CW: Swearing, Alcohol, Violence, & Adult Situations

Name: Ash

Day/Time: Monday, 3:13 a.m.

Current state of mind: Pleasantly buzzed

What are you wearing? Ryan’s t-shirt & pink shorts

What are you listening to? If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic

What are you drinking? Watermelon sangria

Where are you? Bedroom balcony

 Aruba

People have always underestimated me—not that I could blame them. I was a walking-talking stereotype: long champagne blonde hair, aquamarine eyes, long shapely legs, curves for miles, and I had fantastic tits. Basically, I looked like a fucking fashion doll. And just because I looked like a doll, people assumed I was as brainless as one too.

But I wasn’t some flakey little airhead. I was smart. Perceptive. Resourceful. I knew way more than I ever let on. And I used my dumb-blonde dolly good looks to my advantage—used them to catch people off-guard—like when they met the other end of my broken beer bottle.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” The douche nozzle’s face blanched white as he staggered back, clutching his bleeding gut.

“Lots of things.” I dropped the remains of the broken glass onto the white sand. “Want a list?” I planted my feet, whispering a silent veiling spell in my head. The last thing I needed was even more unwanted attention—not that anyone could see us in a remote corner of the sprawling beach bar. But better safe than sorry.

“I leave you alone for two minutes. Two.” Ryan’s low, sexy voice rumbled against my ear. “And you’re already getting yourself into trouble.”

“It was more like five.” I tossed a glance in the direction Ryan had come from. The palm-leaf covered gazebo was swelling with tourists—all the stools and high-top tables surrounding the circular bar were filling up. Not that it was any kind of surprise. Sunset Sands was the hottest beach bar on the island. “Besides, I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Three minutes.” Ryan set our drinks down on the table. “We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile. Remember? That is not a low profile.” He nodded at the bleeding human, who’d propped himself up against a palm tree. “Care to fill me in, kitten?”

“She stabbed me,” the human croaked.

“Maybe you should’ve answered my question instead of smacking my ass.” I glared at the stupid fool. “Maybe you shouldn’t have told me I’d look hot while you fucked my mouth.” I folded my arms across my chest. “What did you expect?”

“You think putting your hands on women is funny?” A muscle ticked in Ryan’s stubbled jaw as a sinister smile crept up on his lips. “Then you’re gonna find this hilarious.”

Ryan sauntered over to the human, his tanned muscles flexing beneath his white linen shirt as he strode across the sand. Each step was slow. Deliberate. Predatory. Malice radiated off him in waves as promises of violence and death pervaded the sweltering air around us.

The human scrambled to his feet—or at least, he tried. But he wasn’t fast enough. Ryan hauled him up by his shirt and whipped him around, slamming him face first into the tree. He wrenched the human’s arm behind his back, and with a quick twist, Ryan snapped the bone with a sickening crack.

The douche howled in pain, but he didn’t get a chance to recover. Ryan spun him back around, gripping the human’s throat in a punishing hold. He placed his free palm on the side of the douche nozzle’s head, his shaded emerald eyes burrowing into the human’s.

The human writhed in Ryan’s iron-tight grasp, sweat dripping down his face as he shrieked in agony. And I had no doubt that Ryan was sifting through the shit bag’s memories. Whatever he found in the douche’s grey matter would likely determine if the human survived the night or not.

Ryan dropped his hand. “You ever touch her or anyone like that ever again, and I’m gonna make your worst nightmares come true.” Ryan squeezed the shit bag’s windpipe. “Are we clear?”

The human bobbed his head.

“Good boy.” Ryan smiled, relaxing his grip. “Now here’s what’s gonna happen. First, you’re gonna apologize to Ash. Then, you’re gonna answer her questions. Honestly.”

The human nodded, turning towards me. “S-sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” I scoffed, not giving a damn about his worthless apology. Though I appreciated Ryan’s efforts. I loved the way he always stood up for me, even when I was perfectly capable of handling myself. And I could handle myself. I was used to playing defense, used to proving myself time and time again. And that shit was exhausting.

It felt good to be taken care of for a change. It warmed my soul to its very core knowing that Ryan cared enough to defend me. To fight for me. To kill for me—if the situation called for it. And as much as I wanted to show Ryan my gratitude in that very moment, I needed to wait. Stupid fucking handsy human.

I scowled at the asshole. “Do you know Savannah or not?” I asked, getting right to the point.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell.” The human wheezed.

