“Maybe not, but it sounds like you’re the person standing in the way of this case against my client being completely dropped,” Sebastian said, narrowing his eyes at her. “That means you’re not exactly a friend either.”

  “Sebastian,” Iris said, suddenly tired. “She’s just doing her job.” Iris gave him a weak smile. “I appreciate your support, but why don’t we listen to what she has to say before we get hostile.”

  “Hostile?” Ginny asked, her eyebrows disappearing under her bangs.

  “It’s a figure of speech,” Iris said, wishing she had another cup of coffee just to have something to do with her hands.

  “Alright,” Ginny said, getting down to business. “There are a couple of things that I have to put into my report that are concerning. First, your backyard has been cleansed of magic.”

  Iris sat up straight and then leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “What do you mean my backyard has been cleansed of magic?” She turned to Sebastian. “Was that part of the sweep you guys did?”

  “Sweep?” Ginny asked.

  Sebastian gave Iris a pointed look, indicating that she should stop talking.

  A sinking feeling landed in Iris’s gut. Oops. Had she just messed up? Surely sweeping her house for bugs wasn’t against any rule, was it? She had a right to her privacy and to remove any cameras that had been installed without her permission. Though she suspected this was more about making sure that there were no questions about unsavory activity at her house. She clamped her mouth shut and decided to let Sebastian handle the rest of the meeting.

  “I had a security team check the house for bugs and hidden cameras. After the curse was cast in her backyard, I wanted to make sure nothing else nefarious was going on,” he said. “But we did not do any sort of cleansing of magic in the backyard. That’s not even in our wheelhouse.”

  “But it’s in hers,” Ginny said, nodding to Iris.

  “No, it isn’t,” Iris said automatically.

  “Iris, please let me handle this,” Sebastian said, giving her another pained look.

  “Sorry.” She reached down and picked up BeeBee, needing something to focus on before she lost her mind. The dog settled in her lap and instantly relaxed as Iris stroked her ears.

  “As Iris indicated, her magic isn’t nearly strong enough to cleanse a site that had been the source of a curse,” Sebastian insisted. “In fact, it wasn’t until after the curse happened and she enlisted help from the town coven that she even realized she had usable magic at all. Does a couple of days of dabbling in magic seem like enough time to develop such a complex skill?”

  “That brings me to the second thing I have to put in the report. When she was questioned by the detective on this case, Iris indicated that she didn’t have the power or ability to cast such a curse. But it’s obvious Iris has more than minimal magic,” Ginny insisted. “It’s radiating off her like a freaking magic fountain.”

  Iris glanced down at her bare arms as if she were going to see something. All she saw was her hair standing up as if there was an electrical charge in the air. Being that they lived on the coast, that wasn’t exactly unusual.

  “I don’t see anything,” Sebastian said.

  Ginny pulled out a small scanner gun, pointed it at Iris, and pressed a button. A light flashed red, and the scanner started making an obnoxiously loud beeping noise. She made a note of whatever the reading was and then started to turn back to Sebastian. But before she met his gaze, she stared at Iris with her mouth hanging open. “Holy shit. I’ve never seen that happen before.”

  Iris looked down at herself and let out a gasp when she spotted a golden light outlining her body. She sat completely still, watching as the magic rippled just above her skin. “What is that?”

  “It’s a revealing spell, designed to bring your magic to the surface. It shows how powerful you are,” Ginny said. “You, Iris Hartsen, are a very powerful witch. I’m not sure why you and your lawyer are claiming otherwise.”

  Iris opened her mouth to defend herself, but Sebastian cut her off. “No matter how powerful she is, the fact remains that up until a few days ago, Iris didn’t even know she had power lurking beneath the surface. You can check her employee records with the city and see that she never used magic for her job. A background report will reveal she’s never been cited for using magic unlawfully. And if you want to look even harder, perhaps check her school records. You’ll find that she was a bright student who didn’t engage in any of the extracurriculars that involved magic. That’s common for those from magical families that for some reason weren’t blessed with the same amount of power as their parents or siblings.”

  “So, you’re saying that Iris just came into her power,” Ginny said with a nod. “That happens sometimes. Especially to women who are starting menopause. Hormones change, and magic is unlocked.”

  “Really?” Iris’s hands were shaking. She knew she wasn’t responsible for the curse or anything else that had gone on in her backyard. But if the agent put it in her report, there was no telling what the DA and Tad would try to do with that.

  “Oh, yeah. We see it all the time. Once the facial hair starts growing, look out. The magic is just as strong as the hot flashes.” Ginny fanned her face as if she were having a hot flash right then and there. Though Iris was certain the woman wouldn’t know her way around a hot flash even if it slapped her across the face.

  “Hand fans don’t do shit for hot flashes,” Iris muttered. “They’re more like having literal fireballs trying to burn your skin off. It’s gonna take a full-on HVAC system to touch one of those.”

  The agent chuckled to herself. “That’s consistent with what I’ve heard. But since it sounds like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to hot flashes, I’d say you’re one of the lucky witches who likely came into your magic because of the hormone changes. If I were you, I’d get my levels checked just to make sure nothing goes haywire.”

