draw before. A large red heart outlined in black covered his bicep and across the center of the heart was written mom in large white block letters.
“Interesting choice,” Bronx said, his deep voice a low rumble.
Trixie didn’t look up at him, but just smiled. “Gage says that you always know everything before he tells you. This shouldn’t be a surprise either.”
His large eyebrows bunched over his large nose, shadowing his deep set yellow eyes. “What do you mean?”
Trixie looked up at me and smiled before she leaned over and whispered in his ear. Leaning against the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest, I watched the impressive display of emotions cross his face. Joy, horror, amusement, sorrow, and even a little fear – they all flickered through over his usually stoic face before he finally got control. And then it was just uneasiness as he couldn’t decide whether congratulations or condolences were in order.
“We’re happy about it,” I announced, letting him off the hook.
“And I am happy for you both as well,” he said before pressing a kiss to Trixie’s temple. “Have you started discussing names yet?” he asked conversationally as Trixie started to clean up her paints.
“No. She hasn’t even told me what we’re having yet,” I said.
“It’s no mystery, Gage. It’s going to be a baby,” Bronx said in a dry voice, echoing Trixie’s wry words.
“Smart-asses. I’m surrounded by fucking smart-asses,” I muttered, feeling lighter to hear Trixie laughing again.
“Will I get to be the godfather?” Bronx asked.
“Only if you promise not to eat the little tyke,” I said snidely, earning a deep laugh from the troll, no doubt recalling a similar conversation we had a long time ago about trolls and their young.
A chime announcing the arrival of a customer stopped whatever comment was on his lips as I turned around to greet whoever had walked in. However, the greeting became lodged in my throat at the sight of Jackson Wagnalls. The shifter was all sleek movements as if his joints were kept well oiled. That, or his inner wolf was riding high with the rise of the moon, even though it was still several weeks away from the next full one.
“ ’Sup, Houdini?” he greeted, flashing a grin full of sharp teeth.
“Watch it, dog. I could have customers in here,” I snapped irritably.
The werewolf was one of the few around Low Town that knew about my past in a somewhat limited capacity. The bastard had even gotten to experience it firsthand, when I changed him into a chihuahua for a couple weeks. In my own defense, he was about to attack me and I’d done it in as an act of protection. The spell had put me on his shit list for a while, but the removal of Reave from Low Town and giving him some help with the Winter Court at All Hallows’ Eve had gotten me moved to a list of people he tolerated.
“Do you have a customer back there?”
“Not at the moment.”
Jack leaned across the glass case that separated us, getting up in my face. “Then I repeat: ’Sup, Houdini?”
It was a struggle not to laugh. I couldn’t blame Jack for wanting to have his fun. He knew I was a warlock and it was his only chance to tweak the temper of one without fear of being turned inside out. But then, his good mood also helped to lighten the load on my shoulders. When we’d first met, the werewolf had a major chip on his shoulder and was looking to tear out anyone’s throat who got too close. The removal of Reave meant that he got to rule his pack like a true alpha. Killing Reave also put most of the Underworld into his paw, which I think he was enjoying as well. He’d even been nice enough to confer briefly with me when he ascended to his new position of power. My only request was that his people didn’t deal in fix. The drug was made from livers taken from pixies and resulted in the death of too many creatures. I knew I’d never stop it from being dealt in the area, but I was happy to just slow down its availability.
“Nothing. How’s the tattoo?” I asked, dropping my eyes to his neck.
Jack’s grin widened and he straightened, pulling away from me as he moved the collar of his leather jacket and T-shirt away from the side of his neck to flash the tattoo I had completed just a