Page 80 of Booked for Murder

“And the killers would have seen these documents. Probably. They have probably seen these documents.”

“I’d say it’s probable, and it’s one hell of a motivation for most groups right now to want this bill to die before it’s voted on. However, they could also be supporters of the bill trying to frame exsanguinators to pressure politicians to do something about the situation. Exsanguinators would be severely controlled as a result of the bill, should it pass in its current state. You’re the only exsanguinator under a for hire contract.”

No kidding. “You’d be a target, too.”

“I’d do all right under these terms. My entire family would. Jezabella would be the only one at risk, and my mother is working on that problem now.”

“She is? How? I thought Jezabella wouldn’t have the appropriate rating.”

“There’s a familial clause, and they don’t exempt based on adoption. So, because my mother can read organics, and Jezabella hasn’t been rated as incapable of it, she might be caught in one of the nets.”

“That’s stupid. Magical aptitude is purely inherited. You can’t gain somebody’s ability through adoption.”

“The whole bill is stupid.” Bradley sighed.

It was. I wanted to scream, but I glowered at the damned paperwork making a mess of my day. “How is your mother going to handle the situation with Jezabella?”

“A for life contract.”

“Great. Playing to the system.”

“She’s getting a lawyer.”

I blinked. “Pardon? Did you just say Jezabella is getting a lawyer for her for life contract?”

“Yes.”

“But why a lawyer?”

“Lawyers are useful, she has a shameless crush on him, he has a shameless crush on her, and it’s a good pairing. As I’ve caught Jezabella looking at her lawyer a lot like my mother looks at my father, I’ve come to the conclusion that she would be getting herself into trouble with him anyway. The for life contract also solves some other problems.”

“What other problems?”

“The lawyer’s family is rather racist.”

I cringed. “Okay, I can see how that would be a problem. But how does the for life contract solve that problem?”

“It’s a for life contract, Janette. The Hampton family, particularly Jezabella, would control who he marries, when he marries, and if he marries. Because she loves him, it’s also going to be written into the contract that he can agree to those terms or not, although he will be stuck working with her for life if they don’t work out. Considering they’ve been fawning over each other for years despite his family’s issues, I suspect it’ll work out.”

Right. Technically, I’d signed away those rights, not that I’d believed myself in any position to have the time to marry anybody. “That’s generous for a for life contract.”

“Well, when you’re an adept marrying into an adept family, marriage tends to be till death do you part.”

I wrinkled my nose at that. “Marriage tends to be till death do you part, but cheating is rampant, bastards are common, and everybody looks the other way because love has nothing to do with marriage among adepts.” I considered the Hampton family’s proposal for Jezabella’s attorney. “Usually. Does this attorney have a name?”

“No.”

I raised a brow. “Are you playing the disapproving brother?”

“Yes.”

“Do I know this attorney?”

“Yes.”

“Do I like this attorney?”

“Outside of my mother, do you like any attorney?”