A Barrel of Whiskey - (An Urban Fantasy Whiskey Witches Novel) Read Online Free PDF

dork.” Paige bent to lay Kamden down in the playpen on top of the thick blanket. She made sure all his limbs were covered, then stood and faced Alma. It was time to force Alma into showing at least some of her cards. “The shifters told me about the treaty.”
    Dexx jerked his head up, focusing on the Whiskey women. His eyes rounded and his lips pursed as if he was just finally cluing in to what was going on.
    Alma’s fingers twitched. “What were you doin’ with the shifters?”
    Still so damned cool. Paige curled her stiff fingers into fists, her shoulders tight with frustration.
    Mandy threw a towel at Tyler. “You want cookies, you’ll help.”
    “You’re not the boss of me,” Tyler said.
    “I’m older’n you.”
    “I’ll finish this argument for you,” Leslie said sweetly. “If you want me to.”
    Tyler straightened, his expression filled with angelic innocence.
    Mandy continued to wash the soapy dishes.
    “Is there something you’d like to tell us, Grandma?” Paige had forgotten what it was like to have a conversation in that house. There could be three conversations going on at the same time. The kids’ banter dulled the edge of her anger. A little, but not much.
    Alma clamped her lips shut and shook her head.
    Holy fucking mother of— seriously? “For crying out loud, Grandma.”
    Alma finished filling the cookie sheet and handed the bowl to Mandy.
    Time to show her grandmother why she was so pissed. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered, first, that shifters were real and, second, I could start a war by trying to save their lives .”
    Alma blinked furiously, her wrinkled lips pursed.
    “Why did you keep us in the dark? Our entire lives?”
    “There are people,” Alma said quietly, “who do not practice the Craft like we do.”
    Paige frowned, trying to figure out why she gave a blessed fuck. “The Eastwoods.”
    Alarm flashed across her face. “Especially the Eastwoods.”
    Finally, they were getting somewhere. “So, when you met Mark?” Leah’s freakin’ father. “You knew about his family?” And still said nothing?
    Alma looked toward the ceiling then lowered her head again, meeting Paige’s gaze. “I tried to warn you off, didn’t I?”
    “Off of what, Grandma?”
    She clamped her lips closed.
    Oh, for fuck’s sake. She was seriously still keeping secrets?
    “The Eastwoods started the war.” Alma licked her lips and rubbed a spot on the counter. “Merry Eastwood, actually. She started it. A hundred and fifty years ago.”
    Paige leaned back a little, listening. For her, this was old news. She’d learned this in Nederland. But for Leslie? Mandy? Tyler? Yeah. They needed to hear this.
    “Imagine my surprise when I met the woman.” Alma licked her lips. “She arrived shortly after Mark did. She showed up at my door sweet as a peach and proceeded to threaten my family if I didn’t end your relationship. Then and there. Like I had some way of controllin’ you or somethin’.”
    Now, that was news. Merry had been here? Merry knew where they lived? Well, the Yellow Pages would have told her, but still. Shit. “When was this?”
    “Right before you got married. Week or so before.”
    “How do you know it was the same woman?” Leslie asked. “It could have been her granddaughter.”
    “Looked just like her. Besides, Great Grandma shared some stories. Merry Eastwood dabbles in black magick. Found a spell to keep her young. No one knows how old the woman really is.”
    “Blood magick?” Paige asked. She’d already guessed, but to have it confirmed? She’d never battled against that before. She didn’t even know much about it.
    “Yeah. So, Pea, I got more’n just dumb superstition behind this fear.”
    “That’s good to hear, but why didn’t you say something? Why hide it?”
    “Bury it, you mean?” Alma shook out her shoulders. “Maybe it wasn’t the best decision ever, but I’d warned you away from summoning demons, and you ran headlong into that. I