Rowena Flores has problems...and we're not just talking about her anger management issues. After cursing her cheating ex-boyfriend, this home goods cashier's life is turned upside down when a pack of werewolf shifters accuse her of being a murdering...
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Bodies by Bobby was a small gym housed between a deli and a tattoo parlor. It wasn't on the greatest side of Clarkton if the drug deal going on twelve feet away from them was any indication.
"Tell me again why we aren't watching Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz?" Rowena asked. She was feeling a little loopy from her pain medication.
"We have to get this done sooner than later," Cross answered. "We can watch your wizard movies later."
"They're not wizard movies. They're about a young girl who learns to appreciate her family despite their flaws. They're about friendship but I warn you now, Return to Oz may give you nightmares."
"I thought the Wizard of Oz was a family-friendly movie."
Rowena nodded as Cross opened his door and exited. He walked around and opened her door before she spoke. "It is but Return to Oz has a much different vibe. It has these things called the Wheelers which are super-creepy. There's also an evil woman who steals people's heads—literally. It's truer to the book than the Judy Garland movie."
He helped her step down from his vehicle and gave her a thoughtful look. "You really do like to read, don't you?"
"Honestly, I couldn't imagine my life without books. I work at a home-goods store and tell fake fortunes to make a living. You've met my parents so you can imagine what my childhood was like. Whether it's healthy or not, books help me escape my reality."
"I guess it helps that those books don't judge you," Cross said sympathetically. He held out his hand for her to grab. Rowena eyed it warily before slipping her hand in his. He turned his head to hide his smile.
"Unless it's a self-development book," Rowena said, choosing to ignore his smile. "Those books can come across as judgmental."
"You read self-development books?"
She shrugged. "No one's perfect."
They stepped up to the gym's entrance. The building was made of gray bricks and had a wooden sign with its name painted in black and red. The two front windows were covered in vinyl cut-outs of men and women lifting weights. Cross held the door open for her with a whispered warning, "Let me do all the talking, Rowena."
"We'll see," Rowena mumbled. She would've shrugged but couldn't without causing herself additional pain.
She grimaced as the smell of sweat and old gym mats hit her. A few men were in the back spotting one another at the bench press area. Her brown eyes followed the sound of clanging weights. Cross reached for her hand and stepped forward, his sharp eyes looking around.
A tall man who had the physique of a bodybuilder spotted them from a small window attached to a back office. His eyes widened and he quickly stood up from his desk and approached them. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes that appeared nervous. He was wearing sweatpants and a tight red shirt with the gym's name emblazoned across the front in white.
