Spellbound

Original Edition: Twenty-One

What in the hell was Raven doing here? I told Larry to tell her to hold on, that I would be there in a moment. I could hear her impatient voice in the background, and if my heart rate was low earlier, it was certainly rebounding now.

I ended the call and stood up, unsteady on my feet.

"Whoa, Gem, what are you doing?" Archer said, immediately standing and gripping my hips. "You need to sit down."

"I can't sit down; my asshole cousin is downstairs, and I have to deal with her." I started toward the door but nearly tripped over my own feet, my head still swimming. 

Archer caught me and held me close to his chest, glaring over my head at Soren. "See? Look what you did; constantly badgering her to read that damn book, and now she can't even walk straight."

Soren rolled his eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Archer. She wasn't feeling well before now. My badgering had nothing to do with it. Perhaps she is nauseous from your constant doting. I get a fucking toothache just—"

"Guys. Please. I have to get downstairs before Raven bites Larry's head off," I said, attempting to break free of Archer's grasp.

"Let your annoying lover walk you down, Gemma. You won't take the damn elevator and you're going to tumble ass over head down those stairs."

I was stunned by Soren's kind words. He cared enough to want me to be safe and that felt like a change after he basically told me that we were enemies. Nothing about this felt hostile—his attention to detail about the tome, his warning to take it easy reading it, and his clear animosity toward his brother where I was concerned. Was he jealous that I connected with Archer first?

Clenching my eyes, I shook my head. This was not the time to inflate my ego because I had a fleeting thought about being the center of a brother love triangle. As hot as the possibilities were.

"No, neither of you can walk me down. Raven will get all preachy about how only whores let the devil dance in their bed."

"What the hell does that mean?" Soren said as Archer answered. "Sounds like fun."

"It means I'll brave the deathtrap we call an elevator." I pushed past them and yanked the door open.

The three of us stopped dead in our tracks.

Raven arched one perfectly sculpted brow and glared at us with her accusatory green eyes. "I am surprised your guests are fully dressed as you push them out of your room, Gemma. I'm sure most would be tripping over their pants as they stumble down the hall."

I clenched my teeth together, unsure what to say. A simple you got it all wrong wouldn't faze her. My cousin loved basking in her preconceived notions of me. They inflated her ego and gave her reason to look down on me.

Archer clicked his tongue and shifted closer to me. "We were just starting our pre-game; would you care to join us? I'm sure my brother would be happy to lick your cu—"

"I have standards," Soren cut in. "The beautiful but bitter type always leaves a sour taste on my tongue."

I sighed and pushed them over the threshold one at a time. Raven skipped back, giving them a wide berth like she might contract some sort of vaginal disease if she breathed the same air as them. "Mr. Hyde and Mr. Hyde, thank you for your professional insight about how we can better our service here at the Hotel Reynard. It was most enlightening and I look forward to implementing some of your suggestions. Please, drive home safely and take care."

They looked at me with the same amused expression on their matching faces. I would have laughed if Raven didn't suck all the joy out of my life. They turned around and I released a long breath which hitched when Soren looked back saying, "Let us know if you still have problems with that pipe issue. We would both be happy to help. You know double-team it from both ends."

My cheeks burned as they puffed out, trapping my laughter. I couldn't figure out if he was just trying to lighten the mood or if he hated me so much that he was trying to embarrass me to death. Either way, it was funny, especially coming from the somber Soren.

Archer and Soren shared a knowing glance, and I did have to admit that it was nice to see them behave this way, rather than constantly bickering. They sauntered down the hall and rounded the corner, and I turned back to Raven.

"So, what did you need, Raven? As you can see, I am a little bit busy right now. You know, running a hotel and all." My head only thumped faintly now, and I almost felt normal. 

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You weren't answering any of my texts, so—"

I barked out a laugh. "Oh, you mean the ones where you essentially called me an idiot? And insulted my intelligence? Yeah, that wasn't exactly a priority."

She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to one leg, tapping her foot as if I were wasting her time. "Come on, Gemma. Give it up. You know you can't do this."

I stood up taller and planted my feet. "Can't do what? Run this hotel? It sure looks like I'm doing it. Of course, I have dependable employees that help me, but I am doing just fine, Raven."

"You mean the old guy who was closing down the front desk at nine o'clock? Gemma, what if someone has an emergency? This is a hotel, not some trendy mall boutique job you had for two months."

"Well, Raven, if you had read the sign he put up, you would've seen that it said to step over to the bar and talk to Lloyd until midnight, and after midnight, call the hotel's phone number and it will be forwarded to me. But you didn't take the time to do that, did you? You just couldn't wait to get up here and fucking judge me." I threw out the f-bomb just to get under her skin, I'll admit it. "You're so condescending, cuz. Doesn't it ever get tiring?"

"I suppose as tiring as you jumping from job to job or changing your major twice before dropping out of college."

My blood was boiling and my hands were clenched at my side. My cousin stockpiled all my failures, ready to pull one out of her arsenal the moment it suited her purpose. She did the same thing to me when we were children, pointing out how she won this award or was honored for her charity work by that organization. While she was celebrating greatness, I was excited to have memorized all the moves to the newest dance craze. She was always going to be better than me, and if I didn't think that she would report me for assault, I'd punch her right in her perfect nose to make myself feel better.

Already exasperated by her antics, I numbly asked, "Do you need me to get you a room for the night?"

"I'll pass. I'm staying at the boutique hotel I'm helping to launch in Providence. I just thought I'd stop by and see how this place was faring with subpar ownership."

My face reddened to an unnatural hue, and I nodded curtly. "Great. Now get the fuck out; this wishy-washy, subpar owner needs time to decide which of those Hyde brothers she's going to hop in bed with tonight," I snapped, stepping over my threshold and putting my hand on the door, ready to slam it shut.

"You really are disgusting. I'll keep you in my prayers." Raven spun around on her sensible heels and walked away. She even walked in a perfect straight line. I bought in to the notion that she couldn't do anything wrong a long time ago, and I hated that I gave in so easily.

I slammed the door shut and rested my back against it. My eyes fluttered shut and I took several deep breaths, working past the irritation that only she could bring out in me.

When I felt at peace again, I open my eyes and my determination to not fail at managing the hotel was renewed. This was my gift from Hazel, my time to shine, it was my turn to make my mark on the Reynard and earn the respect of my family.