Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

18. The Witch of Endor

Rome

I'm going to kill him.

I stood with my hands on my hips and watched as Kerry - a guy I'd begun to think of as a friend - came strolling up with my girl on his arm and a besotted look on his face.

"Hey, Kerry! Mira!" Jax waved.

And it was like she was waking up from a dream. She seemed confused for a fraction of a second, then blinked and looked at me. Her entire face lit up as she met my eyes, and she broke away from Kerry and walked toward me with a warm smile.

"What was that look on your face about, Kerry?" Gigi teased him.

"She let me pretend she was Gemma for a little bit."

Glancing over, I saw the kid's face was red, whether from embarrassment or sorrow or a more desperate emotion, I didn't know, but I was suddenly ashamed of myself. I was relieved my friends were okay, content to be with Mira, and focused on solving the mystery of the Alchemists. All of that made me forget what Kerry was enduring.

I'd be going nuts if they'd taken my girl, especially now that we're learning exactly what they do with their captives.

But the kid was holding it together. Somehow. And if he needed to pretend Gemma was with us from time to time to do that, so be it. Who was I to judge?

Mira sidled up to me, a sly smile on her pretty lips as she nudged my hip with hers.

"Aren't you gonna ask me who I was pretending Kerry was?" She spoke only loud enough for me to hear.

I shook my head and refused to look at her.

"That's a shame," she murmured, "because—"

She stopped and took a big breath and I glanced down at her with a frown. What did she have to be nervous about?

"Anyway, we found it!" Gigi's voice broke between us. "The Witch of Endor's shop."

I looked away to find Jax, Gigi, and Kerry had gathered around us.

"We walked around the block while we waited for you two," Jax explained, "and there it was."

"How do you know it's hers?" Kerry asked.

"For one, it's on the sign." Gigi grinned at him.

Feeling out of sorts, I followed as Jax and Gigi led the way back down the block to the little storefront wedged between a gym and a cafe. The others chattered away, but I was too preoccupied to listen.

I liked Mira. I mean, really liked her. But she'd been through something traumatic and, no matter what anyone - including she herself - might say, she needed time to deal with it. And that was on top of coming to terms with her life post-devil. I didn't want to start a relationship with her only to have my heart break when it fizzled because she hadn't been ready.

"May I walk with you?"

I thought at first I imagined her voice because I was thinking about her so much, but I blinked and saw she had dropped back next to me.

I shrugged and looked away, then caught myself.

The last time you were short with her because you were pissed, she thought you were telling her to get out of your life.

"Yeah." I couldn't stop from adding, "As long as you don't pretend I'm somebody else."

She stopped walking, so I did, too.

"Why would I do that?" She tilted her head to one side and her eyebrows scrunched up.

"Don't play, Mira. Not about this."