  “Sure,” Iris said, not wanting to be rude, but also trying to let Sebastian handle the rest of the visit.

  Sebastian finally sat and rested his elbows on the table. He leaned closer to the agent and said, “Look, just because someone swept Iris’s backyard of remnant magic and she may be coming into her own, that doesn’t change the fact that there is no evidence that she did this. It’s likely that whoever cast the spell learned that there’d be a paranormal investigation and did what they could to cover their tracks. Meanwhile, Iris has a solid alibi for the time period when the curse was cast, and if you talk to the coven, I’m sure they will confirm that she is just starting to learn about her abilities.”

  “That may all be true, Mr. Knight, but I’m still obligated to put what I found here in a report,” she said.

  “It doesn’t make you obligated to draw conclusions though.” Sebastian turned his attention toward the back door. “Did it ever occur to you that it’s likely the Premonition Pointe police cleansed the magic out there?”

  “Why would they do that?” Ginny asked, sounding genuinely curious.

  Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t know, Agent Stevens. Tell me why the city council ousted her when she’d done nothing but improve almost every aspect of this town during her tenure. Why did they coerce her ex-husband into trying to scare her into taking a deal? But most importantly, if they had any concrete evidence on her, why would they drop the charges today when I threatened to get Internal Affairs involved?”

  A tiny smile curved the agent’s lips, and then just as suddenly the smile was gone. She cleared her throat. “Obviously I don’t have the answer to that. Thank you for your candor. I’m not here to make judgments. But I did want to warn you that I have to put everything I’ve found in my report.” She glanced at Iris. “Can you think of anyone who might’ve cleansed the magic from your backyard?”

  Iris automatically shook her head, but as soon as she did, a sharp pain stabbed her in the stomach as realization washed over her.

  There was only one person who would take matters like that into her own hands.

  Iris’s mother, Katheryn West.

  Chapter 14

  “None of that evidence is conclusive,” Sebastian said as soon as the MTF agent left.

  “I know,” Iris said, picking BeeBee up off her lap and carrying her into the living room. She curled up at the end of her couch and closed her eyes with BeeBee beside her. “It sure does make me look guilty though.”

  Sebastian had followed her into the living room and was pacing now. “I think someone from the department did it.”

  “Why?” Iris rubbed her temple, trying to ease the ache that had formed in the last half hour. She’d gone from the charges being dropped to some sort of weird limbo through no fault of her own.

  “Think about it. If someone from the new administration cast the curse, they’d certainly want to cover that up. And by doing it this way, it makes you look like you were covering your own tracks.”

  Iris snorted out a laugh. “That would make me the dumbest criminal in the history of the world. Why would I cast the curse from my backyard and risk being a suspect in the first place?”

  “Newbie mistake?” he suggested.

  “Dammit. Yeah, that would work as an argument.”

  Sebastian took a seat in the chair across from her. “It’s an argument they can use, but it doesn’t hold up without actual evidence. I’d feel better if we could prove who wiped the magic from your yard.”

  Iris swallowed.

  Sebastian’s eyes widened. “Do you know who did it?”

  She shook her head slowly then said, “I don’t know, but I have an idea of who it could have been.”

  “Tell me and I’ll check it out.”

  He already had his phone out, ready to type in a name, when she said, “My mother spent the day baking and cleaning yesterday. She kept saying she wanted to help me. And I’m not totally sure she believes that I didn’t cast the curse. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was her.”

  “Dammit!” Sebastian got to his feet and started to pace. “If that’s proven, it will be bad for our case.”

  “I doubt she’ll admit it, if that helps at all.” Iris desperately wanted to lie down on the couch and just sleep the afternoon away. How had her life fallen apart so quickly? It was more than overwhelming.

  “I’ll interview her myself,” Sebastian said. “When will she be back?”

  “I have no idea. Katheryn comes and goes as she pleases.”

  Sebastian nodded, typed something on his phone, and then turned back to her. “You look beat. I’m going to get out of here and let you rest. In the meantime, I’ll do everything in my power to try and keep them from charging you again.”

  Iris let her gaze drift to his. “Do you think they will?”

  “They’ll likely try. The lead officer was pissed when he learned that the DA was dropping the charges, so it’s best we be prepared for anything.”

  She let out a groan. “All right. We’ll just have to figure out who did this before they can build a bogus case against me.”

  “Iris,” Sebastian said, a gentle warning in his tone. “Please be careful. You don’t want to give them any more ammunition to use against you.”

  “I know.” She let out a sigh. “It’s just that I have to do something.”

  “No, you don’t. I’ll hire an investigator to get to the bottom of this.” He started to move toward the door.

  Iris processed what he’d said. “That’s not a normal thing when paying a lawyer, is it?”

  “No, not usually. But this case calls for an exception.”

  “All right,” Iris said with a nod. “But I’m paying for that. Not Gigi or her foundation, understand? I can’t just be using all of those resources when I know other people need them more than I do.”

  He opened his mouth and started to say something as he shook his head.

  Iris raised her hand to stop him and said, “Forget it. Those are my terms.”

  Sebastian paused for a moment then nodded. “All right. It’s a deal.”

