that normal, growing out of shifting?” Cora wondered if his lost ability was something they should be concerned about.

“Not usually. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

As they came to the parking lot, she saw who was most likely the hotel manager standing with housekeeping by the room she and Euann had used. Cora led him on a straight path to the car. “We should probably leave before they figure out we’re not guests.”

“I could use some breakfast.” Euann slung his arm around her. He lifted his hand and waved at the manager. The woman waved back and smiled politely.

“Fine, but then I want to do something.” Cora reached for the driver’s side door but Euann beat her to it. When he opened it for her, she said, “Why don’t you drive? You’ll probably just enchant the car and take over, anyway.”

She went around and climbed into the passenger side.

“What is it ya would like to do? Tell everyone about the engagement? Look for a dress? I’m assuming ya will want to wed soon. I see no reason to wait.”

“I’m not that picky. I don’t need a fancy dress, I don’t think. Honestly, I haven’t thought about any of those things. I’m fine with a judge and a courthouse.”

Euann put the car into gear and revved the engine a couple of times as Mrs. Callister drove past. The woman refused to look at them. “I don’t think the busybody likes me anymore. Anyway, ya were saying ya had an idea of what ya would like to do today?”

Cora smiled sweetly. “I want to hunt that woman down and make her spill all her secrets on tape and then blackmail her so she never tries to hurt this family again.”

“While I appreciate the thought…” Euann treaded carefully.

“I’m kidding,” Cora laughed. “Well, I’m half-kidding. I want to, but I won’t.”

“How about we go with my plan and just get married tonight?” he asked.

“Tonight?” Cora didn’t know how to respond.

“Not soon enough?” Euann pulled out of the parking lot and drove a little too fast down the side streets. “You’re right. This afternoon might work better.”