Grace said, her protective side coming out in full force. “We don’t know how volatile Charlie is right now.”
“I’m going,” Lex said, holding her ground. “If by some chance Bronwyn is there… I just can’t stay home.”
Grace nodded, understanding that nothing would keep Lex away if someone she loved was in danger. “Okay. Just stick near one of us at all times, all right?”
“Yes, Aunt Grace.” Lex rolled her eyes, but her lips curved up into a tiny smile.
Grace slipped her arm through Lex’s and led the way to her SUV. “Everyone in.”
“Can we call ourselves the Scooby Gang?” Joy asked from the back seat.
“Or the A-Team?” Hope offered.
“What’s the A-Team?” Lex asked.
The other three groaned.
“Never mind,” Grace said. “Before your time. I think we should be the Baywatch Babes.”
Joy chuckled. “Only if I get to be Pamela Anderson.”
“Who?” Lex asked.
“Oh, honey,” Hope said sympathetically as she patted her on the shoulder. “Remind me to introduce you to the show later. You’ll thank me for it.” She turned to Grace. “Baywatch Babes it is. Step on it, girlfriend. We have some ass to kick.”
Grace sped down the street and laughed out loud when Hope tapped her iPhone and suddenly “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks started to play through the vehicle’s speakers. It wasn’t long before they all started to sing, “’Cause Earl had to die!”
“Do you think he’s home?” Grace asked Lex. They were standing in front of Alyssa and Charlie’s small two-bedroom rental. The house was located down a dirt road and was secluded from the neighbors due to the abundance of trees in the area. Grace hated that her sister lived there. If there was ever any foul play, there wouldn’t be anyone to see or hear anything. From a safety standpoint, it was a nightmare.
“Yep. See the taillights of the car peeking out of the carport over there?”
Grace squinted, trying to see through the shadows to the carport. Sure enough, there was something parked there. She just couldn’t tell what make or model it was. Not that it mattered. She didn’t know what Charlie drove anyway. “Yeah. Is that his car?”
“Nope. It’s Mom’s. Charlie’s car was repossessed, so she lets him use it whenever he wants.”
“Your mom bought a second car?” Grace asked, surprised. That was something Alyssa normally would’ve shared with her. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Lex snorted. “Because she overpaid for the old Mustang and is embarrassed to say anything. She says she wants to get it restored, but she doesn’t have money for that. So it just sits there unless Charlie is driving it.”
“Okay. So we’re working under the impression that he’s here. Now what?” Hope asked. She was peering at the small house with her head tilted to the side. The structure itself was in need of some TLC. It really could’ve used some paint and roof work, and the porch looked to have some rot. But the yard was neat and tidy as if the renters took pride in their home. It was the kind of place that looked like decent, hardworking people lived there, but that the landlord wasn’t willing to spend any money on maintenance.
“I guess Lex can let us in. We can check on the cat and make sure nothing is amiss.” Now that they were standing there, Grace was starting to second-guess her hasty decision to run over there. What exactly were they going to do if Charlie was up to no good? Not that there were any signs of foul play. He’d probably just been drunk when he was texting Lex.
“Let me just do some recon first,” Hope said, waving her arms to gather them into a small circle. Joy took her spot to Hope’s left, and Grace immediately stepped up to complete the circle.
“Can I join?” Lex asked hesitantly.
“Of course you can,” Hope said, moving over to make room. “Have you done any spell work or earth traveling before?”
“No. Mom isn’t really big on the witchcraft.” Lex glanced away, avoiding eye contact with all three of the witches as she added, “She thinks it’s dangerous.”
Grace’s heart ached for her niece. There was so much Alyssa had kept from her in a misguided attempt to shield her from the dangers of the world. She squeezed Lex’s hand and said, “Alyssa thinks what we do is dangerous because she has an addictive personality. What she should say is that witchcraft addiction is dangerous for her. It doesn’t mean that you will suffer the same problem.”
Lex’s eyes widened