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  Freaky Fangs

  A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book Nine

  Amanda M. Lee

  WinchesterShaw Publications

  Copyright © 2020 by Amanda M. Lee

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. One

  2. Two

  3. Three

  4. Four

  5. Five

  6. Six

  7. Seven

  8. Eight

  9. Nine

  10. Ten

  11. Eleven

  12. Twelve

  13. Thirteen

  14. Fourteen

  15. Fifteen

  16. Sixteen

  17. Seventeen

  18. Eighteen

  19. Nineteen

  20. Twenty

  21. Twenty-One

  22. Twenty-Two

  23. Twenty-Three

  24. Twenty-Four

  25. Twenty-Five

  26. Twenty-Six

  27. Twenty-Seven

  28. Twenty-Eight

  29. Twenty-Nine

  Mailing List

  About the Author

  Books by Amanda M. Lee

  1

  One

  “I don’t get why we’re going to the middle of nowhere.”

  Kade Denton, my boyfriend and magical partner, kept his eyes on Interstate-65 as he navigated the traffic in search of the correct exit.

  “We’re not going to be in the middle of nowhere,” I countered, my eyes on the blurring foliage out the window. “We’re going to be in Cave City.”

  “Oh, I looked at a map. Cave City is pretty much next to nowhere.”

  I had to smile at his tone. He was generally amiable. He was new to the circus life — well, relatively so — and liked to learn. Every time he thought he had a handle on what we were doing, though, someone pulled the rug out from under him.

  That someone was usually me, Poet Parker. I’m second in command of Mystic Caravan Circus, which means I grasp the intricacies of our various jobs better than most. I simply had to remind myself it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t understand why this particular stop didn’t fit the rules as he knew them.

  “It’s a festival gig,” I explained.

  “It’s still in the middle of nowhere.” He refused to let it go. “You said we make money off guests, which means we need a lot of people to visit the circus. If there’s no one around, how do we make money?”

  Slowly, I slid my eyes to him. He was the curious sort, always asking a lot of questions. This conversation seemed to have something else behind it. “Are you bucking for my job?”

  He frowned. He had one of those angular faces that looked as if it’d been carved from granite. He was well built, muscles for miles, and he had warm eyes that went liquid when he was feeling romantic. He could make my knees buckle with a simple smile, which was not something I would admit to just anyone. He also had a tendency to be intense when pushed outside his comfort zone.

  “What do you mean?” Kade countered. “I’m curious about why we’re going to the middle of nowhere.”

  “It’s not the middle of nowhere. And you seem very intent on learning about each location we visit these days. Since it’s my job to worry about the locations, I can’t help but be curious.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Please. I don’t want your job. I’m perfectly happy with my job ... and I like when we work together best. It’s just ... well ... I like to know about the places we land. If there’s a paranormal element, I prefer knowing about it before we’re attacked.”

  Ah. That explained it. He wanted to know if we would be attacked by anything magical. As head of security, it was his job to keep us safe ... at least on paper. In reality, we all worked together to keep ourselves safe and eliminate any magical threat that might pop up. We’d had a busy few weeks, what with witches and grim reapers and even a rogue incubus. I had happy news for him.

  “You don’t have to worry about Cave City,” I reassured him. “We’ve been here before. They have a few wendigos in the hills and I’ve seen a shifter or two in the area, but our visits are generally pretty quiet.”

  Kade didn’t look convinced. “I believe you said the visit to California was supposed to be quiet, too. Oh, and Utah. Wasn’t that supposed to be quiet?”

  I made a face. He had a point, which was something I didn’t want to acknowledge. “Fine. Don’t believe me. But we’ve never had a problem here. It’s quiet. And it’s a nice spot for a break before we push into the final part of our season.”

  “That’s another thing I don’t get,” he admitted, checking the GPS and then flicking his eyes back to the road. “You’re basically saying we take the entire month of December off. How do we pay our bills?”

  He was funny ... and cute ... and charming. He was also a worrier. It was one of the only things that bothered me about him. He needed to unclench just a little bit.

  “We get paid the same,” I replied. “Think of it as a four-week vacation. We all go to Florida and hang out for a month, rest and relax, and then do it all over again. Our first stop once we’re back is Texas. We stick to the western states in the winter and spring before heading to the Midwest for summer.”

  “I remember the route.” He slowly tracked his eyes to me, contemplative. “Are we going to be together in December?”

  The question caught me off guard. “Last time I checked ... unless you don’t seem to think that’s going to be the case.” My blood ran cold at the prospect. “Do you want to go someplace else … like alone?”

  “No,” he replied hurriedly, his cheeks flooding with color. “I want to be with you. Don’t be ridiculous. I think I phrased that question wrong. I just ... what are we going to do? Where are we going to stay? Do you have a place? Do I need to rent a place? I know it’s still two months away, but I like to be prepared for this stuff.”

