Witch on the Edge, page 11
“Well, aren’t you the pot calling the kettle black? You can use Liam’s profession as an excuse to keep him in the friend zone, but we both know you’re full of BS. You would do anything for that sexy man and he for you. Quit avoiding the inevitable and you might sleep better at night.”
“Oh, hush and go get ready for your date. I’m covering for Elise tonight at The Thirsty Squirrel, which means more money for the bakery’s slush fund. Have a good time tonight and be safe,” Piper said as she kissed her cousin on the cheek.
“You too, sweets. Don’t worry so much. We’re going to kick ass in a couple of weeks. I can feel it in my spirit.”
It took Piper thirty minutes to reach The Thirsty Squirrel since Mystic Grove was located in Jefferson Parish. Most days, she didn’t mind the drive because it was a nice way to decompress after work. But lately, she’d been on edge. There were several nights she thought someone was following her. She had quickly discarded the notion and chalked it up to stress.
The preliminary rounds of The Great Wiccan Cake Off had been brutal. Thank the Goddess for Lizzy! Her lucky rabbit’s foot, sometimes referred to as Old Faithful, had come through for them during each round of the preliminary competition. If nothing else, the earlier rounds had provided her and Skylar with a prelude of what’s to come in the main competition. She couldn’t wait to show off her culinary skills to the magical world. But for now, she was filling ice bins and prepping her station for the evening crowd of partygoers because every day was a party in The Big Easy.
The Thirsty Squirrel was a lively bar with light-up signature cocktails, dueling pianos and Cajun-accented pub grub. Located on Bourbon Street, it’s a four-minute walk from the St. Louis Cathedral. People come to The Thirsty Squirrel for its mysticism, the ghost stories, the spirits and the best gumbo on Bourbon Street. It’s believed that the building was once inhabited by a barber who was a womanizer and eventually murdered by one of his mistresses.
Piper loved working in the bar because her co-workers were like family, but it wasn’t her life’s passion. Her destiny was decided at the age of five when she received her first easy-bake oven. The smell of vanilla bean and cake rising in the oven was like coming home. It soothed her weary soul and was a source of comfort when her mother left the coven without a word and without her.
Lost in thought, Piper hadn’t heard her phone ringing. The screen indicated it was Cassandra calling. She swiped to the left, pressed the green button and answered. “Hey, Cass. What’s up?”
“Hunter strikes again. He heard through the grapevine that Sky had a date with Levi tonight and nipped it in the bud. She’s pissed and it took everything I had to stop her from making a trip out to the Bayou to rip his balls off.”
Piper should have been surprised, but she wasn’t. Hunter had been pulling these stunts for years. She had to wonder if he had gone too far tonight. Skylar really liked Levi, which meant Hunter just became public enemy number one. Paybacks were a bitch, and her cousin would seek retribution from him for meddling in her love life.
“Will he never learn? I wish they would admit their feelings for one another and put us all out of our misery. The last time these two went to war, I couldn’t visit Liam for three months. What the hell, Cass?”
“Tell me about it. Young love. Ain’t it great. Maybe this would be a good time to move Liam out of the friend zone and into the love zone. Then you wouldn’t have to sneak around like teenagers.”
“Bite your tongue, Cassandra Gray. You worry about your love life and I’ll worry about mine,” Piper hissed through the phone.
“Don’t you mean the lack of one?” Cassandra countered.
Piper could feel the tension building in her neck and shoulders. She didn’t have time to deal with this conversation. She had a job to do. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. We’re not going to make it tonight. Skylar doesn’t feel like celebrating. I told her she could spend the night with us. She’s already in her pajamas and devouring the homemade bread you baked earlier. We’ll see you in the morning. Be safe.”
“Thanks, Cass. Will do.”
Piper ended the call and returned to the bar. It had only been a few minutes, but the place was filling up. Several regulars were waiting at the end of the bar for her. She acknowledged them and began making their drinks.
Nine hours later and she was dead on her feet. The crowd tonight had been rowdier than usual. She watched as one of the tourists convinced his girlfriend to take a shot in the barber’s chair. Once the woman sat down, Lacy pulled the lever so that she landed flat on her back. Then, her legs were spread in a wide eagle pose that allowed Lacy to slip between them to pour the shot as the crowd cheered her on. When Mason finally rang the bell and yelled last call, she did a happy dance in her head.
Piper cleaned up her station, counted her tips, signed out for the night and said her goodbyes. It was four o’clock in the morning when she exited The Thirsty Squirrel but there were still drunken pedestrians on the streets. This was the part of her job she liked the least. Keeping an eye on her surroundings, she turned left at the end of the corner and headed toward her car. When the hairs on the back of her neck rose, she knew someone was following her. Knowing that she couldn’t use her magic in public, she calmly reached for the pepper spray in her purse and rubbed the rabbit’s foot in her pocket. Just a few more steps and she’d be at her car. She was almost there when a strange man stepped out of the shadows.
“Hello pretty lady. Might I buy you a drink?”
Piper recognized the man from earlier in the bar. He gave her the creeps then; and he was giving her the creeps now. Something wasn’t right about him. “No thanks,” she replied and continued walking past him. When he grabbed her arm, she turned and squirted pepper spray in his face. When the man released her arm, she ran to her car only to be stopped short by his friend. The menacing grimace on his face had her hackles rising again.
“You idiot. I told you not to cause a scene. Silas is going to have your head if you harm her. The boss man is convinced that Liam will do anything to get his woman back, even if it means selling his business. Now quit fooling around and let’s get this done.”
While her assailant was distracted scolding the other guy, Piper stomped on his right foot and elbowed him in the groin. “Let me go you jerk.” When he hunched over to cover his balls, she landed an uppercut to his nose, which left him howling in pain. He was angry and spewing expletives at her, but she was angrier. She quickly pulled the key out of her pocket, unlocked her car door and ran to safety. The rubber from her tires squealing out of the parking lot was the last thing her attackers saw. She kept looking in the rearview mirror to make sure they weren’t following her. Unsure whether or not the men knew her home address, Piper took the long way home. Heart pounding, she parked the car in the garage and rushed into the condominium she shared with Cassandra.
The house was quiet, which normally wouldn’t have bothered her, but tonight was different. Tonight, two strangers tried to abduct her. She wanted to call Liam because he would know what to do. But given the time, she decided it could wait until a decent hour. Exhausted and still revved up from her attack, Piper quietly made her way upstairs to take a hot shower. She needed to get the stench of those men off her. Daylight would come soon enough, and she would have to reexamine what happened tonight. But for now, she was home and safe. That’s all that mattered in the grand scheme of things.
END OF EXCERPT
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If you want to read the rest of Piper and Liam’s story, go to https://www.isabelmicheals.com/. Grab your copy today!
About the Author
Isabel Micheals loves reading, snuggling with her two cocker spaniels (Max and Jax), watching movies, especially those involving Marvel and DC Comics, and hanging out with friends and family. In her younger years, Charmed was one of her favorite television shows, which is why you'll always find a few wicked spells in her paranormal books.
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She began writing paranormal when the fabulous Robyn Peterman asked her to write in her Magic and Mayhem Universe. Since then, Isabel's been addicted to creating snarky, funny stories full of action and adventure with twists you hopefully don't always see coming.
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Isabel loves chatting with readers so be sure to drop by her website or send her an email.
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Website: https://isabelmicheals.com
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Email: isabel@isabelmicheals.com
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Isabel Micheals, Witch on the Edge
