Page 64 of Blood Magic

Chapter Twenty-Six

Max adored Zach, but Joe watched the new guy with narrow-eyed suspicion, and not all of it because he might have been a little jealous. Joe hadn’t been wrong—Max was a brat. He flirted shamelessly with Zach, though Zach appeared completely oblivious.

I stood for a few seconds watching them, Joe with his hulking, glaring threat, Max smiling and just slightly obnoxious, and Zach, blank-faced and full of pain.

I needed more female friends.

Max was happy to take Zach shopping. I gave him a credit card and strict instructions on what to buy—cell phone, clothes, boots, a cot, earbuds—and I also told him not to leave Zach alone, to watch him constantly, and when I was in the middle of warning him that Zach had some PTSD and how best to deal with that, Max rolled his eyes, grabbed the card, and turned to leave my office.

“I’ll try not to get us both killed,” he said.

I hoped he’d try hard.

I grabbed my car keys. “Hey Joe. Want to drive to Alexandria with me?”

He tossed his magazine away and hurried to the door. “More than you can imagine.”

We met Lucy and a man coming in as we were leaving. He looked vaguely familiar, and then I remembered I’d met him when I’d brought donuts to work and he’d asked me to communicate with a loved one. He’d told me he went into Lucy’s bakery often. I guess he hadn’t been lying.

“Kait,” Lucy cried, exuberant as always. “I’d like to introduce you to Ray Christian, my new friend.”

Ray grinned and stuck his hand out. “We’ve met.”

“Oh?” Lucy asked, looking from Ray to me.

“I wanted to hire her to contact a dead loved one,” he explained. “She refused to fake her abilities and wouldn’t take my money.”

“Of course not,” Lucy said, slipping her arm through his. “Kait isn’t a charlatan. Where are you two headed?”

“We have something to check out in Alexandria,” I told her. “I’ll see you at home tonight.”

She winked. “Maybe.”

We parted at our cars and I hesitated before I climbed into mine, watching Ray Christian. He laughed at something Lucy said, then opened her car door for her. He gave me a wave as he jogged around to get into the passenger side of her car.

“Everything okay?” Joe asked.

“Yes, just trying to get a feel for Mr. Christian,” I said. “I don’t get a bad vibe from him.”

“You want me to drive?”

“No.” I got in and started the car. “I hope Max and Zach will make out okay.”

He glared. “If Max has anything to say about it, they’ll probably make out for half the night. Where’d you find him?”

“He’s a friend of a friend,” I told him, pulling out onto the street. “He’s having a bad time of things and I’m just looking out for him.”

“He’s homeless?”

I hesitated. “Yes.”

“Is he—”

“Joe,” I interrupted, but gently. “It’s not my story to tell.”

He nodded, then sighed. “At least Lucy seems happy enough.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You shouldn’t worry about Max and Zach.”