  Of course. That’s what he was worried about. I felt like a bit of an idiot when I realized he was concerned about having a roof over our heads rather than spending time with me. “I’m sorry.” I held up my hands in capitulation. “I didn’t mean to sound so crabby. I just thought ... .” I trailed off.

  “You thought I was going to suddenly lose interest and take off.” His eyes narrowed. “Why would you assume that? I would think you’d know how I feel by now.” He waited a moment, and when I didn’t respond because I wasn’t sure what to say, he pushed forward. “When I said that I love you, I meant it. I didn’t mean it for one or two months either. I meant it forever.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Isn’t that a song from the 1980s?”

  He shrugged, clearly on edge. “I love you for the long haul.”

  His earnest nature caused me to heave out a sigh. “I know.” I reached over the console and grabbed his hand, giving it a hard squeeze. “I think this conversation got away from both of us. I love you. I’ve been looking forward to the Christmas break. We can spend an entire month together in Florida. I have a condo I keep there, so we have a place to stay. Although ... .” I wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

  “Although what?”

  “Luke usually stays with me.” On instinct, I turned my head to look out the rearview mirror. The same blue truck had been behind us since we pulled up stakes and headed south … and that was more than a hundred miles ago. “I don’t know if he’ll be getting his own place this year or even if he’ll be coming to Florida. I guess it’s possible he’ll go to Akron ... or maybe even someplace else. I just don’t kno
w.”

  In addition to being my best friend, Luke Bishop served as a trapeze artist and fill-in ringmaster for Mystic Caravan. We’d been attached at the hip for years, practically doing everything together. Then Kade joined the outfit months before at the behest of his father Max Anderson, and the realities of our relationship shifted just a bit. I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were going to shift again.

  Kade, on the other hand, was a big fan of the new development. It had been only two weeks since our stop in Akron, which is where Luke picked up an elemental named Cole Ryan, who just so happened to be an undercover police officer. If Cole had been human we would’ve modified his memory to cover up our part in the beheading of a murderous creature. But he was aware of the paranormal world, so we left things be ... and I was starting to regret it.

  “You think Cole and Luke might spend the Christmas break together,” Kade mused, his lips curving. “I like the idea of Luke being in Ohio for the entire break.”

  I shot him a dirty look. “I thought you and Luke were getting along.”

  “We are. He’s just ... a lot ... to deal with.”

  Even if I wanted to argue, I couldn’t. Luke was indeed a lot to deal with. It was one of the things I liked about him … er, well, at least most of the time. Still, I would miss him if I didn’t see him for an entire month, and I was still on the fence about Cole’s motivations. I didn’t entirely trust him, though I kept that tidbit to myself because I didn’t want to explain my misgivings.

  “He might be a lot to deal with,” I conceded after a beat. “He’s a good guy, though. You guys have bonded a bit. I know he gives you a hard time about hanging around with me, but ... he’s a good guy. He’s just trying to be funny when he does some of that stuff that drives you nuts. You can’t take it to heart.”

  Slowly, Kade tracked his eyes to me. There was something uncomfortable buried there when I met his gaze and I quickly looked away. “Um ... back to Cave City. They have a festival for all the surrounding communities and there’s a huge tourist influx because of Mammoth Caves, so we always do really well. You don’t have to worry about attendance being an issue.”

  “I’m not worried.” Kade was calm, but I felt curiosity rippling beneath the surface. “Do you want to tell me why you’re so upset about Cole?”

  That was not the question I was expecting. It certainly wasn’t something I felt comfortable answering. I decided denial was my best bet. “I’m not upset about Cole. Why would you think that?”

  “Because I know you.” Kade refused to back down. “I know the way your mind works, and when you’re hiding something. Right now you’re trying to hide the fact that you don’t like Cole. I don’t understand. He seems okay.”

  Oh, well, of course he would think that. “Did I say there was something wrong with him?” I tried to act airy, as if I didn’t have a care. “I think he’s ... swell.”

  Kade snorted. “Oh, well, that’s convincing. Whenever someone uses the word ‘swell’ it always comes from the heart.”

  My temper ratcheted up a notch. “I meant what I said. I think he’s ... fine.”

  “And fine on top of it? Wow. You really hate this guy. Tell me why.”

  “I don’t hate him.” I felt on display. Kade could read me better than most. The only one who had a better feel for my emotions was Luke, and I’d been careful to put on a good act for him since Cole joined our merry little band. “Why would you think I hate him?”

  “Because you refuse to make eye contact with him and are careful to make sure you’re never alone with him,” Kade replied, matter-of-fact. “You’ve been extra clingy with me, which I like so I’ve kept quiet. But I’m not an idiot.”

  I worked my jaw. “I just ... .” What was I supposed to say? I knew my feelings regarding Cole were irrational. The reason I’d kept them to myself is that I didn’t want people laughing at me or pointing out that I was acting like a territorial hell beast.

