“No,” Raven and I deadpanned at the same time.
“I can’t believe it,” I added. “Who would think you’re up to something shady? That’s just preposterous.”
“Keep it up,” Mark warned. “We both know I’m the one who brings in the bulk of the money in this operation. That means I’m more important than you.”
“Keep thinking that,” I countered. “As for Cole, he’s here as long as he wants to be here. He and Luke are ... hanging out.” As much as I wanted to dislike Cole, there was no way I would ever take Mark’s side. I was hazy on Cole’s motivations. I knew exactly what sort of person Mark was. There was no way I would ever publicly — or privately, for that matter — agree with him.
“I’m serious.” Mark lowered his voice until it was barely a hiss. “Having a cop hanging around is bad for us. You guys are always doing loopy stuff. What if he sees?”
“He already knows.” I smirked at the look of surprise on Mark’s face. “In fact, not only does he know, he’s one of us. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“He’s one of you?” Mark furrowed his brow ... and then realization dawned. “Oh.”
“You don’t need to worry about him,” I repeated, even though I’d been worried about the man — for entirely different reasons — for the better part of two weeks. “He won’t care about whatever scam you’re running. You’d just better make sure it doesn’t have a negative impact on the circus. If it does, I’ll be the one digging into your business, and it won’t be pretty.”
Mark took a moment to absorb the news and then straightened his shoulders. “As long as you have things under control, that’s fine.”
I glared at his back as he stomped off. “I really hate that guy.”
“Join the club.” Raven looked amused when I glanced at her. “He is fun to mess with, though.”
“Definitely.”
DINNER WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND the only thing we had left to complete as the sun set was erecting the dreamcatcher. Essentially we were a circus by day and a monster-hunting squad by night. The dreamcatcher was something we’d perfected together. Raven, the two pixie twins, Naida and Nixie, and I worked together to weave a tapestry of magic. It called to evil creatures — both human and non-human — and alerted if anything crossed our boundaries. It was a security system of sorts, and none of us could sleep until the lines were firmly drawn and placed.
“Dinner was good,” Kade offered as he joined me on my corner of the fairgrounds. “Thank you for being such a great provider.”
He was trying to feel me out, see if I was still angry about the earlier argument. I wasn’t. I was keen to make sure things were okay.
“Thanks.” I held up my glowing hands and modulated my magic. “I’m sorry about before.”
His smile was rueful. “That was going to be my line.”
“I don’t like it when we argue.”
“I think we can both agree on that. The thing is, we’re always going to argue. That’s simply the sort of people we are. We’re also the sort of people who like to make up — which is exactly what I want to do as soon as we’re finished here.”
I laughed at his earnest expression. “I thought you wanted a massage.”
“I think we can fit in both. In fact, one might lead to the other.”
I saw that coming. “I think we can make it happen,” I agreed, the sound of laughter drawing my attention to trailer row, where Luke and Cole sat at the bistro table sharing beers and having a good time. “They seem happy.” I hadn’t meant to utter the observation out loud.
“They do,” Kade agreed. “I think maybe they’re going to figure out a way to keep this going after Cole’s vacation. I don’t know how, but ... I really like him.”
I searched Kade’s face for a hint of guile and came up empty. He was telling the truth. “I’m trying to like him.”
Kade snickered. “No, you’re not. You’re having some sort of territorial thing over Luke. It doesn’t matter. He’s a genuinely nice guy and he’ll win you over before it’s all said and done.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“I am sure of myself.”
That’s another thing I was afraid of. Kade was a good judge of character. If he liked Cole it might actually mean I was the one at fault for the wall that had been erected between us. I didn’t want to consider that possibility.
“Let’s not talk about that tonight, okay? Let’s just focus on each other.”
“That’s how I think we should spend every night.” He chuckled as he swooped in and kissed me, ignoring the fact that I was still working on the dreamcatcher. When he pulled back, he was still smiling. “I really do love you.”
The naked sentiment in his eyes was enough to make me warm all over. I was about to respond when the hair on the back of my neck started going stiff and alert. I kept my hands up, the dreamcatcher magic flowing through me, and peered into the darkness at my back.
“What is it?” Kade was instantly alert. He’d been around me long enough to know when I sensed something.
“I don’t know.” The trees at the far side of the field were thick. I saw no movement, no illuminated eyes suggesting animals had come to see what was going on. I saw nothing. I felt darkness, though, and it left me unsettled. “I feel as if someone is watching me.”
Kade peered into the darkness, frowning. “Should we check it out?”
That was the question. Ultimately, I shook my head. “It could be kids drawn to the area by the vehicles. Maybe they party in this field.”
“Could be. Could be something worse.”
“If it is, the dreamcatcher will draw it in and we’ll handle it that way. It’s best to let the magic do what we created it to do. There’s no reason to go on a hunt ... at least not yet.”
Kade didn’t look convinced but nodded. “Okay. Finish up. I’m ready to hit the hay.”
“I thought you wanted romance.”
“Oh, I’m going to romance your socks off.”
I smiled, some of the dread that had been coursing through me lifting. It probably was just kids, I told myself. We’d inadvertently (and temporarily) taken over more than one party spot through the years and those we displaced were never happy. They also weren’t a threat. “I’m really looking forward to that.”
“That makes two of us.”
3
Three
I dreamed I was back at the site of the accident. That was hardly surprising. I’d been bothered by the scene since we’d found it. Still, the dream had a few quirks I wasn’t expecting.
I stood at the bottom of the ravine, my gaze going to the road above. I heard the steady traffic, the hum of tires on pavement, but the danger wasn’t from up there. It was from the trees.
I felt eyes on me, multiple sets. Something dangerous lurked behind the fluttering foliage. As the leaves shifted with the increasing breeze, I heard something ... whispering.