WORK IN PROGRESS: Three Witches #1: Magnus and Magnolia

Chapter 3 (Magnus): Remove The Doorknob

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

Six months. Magnolia had been missing for six months and no one had the first clue where she was. Once the brothers had removed the door handle and Lamia and I could get the fuck out of my room, I'd jumped on my bike and raced over to Magnolia's apartment. When it became obvious she wasn't holed up there, I'd waited by her door until six in the morning. Went back to the clubhouse, showered and then headed toward her mother's house.

I'd met Magnolia's mom several different times over the last few months, and although she'd been a bit cool to me on our first meeting, Emmita Hannah had thawed and even warmed up to me. When she'd opened the door to me, it was like looking at an ice storm, and she'd given me the I hope you die soon and with painful sores all over your body after I run you over repeatedly with my cement truck look.

"Is Noli here? Is she OK?"

"My daughter, no thanks to you, is just fine. I was hoping I'd be wrong about you, Magnus, had hoped you'd prove to be decent and not like all the rumors you hear around town about the men in your MC, but you disappointed me and even worse, you hurt my daughter. I take no pleasure in having been right since that means my daughter was crushed, but I don't suggest you stop by again unless you want to meet the wrong end of my shotgun."

"I just need to talk to her." What the fuck? My voice was cracking like I was about to start crying?

"Talk to her about what? Your redheaded girlfriend? Or however many others you have? Trust me when I tell you that you're wasting your time. You've been playing my daughter, exposing her to who knows what, instead of doing the decent thing and breaking up with her before you moved on to someone else."

"I couldn't," I tried to force the words out past the huge lump in my throat so they came out sounding more like croaks. "I never wanted to break up with Magnolia. I need Noli. I love her."

Emmita laughed in my face.

"Well, thank goodness you didn't hate her if that's how you show your love for a woman," she said with so much scorn I felt as if my skin had been stripped away. "My daughter didn't know she was dating a time share condo and wants nothing more to do with you. So stop trying to assuage your nonexistent conscience with false declarations of love that you think are going to win her back and save yourself some trouble. Just forget she exists."

She tried to shut the door but I stopped it with my hand. "I will fucking beg if I have to. Just tell me where she is. Please. I need to see her."

"Then I suggest you check your phone for any pictures of her you may have because that's the only way you'll be seeing her. Look at the bright side: with one girlfriend out of the way, that leaves a lot more time for redheads."

That time, I let her slam the door in my face. I stood there in disbelief for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath. Trying to imagine forgetting Magnolia existed. It was impossible.

When I'd met Magnolia six months earlier, my entire life had suddenly felt different. My body felt alive in a way it never had before and I was attuned to this woman with every one of my senses. She was a fucking feast for the eyes and her voice was so seductive without even trying to be that I didn't want her talking in front of my brothers. Her delicious, wild scent filled my lungs, her taste was like motherfucking ambrosia, and I couldn't stop touching that soft skin and luxurious hair of hers. I had to have hands on Magnolia every second she was near me and I needed her near me all the time.

"Warlock's the one under a spell for once," my brothers had ragged on me.

For four months, my eyes hadn't wandered. And then Lamia began working as a waitress at the MC's strip club. She had a way about her, a way of holding her head, tossing her hair, walking seductively, of looking at me with side glances that were aimed to catch my eye. So she was nothing but eye candy for a month, then we realized someone was bringing drugs into the club and Prez called church one day.