I don’t know how to explain that one.
I tried to blame it on the heat getting to me, but the small dent in my fender after that encounter tells me I did in fact hitsomething.
But what exactly is she?
What the hell am I even saying?
Plopping down on the grass under the large oak tree, I take advantage of the little bit of shade it’s giving me and prop my back against the trunk to wait. Minutes tick by slowly as sweat beads on my brows, threatening to run down my face. Lifting my shirt, I wipe it away with the hem, glancing at my watch once again. It’s now quarter after twelve and still no sign of Aeris.
I only have about forty-five minutes left before I’ll be expected to be on my way back to the station. Tomorrow at midnight is when the Trahan brothers will be receiving their drop-off at Porter’s warehouse, at the port. The entire team is going over our plan this afternoon; us, SWAT, and the other agencies working on the case. If all goes according to plan and Tony is telling the truth about the time and place of the drop, then, we’ll finally bust the low-life Trahans.
Twisting the top off my insulated bottle, I take a long swig of the ice-cold water, fighting the urge to dump it over my head. It’s hotter than fucking Hades out here today. Suddenly, a cool, light breeze blows directly over me. The temperature difference between it and the sweltering heat sends a slight chill through my flushed body.
Damn welcome reprieve.
Glancing around, I notice none of the tree branches are moving on the other trees around me, yet the branches on this large oak are gently swaying above where I sit. I inhale deeply as the breeze blows past me again. The scent of magnolias mixed with sunshine, and fresh, crisp air fills the space around me.
It reminds me of Aeris.
“What the hell?” I question under my breath to no one as I look around for an explanation.
“Hi.” Aeris’s sweet and airy voice, suddenly coming from directly beside me, causes me to jump and reach for the weapon at my side. Whipping my head to my right, I see her settle onto the grass directly beside me. Her knees tuck beneath her and her hands rest on her lap. She flashes me a small, nervous smile.
Blinking a few times, I try to let my brain process that she’s actually here. Beside me.
How the hell did she walk up and sit down right beside me, and I never heard anything? Not a single footstep.
Furrowing my brow, I narrow my gaze as I glance down at her. “How did you do that?” My instincts, drilled into me from being a detective, and the fact that she still managed to sneak up on me, has all kinds of alarms going off inside my head.
There is something very strange about her. She’s absolutely breathtaking but also very peculiar.
“Do what?” she asks. Her voice comes out as sweet as honey, but the sly smirk curling up at the corners of her lips tells me she knows exactly what I’m asking her. Yet, she’s choosing to act like she doesn’t.
I let out a nervous chuckle. “Darlin’, don’t be coy with me. You and I both know exactly what it is that I’m asking you. How did you just appear like that? Beside me? I didn’t hear a single footstep, and with my job, I’m always listening and watching my surroundings.” I glance around her. Then, to my left to make sure no one else is around or going to just pop up beside us.
Sensing my nervousness, she brings her left hand from her lap and softly pats my knee. She’s touching me and every single nerve ending in my entire body is suddenly awake.
“Sorry if I startled you, Callum. That was never my intention. I’m just not used to interacting with um…people. I’m not quite sure how to go about all of this.”
What? Not used to interacting with people?
I can see in her eyes that she’s being truthful, but I swear every time she talks, I find myself more perplexed.
Who is she, and more importantly, what is she?
Is she some kind of witch?
I’m used to the Voodoo magick that occurs here. Born and raised in New Orleans, it’s an everyday occurrence.
Hell, the almost daily calls to the station, about wanting to file a complaint, saying that so—and—so tried to put a hex on them. Or they swear their neighbor is performing dark Voodoo rituals and bringing demons to their doorstep.
Aeris looks too pure and innocent to be dabbling in dark Voodoo. But I’ve seen some pretty innocent—looking people do some of the evilest things in my line of work.
You can never judge a book by its cover.
Settling my right hand over hers, where it’s still resting on my knee, I try to ignore the jolt of electricity that shoots up my arm. I give her a gentle smile, attempting to assure her that she’s safe with me. “I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure if you were going to show. I also wasn’t quite sure about when to expect you. So, I just showed up at noon and hoped you would, too.”
Her eyes drop to our hands, and I notice a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. She seems to shiver beneath my gaze, her hand softly quivering. My pulse immediately responds. She swallows. “Sorry I should’ve specified a time, but I was a little flustered after everything that happened yesterday. I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.” Her cheeks flush further and she lightly nibbles on her lower lip.