  “I’m waiting,” he prodded quietly.

  “We don’t know anything about him,” I started. “I mean ... all we know is that he’s a cop. That’s not good as far as we’re concerned. He only spent a few days getting to know Luke and then announced he was taking some vacation time to travel with us so he and Luke can get to know one another. You don’t find that weird?”

  Kade shook his head. “No, I think it’s smart. He and Luke obviously feel things for each other but neither one of them knows if it’s the real deal or something that’ll fade. He said he had two months of vacation saved up because he was married to his job. His boss was actually relieved he was taking it.

  “Not only is he getting to know Luke, he’s traveling around the country,” he continued. “He’s hanging out with us and doing the tourist thing when he feels like it. I think it’s one of the better ideas Luke has come up with.”

  That’s not what I wanted to hear. I was desperate to find someone else — anyone else really — who was as mistrustful as me. “But ... they barely know each other and they’re sleeping in the same trailer.”

  “I hate to break it to you, but you and I started sleeping in the same trailer pretty quickly. I don’t understand why you’re so worked up about this. It seems irrational ... and unfair.”

  I balked. “Unfair? How am I being unfair?”

  “Luke is your best friend. He’s felt out of place since you and I got together, as if I’ve somehow pushed him out of pockets of your life. I was always agitated with the way he treated me, but I understood it on some level because you guys were so close.

  “The thing is, I happen to believe he’s been lonely for months,” he continued. “Without you as a constant companion, he’s been searching for something. If he’s found that something in Cole, I don’t see why that’s a bad thing. Luke has been ridiculously happy the last week, and he and Cole seem to get along really well. Why isn’t that allowed?”

  Oh, well, if he wanted to be rational. “I didn’t say it wasn’t allowed,” I snapped. “I just ... you don’t understand. Luke doesn’t settle down. He dates for five minutes and then dumps people. That’s who he is.”

  “Perhaps that’s who he was,” Kade countered. “Maybe seeing us happy made Luke want something more. That’s a good thing.”

  “Oh, I can’t even talk to you.” I waved my hand and went back to staring out the window. I wanted to wallow. “Let’s just get to the fairgrounds.”

  Kade shook his head. “I won’t let this go. I think you’re being unreasonable. I won’t let you ruin this for Luke.”

  I practically exploded. “Ruin this for Luke? I would never. In fact ... .” Whatever I was going to say died on my lips as my magical senses kicked into overdrive and I jerked my head to the right. “Stop the truck!”

  Kade’s forehead wrinkled. “Excuse me? I’m not going to just let you hop out of the truck on the highway because you want to avoid a fight.”

  “That’s not why. Stop the truck!”

  He must’ve seen something in my eyes because he acquiesced without further argument. The second the truck stopped, I threw open the door and hopped out, immediately moving toward the steep embankment on the side of the road.

  “What are you doing?” Kade was out of the truck, too, and he didn’t look happy. “You can’t just take off in the middle of an argument.”

  “What’s going on?” a voice asked from behind us. I recognized who was talking even though I didn’t look over my shoulder. It was Cole, which meant Luke had pulled over as well.

  “I don’t know,” Kade replied, frustration on full display. “She’s acting like a crazy person. She demanded I pull over out of nowhere. We were arguing at the time and I thought she was going to be a big baby and demand to ride with someone else or something, but instead she took off in that direction.”

  “What were you arguing about?” a third voice asked. This one belonged to Luke, which meant the four of us were standing on the side of an interstate, probably looking like morons to passersby. That didn’t ch
ange the fact that the sense of dread gripping me by the throat in the truck wasn’t dissipating. No, it was only growing greater.

  “Just ... stuff,” Kade replied. He was too loyal to admit what we were really arguing about. He would protect me no matter what. “I didn’t understand the Christmas set-up and it led to a minor argument. It’s not a big deal.”

  “And yet she jumped out of the truck,” Cole said. “That’s weird, right?”

  “Really weird,” Luke confirmed. I could sense him as he moved closer to me. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know that he was coming to check on me, to make sure I was okay. “Why are you mad at Captain Do-Right? I thought you two were still floating on puffy clouds and happily in love with one another.”

  “We are,” I gritted out, moving closer to the lip of the embankment. Something was calling to me and I couldn’t ignore it. “I’m not angry. I ... there!” I jabbed a finger at something metallic on the other side of the steep incline. “That’s what I sensed.”

  Luke kept a hand on my arm as he peered over, his eyes going wide. “That’s a truck.”

  “Oh, you think? I sensed it as we were approaching. That’s why I told him to pull over.”

  “That’s great.” Luke didn’t look as if he believed the claim. “But what do we do?”

  “We call the police,” Cole said. “We can’t get down there to save them ourselves, and explaining what we’re doing won’t go over well.” He pulled out his phone. “Let me handle it. I’ll say we saw the sun glinting off the truck and decided to check it out.”