Whiskey Witches, F.J. Blooding [ap literature book list .TXT] 📗

lip, anxious to read the note, and sat on her heels.

Tony narrowed his eyes at her, glancing significantly down at her hand.

Shit. Tony had always been a good detective, but never this observant. Or was it simply that she had something to hide? The real world, where she worked, didn’t believe in the supernatural. A whiff of magick, of “precognition,” of visions, or anything like that, and she’d be shipped out of the unit on a mental health release.

Or worse.

She needed to be super careful with him.

“We might have the killer’s DNA.” Barn held up the victim’s hand. “Scrapings under the finger nails.”

“That’s good,” Tony said, his voice tight, his lips pulled down, his brow furrowed.

Why were Tony’s non-verbals mimicking what Paige was thinking?

Having the killer’s DNA did them no good. The person who owned the DNA under those nails was not the thing that had killed this woman.

Tony couldn’t know the last bit. She’d know if he knew about demons. Wouldn’t she?

He raised an eyebrow at her. “It’d be great if he had a prior. I like it when they’re in the system.” His tone wasn’t nearly as stone cold serious as his face.

“That’s because you like ‘em easy,” she bantered back, her tone light as she kept her expression a mask. She rose to her feet, watching her partner for any other clues as to why he was acting so strangely.

He mirrored her movements, including her expression.

Shit. She walked toward the crime scene tape. Deal with Tony now? Wait?

It had only been two days. She needed more time to process her new normal.

She stashed the card in her pocket and removed her latex gloves. Finding the trash bag, she tossed them in, then ducked under the crime scene tape. Dodging the reporters, she headed toward the single open space she could find.

Tony followed her. “Whiskey.”

“Hey, Keiff,” Paige called to one of the uniformed officers keeping the bystanders away from the scene. “Got a cigarette?”

Keiff turned, his white teeth bright against his darker skin in a welcome smile. “I thought you quit.”

Her nerves were ragged. “Just need one. Spot me?”

He dug into his chest pocket for his pack. Giving her a rueful look, he handed her one.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, well, just don’t start again.”

Tony stepped in front of her. “What the hell’s up with you?”

Officer Keiff rounded his lips and backed away, his hands raised. “Stayin’ out of this. See ya ‘round, Whiskey.”

Paige released a long breath. This wasn’t what she needed. “What do you mean?”

Something tugged at the door inside her soul.

She straightened, searching the people around her. It was just a tug. The demon the door was calling to wasn’t close. At least, not close enough for the door to drag it into her.

She could hope it stayed away from her, or she could get out of there.

It could be her killer, though.

Didn’t matter. She couldn’t do anything with the damned door branded to her damned bones.

“Let’s forget about what I just saw for a second.”

He’d been looking away when she’d taken the card.

“You’ve been different since you came back from Louisiana.” He handed her a lighter. “What happened out there?”

“Nothing.” She flipped the Bic, but her flame sputtered out.

“Bullshit.” He cupped the flame for her. “You came back different.”

The door inside her tugged again.

She needed to leave. If this was Sven, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to get close.

Her cigarette flared to life. Paige needed a way to end the conversation. Quickly. The smoke filled her lungs painfully. It tasted like ass, too, but the first flush of the nicotine eased the tension in her head.

“What’s that?”

Paige looked up at her partner, almost choking on her smoke. “What’s what?”

“That.” He pointed to Paige’s chest.

Fear slammed in her throat. She clasped the button tighter, cursing her button-up shirt. “Why are you staring at my boobs?”

“I’m not staring at your boobs.” His voice was so calm. Dangerously calm. “What is that?”

There was something definitely off about her partner. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit, nothing.” He pushed at Paige’s hand.

She shoved his face away. “Hey, boundaries, man.”

He took a few steps back, all the playfulness of her old partner erased. Something primal replaced it, something old and powerful. “That’s a symbol.”

Paige raised her chin, her cigarette forgotten. Was he what the door had been calling to? It seemed unlikely, but anyone could be possessed.

“That’s a scab of an occult symbol on your chest.”

No. That was the physical representation of the demon door her soul housed. “Drop it.”

His gaze lifted to meet hers. “The killer caught you.”

Paige ground her teeth together.

He rubbed the corners of his widening mouth. “This is bad, Paige. Are you harmed?”

She tried to reconcile the face of her smart-assed, good-natured partner with the solemn, serious, and predatory man standing before her.

He leaned in. “Are you harmed?” His voice rolled over her, dark and mesmerizing.

No. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Are you compromised?”

No. She ground her teeth but forced out, “Yes.” Her heart raced.

Something flashed, like a ball of light in the back of his dark eyes.

She staggered as whatever had been controlling her disappeared.

Controlling her?

He took a step back and blinked. “Go home, Paige. I’ll finish up here.” He turned to walk away.

Her body shook. She had never met a demon who could do that. “Tony?”

He turned back to her, his lips set, his expression tired and pissed. “Yeah.”

She paused, gathering the courage to ask the question that could blow her cover. “What are you?”

He bit the inside of his lip. “What are you?”

Crushing her half-finished cigarette, she shoved her tongue in her cheek. How was she supposed to answer that?

He nodded, looking away. “Go home. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah.”

She scurried back to her car, the tug on the door within her soul decreasing as she moved. Her partner, whom she’d known for five years, was a part of the supernatural community? He didn’t feel like a “psychic.” He was solid.

Predatory and old.

Demon?

He hadn’t possessed her, so, no.

Then what?

She didn’t know but she was going to find out.

Join us in Blood Moon Magic as Paige and Dexx go back to Denver, broken and bruised but still ready to fight. The world she thought she’d find when she got back is turned upside down when she realizes the paranormal world has always been around her, just waiting for her to rejoin it.

And if that wasn’t enough, Sven is back and leaving bodies for her all over the metro area.

Pick up Blood Moon Magick now:

https://www.fjblooding.com/blood-moon

Don’t forget to leave reviews! Let us know what you think!