Page 60 of Booked for Murder

“It does. That doesn’t mean anything beyond it might be the same general class of drug, though. That’s how my ability works with contaminates in the bloodstream. It’s feelings. Painkillers are cool and soothing as a general rule. This stuff? It’s hot, and it’s otherwise unpleasant. I think I’ll refuse the next few doses, Bradley. I don’t like how that feels.”

“Well, no wonder, if it feels similar to the compound that just replicated on you. I wouldn’t want to touch it, either. I’ll give the doc a call back and talk to him about it, and I’ll tell him you’re refusing to take the rest.”

“If I can do that, I just need practice, not try to make my ridiculous ability rating even more ridiculous.”

“Mine is even more ridiculous than yours.”

“Not by much.”

“It still is more ridiculous than yours,” Bradley replied with a smirk. “That means I win.”

Well, some things hadn’t changed. “If that makes you feel better about yourself.”

“I have to take what I can get, and you outclass me everywhere else. I’ll use your bathroom to make this call, if you don’t mind.”

“If you missed my bathroom that much after yesterday, by all means, please visit it.”

“You are an evil woman sometimes, Janette.”

I could be, but I refused to allow him to see that his words cut deep, probably a great deal deeper than he intended. No matter what my parents believed, I was capable of a great deal of harm—and evil. I remained a single step from the wrong side of the line. “Enjoy your visit to my bathroom. Please don’t visit the milk in my fridge.”

“That was just mean,” he complained, stepping into the bathroom to make his phone call.

I hoped the day never came when he’d discover just how mean I could be. I couldn’t afford to show mercy to the merciless.

That would only get more people killed.

Fifteen

Did Ajani draw blood?

Bradley claimed the prescription bottle, and when Ren returned, he handled it over. “That needs to go back to the doctor tonight. She decided to experiment with her own blood, and she changed colors around the same time she realized it has a similar feel to what she found in the blood sample.”

“Changed colors?” Ren took the bottle and put it into his jacket. “If you’re discussing her somewhat pale complexion, you haven’t fed her breakfast yet and she’s likely in a great deal of pain. One is easier to resolve than the other.”

I checked the time, which informed me it was after noon. “Don’t you mean lunch?”

“Technically, yes. While I was on my other errand, I asked the manufacturer to come here with the firearm, and I bribed a registrar to also come so you can file for your conceal carry. I informed them you have an injury that bars you from going to the range until later today. I also requested a stool or something you can use for this evening. Arrangements are being made.”

“You’re more his secretary than his bodyguard, aren’t you?”

I’d been expected to handle some matters, but Bradley had several secretaries who handled most of the work.

Ren grinned. “You’re catching on. While I do serve as a driver and protection, I am more focused on handling his other affairs. I’m trained, but I have nowhere near the training you do. And once you’re back in your prime, you’ll outshine me for just about everything else. That said, I am a god at scheduling, so you have no hope of defeating me there. He wanted to see if your temperament had changed, so he asked me to focus more on being security than anything else.”

“You’re an asshole, Bradley Hampton.” I scowled at my foot, which kept me trapped on my damned couch. “Thank you for feeding my cat this morning.”

“The medications had you out cold, and she ran to the door when we came in and kept leading us to you. It seems your cat has been training to be your bodyguard. You weren’t joking about the two pets only unless you brushed her. I got a light nip to educate me on the error of my ways.”

Damned cat. “Did Ajani draw blood?”

“No, she just gave me a warning that I crossed her lines. I gave her space, and she went back to breakfast. After she had her breakfast, she was brushed, although she insisted on checking on you every few minutes. Once you started to come around, she decided to go hide behind the couch. I did ask the doc, and he said not to worry. You likely needed the sleep, and the lack of pain meant you were sleeping better and deeper than usual.”

Understatement. I wanted to go back to bed, too. Since I couldn’t, I decided to worry more about my fluffy goddess. I checked over the arm for a look at the back of my couch, and sure enough, I spotted the tip of my cat’s tail. “She had a busy morning, so it’s nap time. What kind of gun did you get me?”

“One with a magical safety that’ll be attuned to you. That way, you’ll be the only one who can shoot it. It will be a two point safety system in that regard. It will register your fingerprint on your trigger finger of both hands. It will also register your magical signature. So, even if you’re in a situation where you’ve been disrupted, the gun will still operate.”

“Wait. Are you telling me this gun can detect someone’s magic through a disruptor?”