  * * *

  Iris woke to someone caressing her cheek. The soft touch was so nice, she leaned in, greedy for more before her eyes flew open and she jerked back, startled at having someone invading her space. “Holy crap! How did you get in here? The door was locked and the alarm was set.”

  “Sorry!” Kade said, holding both hands up. “Your mom was here. She let me in just as she was leaving. I didn’t mean to startle you. You just looked so peaceful, I wanted to give you a moment to ease into consciousness.”

  Wow. She’d been so out of it she hadn’t even heard her mom come in or leave apparently. “Did she say where she was going?”

  “She said she had dinner plans.”

  Iris frowned. She really wished her mother had woken her or stayed in for once. They had things to talk about. Specifically, she needed to find out if Katheryn had tried to help her by cleansing the magic from her yard. Suddenly a new worry settled in her gut. Who exactly was her mother having dinner with? Was she out there causing more trouble for Iris or just herself? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push the thoughts from her mind. Worrying about it wasn’t going to help. She just needed to make sure she had a talk with her mother as soon as possible.

  “Are you okay?” Kade asked.

  “Sure. Who wouldn’t be with such a sweet puppy keeping an eye on her?” She glanced at BeeBee still stretched out on her torso and then up at him. A smile claimed her lips as she said, “Hey there.”

  “Hey yourself.” The tension eased from his face as he sat on the edge of her sofa and reached out to scratch BeeBee’s ears.

  The dog was laying on Iris’s chest, completely crashed out. It had been so cozy cuddling with her that Iris was already contemplating how to maneuver more time with his dog. “I think we’re going to have to share custody of BeeBee,” Iris teased. “I don’t think I’ve had that good of a nap in years.”

  “I have to admit that I’m a little jealous,” he said as he brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “BeeBee never cuddles with me like that.”

  Iris let out a low chuckle. “Oh, and here I was thinking that you might be jealous because she got to cuddle with me.”

  His eyes twinkled at her. “Why Iris, I do believe you might be flirting with me.”

  “Am I?” She tried to sit up, but BeeBee stretched her paws out in protest, making her laugh.

  “Definitely flirting. And you’re not wrong. I’m jealous of both of you. While I was at work, my favorite girl was busy stealing the heart of my pretty neighbor before I even had a chance to compete.”

  Iris chuckled and couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face. Her day had gone from really stressful to this, whatever this was. Flirty banter? The start of something more than friendship? Or were they venturing into something closer to hookup territory? The first two options were more than fine with Iris. A hookup, however… She wasn’t sure she was built for something like that. She’d never had a one-night-stand or a friends-with-benefits situation. She’d always been a relationship girl, but look at where that had gotten her. Maybe she needed to try something different. Let her hair down. Enjoy herself for once before someone found a way to throw her into jail.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Kade asked, his voice a little husky.

  “I think you know why.” She reached up and ran her fingertip lightly over his bottom lip.

  Kade sucked in a sharp breath. The sound made BeeBee jerk her head up and look between the two of them with a disgusted expression on her adorable face.

  “Stop judging me, BeeBee girl. We haven’t done anything,” he told his dog.

  “Not yet anyway.” Iris gave him what she hoped was a sexy half smile as she ran her hand over his muscular forearm. Damn, he was sexy. She’d always had a thing for men who earned their lean muscles through hard work instead of pumping iron at the gym.

  “Off BeeBee,” he ordered the dog without tearing his gaze away from Iris.

  BeeBee opened her jaw wide and let out a loud yawn, making Iris laugh.

  “I don’t think she’s planning on going anywhere,” Iris said, amused that his dog had ignored him. Hey, could she blame BeeBee? Their nap had been really comfortable.

  “She will,” he said firmly, as if he’d already made up his mind on how he was going to get his dog to detach herself from Iris.

  “She loves me too much already.”

  Kade chuckled. “I can’t say I blame her.” He stood, reached into his pocket, and retrieved a dog treat that looked and smelled an awfully lot like bacon. He walked to the other side of the living room and said, “Come, BeeBee. It’s treat time.”

  The fluffy dog jumped up immediately and ran to her master. She sat patiently at his feet, staring up at him with hearts in her eyes. Iris understood how she felt. It’s exactly how she’d felt the moment he woke her up with his gentle touch. Her skin was tingling again just thinking about it.

  “Here you go, sweetheart,” Kade said to his pup. As she was happily chowing down on the bacon treat, he walked back over to Iris and held out his hand.

  Iris took it, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms, being kissed within an inch of her life.

  Chapter 15

  Kade’s arms wrapped around Iris, pulling her in close until she was plastered against his long lean body. Her entire body lit up as fireworks went off inside of her. She tilted her head, deepening the kiss, and was rewarded when he let out a low groan.

  “Iris,” he whispered as he buried one hand in her hair and trailed his lips down her neck, sending shivers through her. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I first met you.”

  His words wound through her, making her heart beat faster. How long had it been since she’d felt wanted by anyone, including her ex?

  It had been years.

  Iris answered him by caressing the back of his neck with her fingertips and arching her neck, giving him better access.

 

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