This Strange Addiction by Julie Steimle (e book free reading .txt) 📕

Blushing sheepishly, Tom nodded.

Selena smirked at her, impressed.

“Hello Selena,” Daniel said smiling wider.

Bobo came out of the back with a box full of shampoo, soap and other things from the bathroom. “Eh, where do ya want this?”

“Oh good.” Selena brightened up. “Bobo’s here.” She then looked to Audry, “You’ll be perfectly safe with him around. Rick must really like you.”

She then strode over to Bobo, pecking him on the cheek. Bobo blushed.

“I’ll pack the clothes,” Selena said as Audry blushed over what she had said.

Audry averted her eyes from Bobo who politely averted his eyes from her. She wondered what was in his box. He was going through the bathroom things after all, and she knew what was in the bathroom drawers and cupboards was mostly not for male eyes, or hands.

He quickly set it near the door and went into the living room to find something else to pack—mostly to get away.

Then Rick showed up. He walked in wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, clearly trying to avoid being recognized by the people outside. He looked around, spotted Audry and lowered his hoodie, also taking off his sunglasses. “Sorry about the invasion,” he said. But we want to get this move done fast. There is furniture is already in the apartment—except for the beds—which Silvia said you were particular about. So we’re just moving things.”

“Where am I living now?” Audry asked, stepping around Tom who was rewrapping all the plates. Next to him was a huge stack of newspapers, which Audry realized had not been there a few seconds before. She wondered where they had come from. Had they been hidden behind something? They looked like they had been taken from one of those newspaper vending boxes.

“I wanted you to be closer to NYU, but we have you near Central Park instead. I’m sorry,” he said. “We found a decent apartment with a loft and fire escape, though. And you can visit Julliard and all the museums in that area without needing a car.”

It sounded expensive.

“It is part of a brownstone building,” he said, “with a security pad and keys to get in.”

“Is a retinal scan included?” Audry smirked at him.

“If you want?” Tom called out.

Rick returned the same wry look, knowing she was just teasing. But then he whispered, “I really am sorry I messed up your life—”

Audry laughed, wishing he didn’t look at it like that. “You didn’t mess up my life. Silvia and I wanted to room together—”

“After I gave you my hair—which you gave to her,” he hissed low. “Making you sort of a middleman to a dangerous arrangement.”

She stiffened.

“I know you don’t believe in any of this,” he said, “But those ladies seeking after Silvia mean business.”

“I know they mean business,” Audry retorted defensively, not even sure why she felt so defensive. “They’re violent and dangerous. I get it.”

Rick stared towards the door looking anxious to leave the apartment as if his presence alone put her in danger. She didn’t like that.

 “Look, stop worrying about me,” Audry protested.

“I can’t.” Rick stared at his shoes. Heavy silence followed. The room seemed to echo with listening busy work. She could tell everyone was spying in, including Selena in the other room. He whispered, “I just can’t watch somebody else get hurt because of me.”

“What’s this?”

Audry turned, hearing Hogan’s voice. Her face immediately went hot, though she was not sure why. “Hogan!” She rushed up to him, arms out for a hug. “I know this looks crazy, but come on in.”

“What’s happening here?” Hogan asked, hugging her with a peck to her cheek also—his eyes most especially resting on Rick who had taken a quick step back from Audry the second he had called into the room. Apparently he had seen them a little too close for his comfort.

Lowering her voice, Audry said, “Silvia is kind of in a bind. She’s sort of a witness to…” she glanced over at Rick and saw him shake his head with the tiniest of movement, “… a crime.”

“Do you need a place to stay?” But Hogan’s eyes set on Rick, adding up things in a jealous way.

Audry shook her head. “We’re both moving—Silvia and I. They’ve got it all arranged.”

“Why are you moving with her?” Hogan asked. “If she is in a dangerous situation, you should be moving away from her.”

“I agree,” Rick said.

Hogan shot him a look, mildly irritated that Rick had agreed with him.

Audry rolled her eyes. “No. I agreed to this deal. I am going through with it.”

Daniel rose, grinning. “Good. Then I think this will definitely work.” He then walked up to Hogan and extended his hand to him. “Hi. I’m Daniel Smith, Silvia’s brother.”

“Oh…” Hogan gripped his hand nodding. “Nice to meet you. I’m Hogan Orwell, Audry’s…”

“Fiancée,” Daniel said with sharp grin. For some reason it reminded Audry of a shark, as his blue eyes gazed piercingly on Hogan. “Audry told us yesterday. Congratulations.”

Hogan then turned to Audry. “Actually, I’ve been really anxious since yesterday. An engagement isn’t right if we don’t put a ring on it. So…” he bent down on one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket, opening it. “I don’t know if I have the right size or kind, but we can swap that out later. The point is, Audry Chandra Bruchenhaus, will you marry me? Officially.”

Her heart boomed. Her face flushed. Audry threw herself at Hogan and embraced him in a hug. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

And they kissed. For a moment they forgot they had an audience, though the entire room went silent. When they broke apart, Hogan tested her finger, slipping the ring on it.

The fit was perfect.

The ring—not so much. It wasn’t her style. Too flashy and the rock was too big. Very impractical. But it was the thought that counted.

“Oh…” Selena’s voice breathed into the room like a sweet perfume. “That’s the fiancée. I approve.”

