the phone for one brief, terrifying second before it cut off.
“Tira! Oh Gods, Tira! What’s—”
“Hello again, Niccola.”
Fear seeped through Nica’s veins like ice as she recognized the voice of the man who’d attacked them the other night.
“You! What have you done to Tira?”
“Your friend is fine and will remain fine. As long as we hear from you Monday. Your roommate is our insurance. You don’t have to worry about her health. We just want you to make the right decision, Nica. Come Monday, when we contact you again, she’ll be released.”
“Please, just let her go now,” Nica begged.
“She will be fine. And Monday, when you come to work for us, she will be returned safe and sound. You have my word.”
“That’s not worth much after the other night. You nearly killed him.”
“But you had the power to heal him, Nica. Apparently you did such a great job that he’s had no trouble performing. You and the brothers having a good time?”
“You bastard—”
“You have until Monday morning, Nica. I’ll be back in touch.”
The phone went dead.
“Wait!”
Blessed Goddess. That madman had Tira. And it was all her fault.
She needed to contact Sal, needed to call Teo and his brother Cam to find Tira. She opened the door—
And ran into the arms of two scowling men.
“Nica.” Tanner’s tone held absolutely no give. And Jensen’s expression was downright hard. “What’s going on?”
She wanted to tell them. Blessed Goddess, she wanted to confide in them, didn’t want to have secrets between them. But they’d never believe her.
Unless she gave them back their memories from the night before.
Looking into their eyes, she saw their concern for her, their need to know and to help. They were good men and in another time and place, she could love men like this.
So not fair…
What would they do if she told them everything?
Would they believe her?
“Nica.” Tanner’s voice soothed jangled nerves. “Come on, babe. It can’t be that bad. We only want to help.”
But they couldn’t. They had no magic to protect themselves.
And aren’t you putting them in even more danger by not telling them exactly why you’re in danger?
Of course, she was. They deserved to know. And if they couldn’t handle it, she’d bring in someone more powerful to wipe their memories, for good this time. Which she’d have to do Monday anyway.
A sharp pain in her chest made her gulp in air. “I’ll tell you what’s going on but… It’s going to sound crazy. You’re going to think I’m nuts and I’m not, just… Please, keep an open mind.”
Jensen’s gaze narrowed even further. She knew he was the one who would have the most trouble with what she was going to tell them. Tanner would shake his head and smile but when she demonstrated her power, he’d believe her.
She’d show them what they didn’t know about the world. And when this situation was over, their memories would be erased. And she’d disappear from their lives.
* * * * *
Nica had been right, Jensen decided.
He thought she was crazy.
For the past ten minutes, as they sat at the kitchen table, she’d gone on about how she was a descendent of the ancient Etruscan magical races, a strega , otherwise known as a witch, and that she could perform magic.
“You really believe you’re a witch?” Jensen slid a glance at Tanner, trying to gauge his brother’s thoughts, but Jensen couldn’t tell what Tanner was thinking. “And you really expect us to believe you.”
Nica nodded, her expression as serious as a heart attack. “Yes, and I can show you.”
“You can do magic?”
She shook her head. “Not sleight-of-hand. Not parlor tricks. My particular Goddess Gift is healing.”
She turned to Tanner. “You saw me heal Jensen two nights ago. He was attacked by the man who’s holding my friend hostage. I wiped those memories from your mind and—”
“Not completely,” Tanner said.
Jensen whipped around to look at his
“Tira! Oh Gods, Tira! What’s—”
“Hello again, Niccola.”
Fear seeped through Nica’s veins like ice as she recognized the voice of the man who’d attacked them the other night.
“You! What have you done to Tira?”
“Your friend is fine and will remain fine. As long as we hear from you Monday. Your roommate is our insurance. You don’t have to worry about her health. We just want you to make the right decision, Nica. Come Monday, when we contact you again, she’ll be released.”
“Please, just let her go now,” Nica begged.
“She will be fine. And Monday, when you come to work for us, she will be returned safe and sound. You have my word.”
“That’s not worth much after the other night. You nearly killed him.”
“But you had the power to heal him, Nica. Apparently you did such a great job that he’s had no trouble performing. You and the brothers having a good time?”
“You bastard—”
“You have until Monday morning, Nica. I’ll be back in touch.”
The phone went dead.
“Wait!”
Blessed Goddess. That madman had Tira. And it was all her fault.
She needed to contact Sal, needed to call Teo and his brother Cam to find Tira. She opened the door—
And ran into the arms of two scowling men.
“Nica.” Tanner’s tone held absolutely no give. And Jensen’s expression was downright hard. “What’s going on?”
She wanted to tell them. Blessed Goddess, she wanted to confide in them, didn’t want to have secrets between them. But they’d never believe her.
Unless she gave them back their memories from the night before.
Looking into their eyes, she saw their concern for her, their need to know and to help. They were good men and in another time and place, she could love men like this.
So not fair…
What would they do if she told them everything?
Would they believe her?
“Nica.” Tanner’s voice soothed jangled nerves. “Come on, babe. It can’t be that bad. We only want to help.”
But they couldn’t. They had no magic to protect themselves.
And aren’t you putting them in even more danger by not telling them exactly why you’re in danger?
Of course, she was. They deserved to know. And if they couldn’t handle it, she’d bring in someone more powerful to wipe their memories, for good this time. Which she’d have to do Monday anyway.
A sharp pain in her chest made her gulp in air. “I’ll tell you what’s going on but… It’s going to sound crazy. You’re going to think I’m nuts and I’m not, just… Please, keep an open mind.”
Jensen’s gaze narrowed even further. She knew he was the one who would have the most trouble with what she was going to tell them. Tanner would shake his head and smile but when she demonstrated her power, he’d believe her.
She’d show them what they didn’t know about the world. And when this situation was over, their memories would be erased. And she’d disappear from their lives.
* * * * *
Nica had been right, Jensen decided.
He thought she was crazy.
For the past ten minutes, as they sat at the kitchen table, she’d gone on about how she was a descendent of the ancient Etruscan magical races, a strega , otherwise known as a witch, and that she could perform magic.
“You really believe you’re a witch?” Jensen slid a glance at Tanner, trying to gauge his brother’s thoughts, but Jensen couldn’t tell what Tanner was thinking. “And you really expect us to believe you.”
Nica nodded, her expression as serious as a heart attack. “Yes, and I can show you.”
“You can do magic?”
She shook her head. “Not sleight-of-hand. Not parlor tricks. My particular Goddess Gift is healing.”
She turned to Tanner. “You saw me heal Jensen two nights ago. He was attacked by the man who’s holding my friend hostage. I wiped those memories from your mind and—”
“Not completely,” Tanner said.
Jensen whipped around to look at his
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