“How about her?” Ryan pulled his phone out of his shorts pocket. He unlocked it, flipping the screen so the human could see Twila’s picture. “Have you seen her around?”

The douche nozzle squinted, studying Twila’s close-up shot. “No. I don’t think so.” He shook his head with a shrug. “Hard to say. I’ve been hammered for the past three nights. Don’t remember much.” He coughed, spitting up blood.

“Shocker,” Ryan muttered, pocketing his Android. He gripped the shit bag’s chin, forcing the human’s eyes to his. “Forget all this and get your ass to the hospital.” Ryan released him.

The human frowned. Blinked. Rubbed his bleary eyes and looked right past us, as if he didn’t see us at all. He shook himself. “Gotta lay off the rum runners,” he mumbled, stumbling towards the exit.

“Thanks for that,” I said just as Ryan asked, “You okay?”

We exchanged smiles as Ryan closed the distance between us. He cupped my cheek, stroking his thumb across my skin. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I tilted my head up. “Thanks,” I repeated.

“You’re welcome.” He pressed a kiss on the top of my head.

My heart fluttered as Ryan draped his arm around my shoulder, tucking me against him. I pillowed my head on his chest, my gaze roving over the beach—which was overflowing with humans and witches alike. “We’re never gonna find her, are we?”

“We will. She can’t hide forever.” Ryan’s voice was filled with conviction as he swiped his beer off the table. He took a pull from the bottle and grimaced. “She’ll show.”

“Have you heard from Nick?” I asked, wondering if he and Kari had any luck. The two of them were scoping out Paradise Bay, another popular beach bar Twila frequented.

“Yeah. No sign of her yet.” Ryan took a swig of his beer. “She’s not at her house either.”

“She’s probably offloading her shitty love potions on unsuspecting tourists,” I muttered. “I still can’t believe she’s got the brains to run her own shady, underground business.”

“Gotta afford that new house somehow.” Ryan set his beer down and clasped my hand. “Come on kitten, let’s go find a table and blend in with the tourists.”

“Blend?” I gaped up at him. “We’re not tourists. We don’t blend—well, you definitely don’t blend. I mean, have you seen yourself?” I blurted.

And it was the truth. At six foot five, with a muscular build like a pro athlete and an impossibly handsome face, Ryan was hard to miss. He turned heads wherever we went—not that I could blame people for staring. He was gorgeous in every single way. Hell, he captivated a room just by being in it. There was no blending. Not without an illusion spell.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He raked his gaze over my body. And even though his eyes were hidden by his designer sunglasses, I could feel the heat from his sparkling emerald stare as he drank me in. “You are beautiful, jaw-droppingly so. Don’t you forget it.”

Ryan dipped his head, sweeping his lips against mine. The smoldering kiss was brief, but it still hit me like a shot of premium tequila, warming me throughout and leaving me wanting more.

He clasped my hand, leading me across the sand and past the sea of tables all filled with people. We strolled past the gazebo and over to the tables surrounding the open-air dance floor, where the DJ was busy setting up for the night.

As the sun kissed the sea and the day transitioned to night, the tiki torches and hanging lanterns flared to life as the DJ kicked off his set with a popular dance song. The multi-colored laser lights pulsed to the beat, lighting up the inky blue sky. And as people filled the hardwood floor, a pang of envy shot through me.

My gaze zeroed in on a couple as they danced, their steps perfectly in sync. They were all smiles and laughter as they swayed to the hypnotic rhythm, their lips locking in a steamy kiss.

And gods, I wished that were us. I wanted nothing more than to be out there with Ryan. I wanted to kiss him. Dance with him. I wanted to laugh and smile and be carefree for a change. But, oh no. We couldn’t afford any distractions. We couldn’t afford to have a little fun. All because we were on a mission to find Twila the Twat—who seemed to have disappeared. We were doomed to spend our vacation in misery.

“This sucks.” I gritted my teeth, shredding my drink napkin into tiny pieces.

Ryan slid his fingers under my chin, angling it so that our eyes met. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s…”

“It’s what?”

“That should be us.” I nodded towards the couple. “We should be out there making out and dancing the night away. We should be drinking margaritas on the beach and working on our tans and playing in the ocean and having tons of hot, passionate sex, but we’re not. All we’ve done is work.”