Hogan lifted his head, hearing her—as did all the men. But he hung onto Audry’s hand as if he were afraid. In a way, that was a good sign. Selena just had that allure.

“I guess congratulations is definitely in order,” Tom said, but for some reason his voice was not as bright or teasing as usual. He promptly walked up to Hogan and extended a hand for a shake.

Gripping it with a firm hold, Hogan grinned, nodding back to him.

“Congratulations, Audry,” Rick said, hardly even looking at Hogan. He was trying to smile and managed it with a sincere nod to her. “If he does anything stupid, use your tranquilizer gun.”

And he walked out of the apartment with a smirk at Hogan.

Audry broke into a laugh.

“I wonder what it feels like to be hit by a tranquilizer gun,” Tom said, following Rick out, but also carrying a box full of dishes.

Daniel raised his eyebrows, watching them go, as did Bobo and Selena. Selena looked a little shocked at their departure. And they all overheard Rick say to Tom: “If you want to know, just ask Audry to shoot you once. And you can have all the fun experience with that.”

“But maybe she only shoots guys she likes,” Tom’s voice retorted.

“Shut up,” Rick muttered back.

“What was that?” Hogan said, mostly to Audry.

She shook her head, shrugging.

“Old roommates,” Selena muttered. She then carried the box she was holding, slipping past each of them to go out. She winked at Hogan. “And you’ll be the new roommate soon enough.”

Hogan looked to Audry who rolled her eyes. He leaned near to her, whispering, “And who’s that?”

Audry led him into the living room, mostly to get out of the doorway. “That’s Selena Davenport. I stayed with her last night. She’s, uh, an old classmate of Rick’s and Tom’s—and also their ex. It is kind of a weird relationship, as I think they are still all friends, but you can feel the tension still.”

“Hey, Audry?” Daniel walked into the room where she was, his eyes taking them both in politely. “Uh, we’re just going to keep packing and loading the truck. Howie—uh, Rick has just ordered a cleaning agency to clean up after us, so… is there anything you want us to leave behind? They intend to take all of it to the dump and donate the rest.”

“Donate?”

Nodding, Daniel cringed. “Yeah. Uh…” He looked to Hogan. “How much does he know about my sister?”

Audry shrugged, realizing she might not have told Hogan the entire truth about the witch coven Silvia was connected to. In fact, she was not sure she had ever used the words witch or coven. She had kept that sort of thing on a need to know basis—and most people did not need to know. “He’s scared of her?”

Daniel laughed, nodded. He met Hogan’s surprised gaze. “So he’s got a brain. Sensible.” Daniel then faced Hogan, “Uh, my sister was once involved with an extremely dangerous sort of, uh… occultist group.”

“Occultist?” Hogan stared, shocked.

Sighing, Daniel looked to Audry and said, “I apologize ahead of time, but I must do this.”

He then proceeded to take off his shirt.

First thing—Silvia’s brother was ripped. He was a beautiful work of art for a lean tall man, someone who took care of his health, a bit like a soldier. But also, Daniel had these scars on his back which looked like a giant beast (such as the mythic dragon from Beowulf) had swiped its sharp claws across his back. One looked like it could have severed his spine.

“Oh my—” Hogan drew in a sharp breath. So did Audry.

“When I was a freshman in high school I was, uh, kidnapped by what we call the Wolf’s Wood Cult,” Daniel said, showing them his back. “I was one of the lucky few who got away.” He then met Audry’s gaze. “It was connected to Silvia’s old coven.”

Audry went pale, pulling back towards Hogan. The world was getting scarier again. Rick had mentioned his world being crazy, but Audry could never quite envision it aside from his wealthy connections and the insanity of the rich. This, apparently, was the world he was talking about.

“They didn’t do it, but they are just as dangerous,” Daniel said. Then he pulled his shirt on again, covering his scars. Audry noticed, though that his right hand looked like it had also been hurt. She had seen the scar on his palm before, which Daniel often kept obscured as if to hide it. He truly had been harmed. “The point is, these kind of folk know how to track people through a kind of magic.”

Hogan’s eyes glazed over a bit upon hearing the word magic.

“And I can tell you don’t believe this sort of thing, which is fine,” Daniel said, “Most people don’t. But, Audry, if we scatter your furniture which you two have spent a lot of time on, we can also scatter your scent and track those who are after Silvia—and, consequently, you.”

“Wouldn’t she be safer away from Silvia, if this is the case?” Hogan asked, getting alarmed.

Daniel raised his eyebrows and was about to answer.

Hogan continued urgently, “Because even your friend Rick Deacon seems to think it’s better if—”

“Howie—uh, Rick thinks that—” Daniel colored a little.

“And why do you call him Howie?” Hogan asked.

“Because we grew up in the same town and my given name is Howard,” Rick said, stepping back in. He nodded to Audry, “The cleaners are going to come after all things are packed. Do you have any special instructions for anything? Or are you ready for us to take you to your new place?”

Audry leaned back from him and murmured, “This is going a little too fast. I haven’t even had a second to look around to decide. Can I get a moment?”

Rick nodded, stepping back.

But Hogan stepped in. “You know, you don’t have to do this.”

“He’s right,” Rick said from behind.

Audry shot Rick a dirty look. “Stop doing that.”

“Agreed!” Tom said, pushing past Rick and Hogan to get into the room. He grabbed Audry in a waltz, and in two steps, danced around her to the other side where