Toil and Trouble Read Online Free Page B

course.”
    Rand released him and walked back to me. “Jolie needs to rest now. We can discuss all the details tomorrow.”
    “When do ye want yer recruits here?” Odran inquired.
    “Immediately,” Rand answered as he stood in front of the fire, finally quiet for a few seconds. “Odran, I will leave it to you to summon the fairies. By the time they arrive, I will have made arrangements for them. Sinjin, you take care of the vampires. I will handle all the werewolves and the witches.”
    I wanted to suggest I’d provide the pumpkins, carving knives and Butterfingers but didn’t want to be considered a smart ass.
    And, furthermore, it suddenly occurred to me that my sleeping arrangements hadn’t exactly been detailed. Even though I did live on Rand’s property, it wasn’t inside the main house. Instead, my residence had once been the butler’s quarters, almost two miles from Pelham Manor. I sensed maybe Rand intended for me to move back to the main house, but it was something I wasn’t exactly thrilled over. I mean, it sounded good and all but the reason I lived on my own was due to the maddening relationship between Rand and I. And I couldn’t imagine that relationship was now any less complicated.
    “What about me?” I asked as Rand frowned. “Can I continue living in my house?”
    He scratched his chin. “No.”
    “I don’t want…”
    “It’s too far from me. I can’t protect you if you aren’t nearby. And with all the soldiers camped here, it won’t be safe.”
    “Won’t be safe?” I echoed.
    “Jolie, while they might be on our side, they are still creatures of the Underworld and…male.” He sighed. “I don’t want to take any chances when your safety is concerned.”
    “And who will protect her against your advances, Randall?” Sinjin hissed.
    “I’m not interested in starting a row, Sinjin,” Rand warned.
    “Perhaps you should apply your rules to yourself?” Sinjin persisted.
    “Jolie, you and I can discuss this later,” Rand growled before turning back to Odran and Sinjin. “As for our meeting, it is finished.”
    Sinjin said nothing as he moved toward the door. He grabbed the doorknob and turning it, seemed to remember something and whispered to me.
    “Goodnight, Jolie, I bid you sweet dreams.” The smirk on his lips told me exactly what type of dreams he had in mind.

    * * *

    Rand packed me into the passenger seat of his black Range Rover. It was late and I was exhausted, the thought of my welcoming bed the only thing bringing me consolation. Rand started the engine and cranked the heat up, pulling out of his driveway and headed for the dirt road that would lead to my house.
    “Working so closely with Sinjin and Odran is hard for you, isn’t it?” I asked.
    Rand’s eyes didn’t leave the road. “Yes, if I had it my way, I wouldn’t interact with any of them, save you and Christa.”
    He was quite the antisocial warlock.
    “When do I need to move into the main house?”
    “Once all the recruits arrive,” he answered and glanced over at me. “I don’t trust them, Jolie, and I want to make sure you’re safe.”
    He smiled as he squeezed my knee playfully. A familiar warmth penetrated me and I clutched his hand.
    “Every time you touch me, it still feels like a lightning bolt running through my body.”
    He smiled. “Well, it is energy.”
    “Do you feel it when I touch you?”
    “No, you aren’t yet a powerful enough witch. But, in time, your powers will be strong enough for me to feel it.”
    I nodded, silently wondering when that day would come. I relaxed into the luxury of Rand’s heated seats and had to fight the wave of exhaustion that threatened to submerge me.
    “I hope I wasn’t out of line warning Sinjin to keep away from you?” Rand asked, attempting to sound casual.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    Rand was quiet for a few seconds. “He acts as if there’s something between you both.”
    I shrugged. “He’s a vampire…they