Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies #3)(27)

Eduardo saluted, then turned the corner. A few seconds later the front door shut and locked.

“I don’t like him. At all.”

“I know.” Jeff pulled out his phone and checked the time. “I need to get on Skype.”

Samantha trailed behind him to his office, her hands still on her hips. “He’s such a jerk.”

“I know. He’s been like that since I met him in college,” Jeff said, “but he’s a great help.” Stopping in the doorway of his office, Samantha’s mind switched from pondering how to neuter Eduardo, to something the ghost said. “Jeff, she said the same thing Cassidy did.”

“Huh?” He redirected his gaze from the computer screen to Samantha. “What do you mean?”

“They both said ‘you let him do this to me.’ Remember? Cassidy said that.”

Jeff winced. “Yeah. I remember.”

“Why do you think they said that?”

With a weary exhalation, Jeff stared at the computer screen. “Maybe because I’m the guy who’s supposed to keep Austin safe from the supernatural bad guys. And I failed.”

“So you think something supernatural killed Cassidy and this other girl?”

Hesitantly, Jeff nodded.

Samantha glanced toward the front of the store, her heartbeat starting to accelerate. “Eduardo. You think it’s Eduardo.”

Jeff closed his eyes for a second, then again nodded. “I don’t have proof.”

“Jeff, what the hell? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I have no evidence at all. I’m looking into it, Sam. I have been since we saw Cassidy. I think the attacks were definitely some sort of supernatural beast. Eduardo is on the list because he’s a coyote, but it could have been something else. I can’t just accuse him of something when I have zero evidence it’s him.”

“But you think it might be him!”

“For a really lame reason.”

“And what lame reason is that, Jeff?”

“There have been women disappearing around Austin the area for the last few years. All of them have had long dark hair and blue eyes. Like Amaliya. You see how Eduardo is around her.”

Samantha pondered this bit of information. It was flimsy, but in a way it made sense. Eduardo was a supernatural beast that was attracted to a certain type. A lot of the supernaturals liked human blood and flesh. “Have you told Cian?”

“No. And I won’t. And neither will you. I have no evidence, Sam. None. Just a suspicion.”

“If I could get the ghosts to talk...” Samantha bit her bottom lip.

“Well, they’re not, so we’re stuck.” Jeff checked the time again. “And I have a meeting.”

“This f*ckin’ sucks,” Samantha decided.

“Yeah. Everything does. Except for you.” Jeff wove their fingers together and drew her down for a quick kiss. “I’ll get done here then we’ll make out. If you want to stick around that is.”

Samantha gave him a wan smile. “I want to be near you tonight. Want to stay over at my place?”

“Okay.” Jeff kissed her hand, then moved to answer the incoming call.

Feeling scared and weary, Samantha sat on the floor near his desk, crossed her legs, and wondered why her happy moments always seemed to disappear before she had the chance to truly relish them.




Etzli ran her fingers down the jaguar’s back as she rested on a divan in a skimpy white bikini admiring the full moon above. The gentle lapping of the waves in the pool added to the serenity of the scene. The coarse dark hair of the beast was a pleasing sensation. The big cat let out a growling purr, arching against her hand. The jaguar was almost black, with its spots barely discernible on its back and head. She had four of the great cats and they inhabited the walled-in back yard of the mansion near the downtown area of San Antonio. After she had taken over the city, she had her favorite pets flown in from Mexico City. Along with them had come the were-jaguars and the black magic witches from Etzli’s cabal. The mansion was now protected by massive wards and repulsion spells that kept unwanted visitors away.

At the patio table next to her, a thin, pale young man dressed in ratty shorts and a t-shirt with a bizarre yellow creature on it was rattling off the latest information on their endeavors while staring at his iPad.

The waters of the pool twirled into water spouts, sending spirals of mist floating through the air.

“Trish, you’re getting me wet!” Etzli shouted at the elemagus standing nearby.

The woman with the wild red hair and bizarre maroon eyes pouted, but lowered her hands. The water spouts vanished.

“You’re in a bathing suit next to a pool,” the boy said, smirking.

Etzli resisted the urge to grab the tablet from his hand and throw it into the water. As annoying as Stark could be she tolerated him because of his genius. Yet, everything about him from his terrible fashion sense to his ridiculous comic book nickname aggravated her.

“So, the first rings arrive over the next few days. I have definitely tracked down another three. Just like you said, The Assembly is doing most of our work for us. They’re in a panic.” Stark grinned, flashing his yellowed teeth. He consumed obscene amount of coffee and always smelled like the stale brew. “Collecting the rest of the rings is going to be damn easy if they keep it up.”