“We’re always working.” I huffed, taking a sip of my watermelon margarita. “I’m busy planning festivals and galas and hunting ghosts. And you’re always in meetings, or training, or fighting demons and killing rogues—or some other diabolical shitheads. We never have time for ourselves. For each other. It’s like we’re the very definition of all work and no play. And it just fucking sucks.”

Gods, I sounded like a bitchy little brat.

“Come on.” Ryan stood, extending his palm.

“We’re gonna dance.”

“What?” I shook my head. Had he lost his mind? We couldn’t afford any distractions, and last I checked dancing was a huge distraction. “What about Twila?”

“We’ll find her.” He grasped my hand, pulling me up to my feet. He nodded towards the dance floor. “It’s one dance, kitten.”

One dance couldn’t hurt, could it?

“Fuck.” Ryan’s brows dipped low, a murderous scowl shadowing his beautifully sculpted features. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“What?” I followed Ryan’s line of sight. And froze. Just ahead and to our right, a woman with orange, shoulder-length hair, bright red dress, and a face caked with makeup strode by. “Twila,” I hissed. “That bitch has the worst timing.”

“Tell me about it.” Ryan pulled out his phone and sent a text before pocketing it again. “Looks like she has company, too.” He jerked his chin at the two beefed-up dudes following her from a close distance.

“Are those bodyguards? She has bodyguards? Why?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Ryan twined his fingers with mine as he muttered a veiling spell. “They’ll all be dead before the hour’s up.”

I clung onto Ryan’s hand as we tailed the trio, our bodies invisible to everyone around us. Twinkling fairy lights adorned the towering palms, illuminating the winding plank pathway as we strolled along. The music and chatter faded as we veered away from the main bar area and past the sand-covered volleyball court, directly towards the outbuildings in the back.

“I think she’s headed to the restrooms,” I murmured.

“How convenient.”

“Right?” The restrooms were isolated from all the action, giving us plenty of privacy to take the trio out. Unless someone stumbled along—which would be inconvenient. But manageable.

“I’ll take out the ‘roid twins.” Ryan pulled me to a stop, keeping his gaze fixed on the trio ahead. “You retrieve Twila.”

“Gladly,” I mumbled, eager to get this all over with. “I’ll try my best to bring her out in one piece.”

“Be careful.” Ryan’s grim stare met mine. “Once you’re inside, you’ll lose advantage of the veiling spell.”

“I know.” I nodded. “I can handle her. You taught me well.”

“I’m counting on it.” Ryan brushed his lips against my forehead.

I raised up on my tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “You be careful too.”

“Always.” He winked.

As Twila ducked inside the restroom and the ‘roid twins wandered around aimlessly, like they’d rather be doing anything else but protecting the stupid bitch, Ryan and I split up.

Squaring my shoulders, I marched towards the restroom and shoved the door open. The ladies’ room was sizeable, but long and narrow with stalls lining one side of the wall and a rectangular counter equipped with four sinks on the opposite side.

Twila stood in front of the mirror, checking herself out. She turned, her maroon lips twisting up in an amused smirk. “Is this some kind of cosmic joke?”

“Nope.” I strode up to her and slammed my fist into her face, shattering her nose. Not giving her a chance to catch her bearings, I palmed the side of her head and bashed it against the mirror. Repeatedly. Until there was nothing left of the reflective glass. “We’ve been looking for you.”

“Ow.” She stumbled back, fingering the side of her bloody skull. “You stupid little bitch.”

“Relax. It was a shitty dye job.” I scoffed. “I did you a favor. Red is totally your color.”

“I’m gonna kill you!” she shrieked, charging at me like a drunken bull.

I needed to get the fuck out of her way, but I had nowhere to go. She tackled me, taking me down onto the cool tile. And then it was on.

We tussled around on the ground, fists swinging, bones breaking as our magic exploded out of us. The sprinklers went off and the faucets and pipes burst, flooding the bathroom as cool water rained down on our heads. The wind howled as we leaped to our feet, playing magical dodgeball with our powers.

Twila ripped the paper towel holder off the wall, nailing me in the jaw. Coppery blood filled my mouth. And rage took over. My magic surged, erupting out of me with volcanic fury as I lunged at the bitch.

I hit her. Hard. The wood door broke, splintering into pieces as we tumbled through it.

My body bounced off the sand, and I rolled onto my back, flipping my lids open only to find Ryan gaping down at me. “She’s all yours.” I smiled—or so I thought. It might’ve been more like a pained grimace, since Ryan’s expression turned to pure alarm.

