Magical Midlife Madness (Leveling Up #1)(22)

“Then what do you need me for?”

“You have a car, don’t you?”

“Yes…?”

“Yes? You’re not sure?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Yes, you do, what?”

The kid started visibly shaking. He’d run away from his wolf pack when he was just shy of fifteen. He’d been the orphaned runt. The weakest link. He’d been starved, tortured, picked on, and belittled. Running had taken great courage, because if he hadn’t reached the town limits before his pursuers—if he hadn’t reached Austin Steele—they would’ve made his life so much worse. Death would’ve been a blessing for the poor kid.

But he had reached the town limits. And when his wolf alpha, who’d thought he was the toughest, strongest thing on four legs, ran up against Austin Steele, the old fool had turned tail and ran for the first time in his life. He’d swaggered over, and he’d scampered back, limping and baying and missing an ear and an eye.

No one took down Austin Steele.

Niamh had designated herself as the bad cop to Austin’s good-guy hero, and she tried to push the kid’s buttons any way she could. One day she knew he would push back. Or throw something at her head. Or mutter a nasty name. Anything. Niamh had seen late bloomers before, and this kid was definitely a late bloomer. All he needed was a little confidence. Until then, she kept him so focused on her he forgot to be scared of anyone else. When he wasn’t scared, he didn’t get picked on. Simple.

“Yes, I do, missus,” Paul replied. “But I thought you said you were going to see if the guy wanted a ride?”

“I am. Different sort of ride, Paul. Keep up. You’re old enough to understand the birds and the bees.”

His face reddened. Definitely a late bloomer.

Paul was silent for a long time, going about his business. Niamh eyed the guys in the corner, making sure they wouldn’t try to get away. But no, they were nursing their drinks, waiting to be kicked out.

“I don’t understand something, missus,” Paul said as he made his way back around the bar and took her glass. He emptied the remainder of the ice down the sink.

“What’s that, Paul?” she asked, slowly getting up.

“Austin Steele said he won’t protect that house. That he’ll have nothing to do with it. Even that he’ll try to stop the house from choosing someone.”

“Heard all that, did ye? Good at eavesdroppin’, then?”

“Well, if the house wants to choose Jessie, and he’s off getting her home safely—protecting her—doesn’t that count as working for the house?”

Niamh laughed. “You’re sharp, kid. Yes, it does. It absolutely does. But he needs to put in a lot more service than one measly walk home.”

“How much more? Missus.”

“That I don’t know. It usually depends on how much a person’s heart is in it. If he’s protecting her to get rewards, then he will be passed up. If he is doing it because he genuinely wants to see her safe, then it will take very little for the house to recognize his service and repay him in kind.”

“But doesn’t that mean he’ll be trapped in the magic too?”

Niamh couldn’t help grinning at that. The boy was surprisingly astute when he wanted to be.

“Yes it does, Paul. It certainly does.”





Nine





The cool mountain breeze washed over me as I slipped out of the bar, accidentally hitting the door frame as I did so. I bounced off, stabilized, and turned the wrong way.

“Oops,” I whispered, pointing at a guy down the way who’d noticed me. He was out there smoking, but he turned toward me a little as if to say something. I gave him a thumbs up. Then about-faced. It was always good to distract people when you were doing something stupid.

Headed the right way, I pulled out my phone and tapped into the GPS app. There were, like, three turns, but just in case, I wanted a little backup. I didn’t want Jeeves to come looking for me.

“Trying to ditch me?”

“Hah!” I kicked out on reflex, missed, shoved a solid wall of muscle, went nowhere, then kicked again, clipping a shin. Somewhere in there, I’d dropped my phone.

“It’s me, it’s Austin.” He danced away, agile for a guy so big. Or maybe just sober.

Hands out, adrenaline pumping the alcohol through my bloodstream a little faster, I lumbered after my phone like Frankenstein’s monster. It slid to a stop in the dirt beside a spiky weed with a yellow flower.

“I know,” I said. I checked my phone screen. Solid as a rock.

“Then why’d you kick me?”

“You surprised me. Like Chuck Norris.”

“What?” he said, walking in the gutter, giving me plenty of space. I needed it. The sidewalk wasn’t wide enough for my “straight” line.

“Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table,” I replied.

“Huh?”

“He only recognizes the element of surprise.”

Light from a streetlight showered down on Austin’s face, showing a confused, cockeyed grin. “Did you hit your head on a rock while you were sneaking out?”

“No. I got caught in the door, though. Does that count?”