She pressed her lips together and nodded. “We did. We do. It’s why I’ve changed my mind. I started this alone. I think it needs to stay that way. Then whatever we have . . . or don’t have, we can figure that out on its own terms.”
“Dessa.” I reached over and touched her arm, but I could see that she had made up her mind. I pulled my hand away. “Be careful.”
“I’ll let you know how things turn out.”
“Unless we find her first.”
That got a smile out of her. “I suppose that could happen. Did you look into that thing with Jeremy Wilson yet?”
“We spoke.”
“Is he dead?”
“Not yet.”
“But what I said about him was correct? That he’s a part of the Black Crane and using Terric?”
“Yes.” I knew the point she was making. She’d held up her end of the deal, and she wanted me to hold up mine.
“So, please don’t follow me,” she said. “Please don’t come after me. Good luck, Shame.” She turned and walked down the street, dropping her barely touched coffee in the nearest garbage bin.
Eleanor had been leaning against the building. I glanced over at her and she shook her head. She mouthed, Stupid.
“She’d have found out anyway,” I said. “She bugged the office. I’m sure she’s bugged my room by now too. This way I’ll know what lead she’s following and I can follow her. I’m going to put a Hound on her.”
Eleanor rolled her fingers outward and shrugged in an obvious “why?” pose.
“I don’t want her hurt in the cross fire.”
She cupped her fingers together to make a heart shape, and raised one eyebrow. I turned my back on her.
“Not listening.”
I pulled out Terric’s phone I’d nicked and called Zayvion.
“Hello?” Allie’s voice, not Zay.
“Hey, Al. Where’s the man?”
“Sleeping. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just wanted to check in on you two. What did the doctor say?”
“That he’s lucky the knife missed his lung. It’s going to hurt for a while, and they gave him antibiotics, but he’s going to be fine.”
The relief in her voice was an almost tangible thing.
“And you? Honest, now, love. How are you?”
“Shaken. I’m okay now, but when he came in the door, Shame . . .” She paused.
I lit another cigarette, ignored Eleanor, who had come around to stick her tongue out at me.
“When he came in the door,” she went on, “I froze. I’ve never frozen in my life. All I could think was I was going to lose the baby.”
“You did fine. Just fine. And the baby’s okay, right?”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“So it’s all good. Just like it should be. Is Stone there with you?”
“He showed up after the police left. He’s next to me right now. Hasn’t left my side. And Nola’s here too. With her shotgun.”
I had to grin at that. You could take the girl out of the country, but you couldn’t take the country out of the girl.
“So you don’t need anything?” I asked. “Anything I can bring you?”
“No. We’re good. I’m good. Thanks, Shame. For being here earlier. When we needed you.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else. Say, Allie, did you know Thomas Leeds?”
“I don’t think so. Was he a Hound?”
“No. Closer. I don’t suppose you knew a Dessa Leeds?”
“My memory’s pretty sketchy, but neither of those names rings any bells. Why? What do you want them for?”
“They’re tied to Eli. I’m looking for someone to follow Dessa. You got any spare Hounds I could borrow?”
“I don’t really do that anymore. You could talk to Davy.”
“Can’t find Davy.”
“Then check in with Sunny. She’ll know where he is.”
“I thought Sunny was in Florida or something. Visiting family?”
“Maybe,” she said. “I don’t remember Davy mentioning anything, but I haven’t seen him since last week.”
“Maybe I’ll stop by the Den, see who’s running things while she’s gone and he’s wherever he is.”
“That’s a good idea. And, Shame, I’m really sorry you lost your job. And that you had to . . . that you and Terric had to break magic for us. Because we couldn’t. Because I couldn’t.”
“Allie, those are not your worries. It is what it is. And it worked out fine. We used magic together and I didn’t have a single moment of wanting to snog him.”
That got a short laugh out of her. “He wouldn’t have argued.”
“He would have had a coronary.”
Terric stepped out of the building. Spotted me. “Speaking of, I’ve got to go now. I’ll try to come by soon. Stay in touch.”
“Be careful, Shame.”
“What, and ruin my streak?”
I thumbed the phone off and held it out for Terric.
“You really have to get your own phone,” he said, taking it from me.
We started toward the car.
“I have a phone. It’s at the inn. In my room. With my clothes. And my coat. And my boots. All of which I’d love to have, but you won’t take me there.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll take you there. Did you and Dash find anything?”
“Not a clue. Checked on Al and Zay. He’s fine, she’s fine. She doesn’t know anything about Thomas or Dessa.”
“What about going to a bar?” he suggested. “Dessa picked you up at a bar last night. Picked you up the night before, come to think of it. You might run into her there.”
“Not without my coat. My good coat.”
“Two-year-olds have more patience than you.” He slid into the driver’s seat.
“That’s because two-year-olds have coats,” I said, getting in the other side. “Also, I saw Dessa. She doesn’t know who Brandy Scott is, but now she’s looking for her.”
“Alone?”
“I offered her our side of the sandbox. She said no.”
He shook his head and drove. “We’ll need to track her.”
“I’m already on it.”
We pulled up to the inn a few minutes later. The drive had made me realize how damn tired I was. I didn’t know if it was from breaking magic with Terric, Zay practically snapping my neck, or just the last couple days of way more activity than what I’m used to, but right now sleep sounded better than a bottle of booze.
“You want me to wait while you get your coat?” Terric asked.
I yawned hugely. “No. I’m going to catch an hour of sleep.”
“If you go out looking—”
“I’ll call you.” I got out, opened the back door, took the statue and the baseball bat I’d nicked from the office. Started walking.
Stepped into the inn, and waited until Terric pulled away. Then I stepped back out again, walked around to the back of the building, and got in my car. Keys were in the glove box. So was my phone.
Dialed Sunny. She had been a hell of a Blood magic user, studied under my mum for a couple years. Fell in lust with Davy Silvers, and sort of moved in with him. She and he managed the Hounds in the area, making sure security, info, and tracking jobs were fulfilled, that the Hounds stayed clean, and that paychecks got cut.
“What do you want, Shame?” Sunny answered.
“Nice to hear from you too, Sunny. You back in town yet?”
“Just got in a couple hours ago. Is there a reason you’ve suddenly crawled out from under your rock?”
“Ouch. Also, yes. I need a Hound to follow a woman by the name of Dessa Leeds. She came into town a couple days ago. Ex–government spy of some sort. Packs heat. I don’t want anyone to engage or get in her way, but she’s looking for someone I’m looking for, and I want to know if she finds her.”
“Who do I bill?”
“Me.”
She laughed. “Right. Who do I really bill? Terric?”