AWitchsSkill by Ashley Shayne Read Free Book Online

customers? I wouldn’t. If the warlock sees us,
he may notice the spells, if he has spells in place to detect them on
others. I think his energy will be taken up with placing defensive spells on
himself and the twins and he won’t be on the lookout for them on others.”
    Acayo was looking at me somewhat skeptically and I glared at
him.
    “Hey, anytime you wanna come up with a better plan, go right
ahead. It’s better than just charging in, looking like us.”
    “You’re right. I’m sorry. It is indeed better than that.”
    “Right.” Mollified, I nodded in the direction of the club. “Let’s
do this then.”
    I squared my shoulders, linked an arm through Acayo’s and
marched up to the club as if it were any old night. Two large men were working
the door. They could almost have been twins themselves, they looked so similar.
Both had black hair and rippling muscles under tight, white t-shirts that had the
club logo printed on the front. The bouncers waved us in without a second
glance and I breathed a sigh of relief. We went past them and through a curtain
into the main room. The Galloways’ club, Shimmer, was the best strip club in
town.
    Everything was a little seedier than I remembered but beyond
that nothing had changed. The big room had a large center stage and smaller
circular stages scattered around it. A raised platform off to the left held
couches arranged in a u-shape and a glass coffee table. No one was sitting
there at the moment. A slim, pretty brunette with tired eyes was dancing
halfheartedly on the pole mounted on the stage, and two other girls were
performing on the small platforms for a large group of rowdy guys. Besides the
guys, who looked to be on a stag night, the club was relatively quiet since it
was still early. We took a small table near the wall and I headed to the bar to
buy us drinks, making sure to put on a throaty, slightly Southern accent when I
addressed the bartender, and then returned to Acayo. He was watching the
brunette with a look of distaste and I nudged him as I handed him his drink.
    “Hey, act like you’re happy to be here please. We don’t
wanna draw attention.” Acayo frowned but put his arm around me obediently and
leered at the stage.
    “Better.” I leaned in to him and scanned the club. I didn’t
feel any spells or wards and neither the Galloways nor the warlock were
present. I thought about it for a bit and then flagged down a scantily clad
waitress.
    “Your bosses in tonight?” I asked her when she arrived at
our table.
    “What’s it to you?”
    She tossed the question back at me, flipping her hair and
smiling seductively at Acayo. He returned the smile and I was annoyed for a
moment before remembering he looked like an older man and she was just working.
    “I have a business proposition for them. To open a new
branch of the club down in Dallas. Could be big money.”
    “Yeah well, I don’t know if they’d be interested. But one of
them will be in later, probably in about an hour if you want to wait. They’ll
sit on the platform up there when they get here. I’ll let them know you want to
talk shop and they’ll have you brought over if they want to talk to you.”
    I thanked her and nodded and she sashayed away, waving her
hips as she went.
    “Clever girl,” Acayo whispered, leaning in close to me.
    He breathed gently into my ear and shivers ran up my spine. I
ignored him and pulled a small vial out of my bag, taking care to keep it
hidden under the table. I removed the stopper and poured a few drops onto the
floor, murmuring a phrase and twisting my hands counterclockwise over them as I
did so.
    “What are you doing now?” he asked quietly, putting one hand
on my thigh and rubbing it gently.
    “Repulsion spell,” I replied. “Just a little one. Should
make the other customers want to leave. If things get violent, I don’t want a
bloodbath in here.”
    The spell began to take effect almost immediately and a lone
man sitting up by the stage