“I’ll take care of Ash.” Nick’s resonant, velvety timbre sounded from above me. “You take care of business before the storm hits.”

“Nick?” I blinked, rubbing my eyes as he came into my field of vision, towering over me. “You’re here?”

“In the flesh,” he replied, while Ryan looked conflicted as he glanced at Twila—who was just to the left of me—looking like she was ready for her date with Death.

“Go. End this. End her.” I squeezed Ryan’s hand. “I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?” he asked.

“Positive,” I replied, knowing that Ryan needed this—needed the closure. And Nick was as fiercely protective as any older brother should be. Even though we weren’t related, Nick treated me like one of his own—always looking out for me whenever I needed. “I’m in excellent hands.”

“I know.” Ryan planted a soft kiss on my temple. “BRB.”

“Think you can stand?” Nick extended his hand.

“Yeah. I think so.” I clasped his palm, allowing him to pull me up. As soon as I was vertical, the world spun and tilted beneath my feet. “Whoa.” I lurched forward.

“I’ve got you.” Nick hooked his arm around my waist, steadying me. “Lean against me, okay?”

I nodded, sagging against him. “What are you doing here?” I asked, noticing that the entire gang had shown up, minus Riss and Luke, who were probably at the beach house with Lexi and Aria.

“Twila brought some friends, so we helped Ryan clean house,” Nick replied.

“Twila has friends?” My brows shot up. “Since when?”

“Since she probably paid them off,” Nick drawled.

“It’s the only logical explanation.”

A breeze whipped through the trees, thunder crashing off in the distance as Ryan squatted down next to Twila’s broken body.

“Consider yourself lucky that I don’t get off on torturing women.” Ryan’s voice was cold. Hard. Void of any emotion. “But I can’t say the same about what awaits you in the Underworld. Rumor has it that Cerberus needs a new chew toy, and I think you might be perfect for the job.”

“No,” she croaked, her expression filling with terror. “Don’t.”

Ryan muttered an archaic incantation. Twila’s body seized as her heart burst free of its ribcage, landing in Ryan’s palm. Her body stilled, her skin turning gray as she burst into flames, her ashes dissipating into the sweltering night air.

“It’s over.” I breathed.

“Yup. The bitch is dead.” Ryan strolled up to us and scooped me up, cradling me in his arms. “You ready to go home, kitten?”

“You owe me a vacation.” I yawned, dropping my head onto his shoulder. “But first I need a shower, and some food, and a two-day nap.”

Five Days Later

Ryan’s thick stubble grazed my skin as he trailed his lips up my neck until they locked onto mine. The kiss was slow. Deep. Seductive. Our tongues and bodies melded together, euphoric bliss consuming us as we moved as one, the enormous bed creaking beneath us until we were both completely and utterly satiated. It was the best way to wake up.

“Morning.” A smile played up on Ryan’s sensual lips.

I glanced at the alarm clock, the digital display reading 1:02 p.m. “You mean afternoon.” I teased.

“It’s morning for us.” He eased his heavy weight off me and snagged a pair of black boxers off the wood floor. “Coffee?” He tugged the black cotton up over his trim hips.

“Yes. Please.” I pulled Ryan’s t-shirt over my head and made my way over to the French doors, yanking open the heavy drapes.

Bright sunlight spilled through the glass, warming my skin. The turquoise sea shimmered beneath the sun’s golden rays as the beach sat empty, just waiting for us to spend another day relaxing on the white sand. And after today, our private beach would be vacant again.

We’d spent the last week relaxing on that beach, swimming in the crystal-clear waters, and just enjoying each other’s company. It’d been exactly what I needed. What I wanted.

And as much as I didn’t want to leave this place—as much as I wanted to stay here forever —I knew I’d get bored. I couldn’t just sit around on my ass, doing absolutely nothing for the rest of my life. I needed purpose—and my friends and my family and my work, they all gave me purpose.

And now that my proverbial batteries were recharged, I was ready for the chaos that awaited us back home. I was eager to work my magic and plan galas and festivals and hunt ghosts. Well, I wasn’t exactly excited about hunting ghosts, but I’d manage. I always did.

“Coffee. Two creams. Two sugars.” Ryan placed the steaming mug of vanilla roast into my hand. He roped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on top of my head. “You okay?”

“I’m perfect.” I smiled. “This is perfect.”

And that was the truth. Life was good.

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