Page 68 of Bad Witch

He answered immediately. “Temp, hey. I’ve been thinking about how we left things earlier. I didn’t like it, peaches⁠—”

“Are you at the clubhouse?” I said, cutting him off.

“Is everything okay?”

“I’ve found something in Brigid’s grimoire, something I need to show you. I’ll be at your place in a couple of minutes.”

“Are you on the bus? I’ll head down to pick you up.”

“No, I’m fine. Just wait for me at the clubhouse.”

“Tempest,” he said and there was a growl to his voice.

“Please, Fender, will you just wait for me at the clubhouse?”

He was silent for several beats. “If that’s what you want.”

“It is, thank you,” I said and hung up.

Grabbing the grimoire and the papers, I carefully packed them into my bag, shoved my feet into my shoes, then strode to the laundry room door and pressed my door handle to it, drenching it in magic. I shouldn’t be doing this again, but this was important, I was sure of it, and inched the door open, peeking out. The clubhouse parking lot appeared to be quiet. I stepped through the garage’s side door that I’d used last time, then quickly shut it behind me and made a beeline for the front door.

Freezing night air blasted me. I’d left without my coat.

“Yo!” a deep, rough voice barked.

I ignored it, hoping they weren’t talking to me, and kept going.

“Stop right there,” the angry male voice called.

I froze instantly, halfway between the garage and the clubhouse.

“Who are you and how the fuck did you get in here?” they said as they rounded me.

It was Brick, and for the first time, he wasn’t smiling. He was angry.

His head jerked back and the anger slipped away, turning to confusion. “Temp…hey. With the direction of the wind, I didn’t catch your scent.” He looked around, then back at me. “I was at the gate, how did you get in?”

“I…well, I…”

He frowned. “What’s going on? Is Fender expecting you? Does Fender even know you’re here?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Y-yes,” I said, suddenly afraid. Brick was huge, and he wasn’t happy with me. I’d broken into their territory without thinking.

“Willow has this place warded. How are you in here?”

Nothing and no one stopped a Matilda, but I couldn’t tell him that. “I…I…”

“Are you here for Fen or Rome? Fen staked a claim over you. If you’ve gotten in here somehow to proposition Roman again, he’ll be pissed.”

My blood rushed to my cheeks, and I shook my head, struggling to make my mouth work.

Brick’s brows were slashed down angrily now. “What’s going on here, Tempest?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

“Let’s go, you need to leave.”

He reached for me, and I jerked back as his fingers curled around my arm.