“Understandable.”
“They might miss and hit me,” he explained.
She grinned and came farther into the room. It was typical hospital fare—semi-private, no window, two stiff, vinyl-covered chairs for visitors. No one was in the other bed. No flowers, Cynna noticed. Well, Lily hadn’t been here long and would probably be turned loose soon.
If they didn’t decide to lock her away somewhere else, that is. Someplace where she could be medicated and watched.
Lily didn’t look bad. Pale, tired, and all-over tense, but otherwise okay. Not noticeably nutty… not grieving, either, from what Cynna could tell. But she had her face closed up tight, so Cynna might have been wrong about that.
Lily lifted a hand. “T.J., this is Agent Cynna Weaver. Cynna, this quivering mass of Jell-O is Detective Thomas James. I worked homicide with him.”
“Make it T.J.” He grinned, revealing a gold tooth and more charm than she’d expected from an old, fat white dude. “Only civilians call me Detective James.”
“Sure, if you call me Cynna. When I hear ‘Agent Weaver’ I start looking for some suit with a briefcase.”
“I hear you. Good to meet you, Cynna.” He glanced at Lily. “Guess I’ll be heading out.”
“Uh… don’t rush off on my account.” Cynna knew she sounded insincere, probably because she was. Some things couldn’t be said with an outsider around, even if he was a cop.
“I was ready to leave. Yu here has already heard all my stories, and the strain of trying to look interested is wearing her out.”
“T.J.” Lily gave him a long, level look. “Thanks.”
He gave her a nod. “Still think you ought to come back, but I’ll admit we can’t offer you all the thrills you’re getting with the feds. Shot, burned… think you could arrange to be stabbed next time, just for a little variety?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said dryly.
Cynna moved aside to let him by. On impulse she asked, “Did the ponytail nurse give you a hard time about showing up before visiting hours?”
“You mean Sally?” There was a knowing look in his eyes. “Nah, Sally likes me. Cute little thing, isn’t she?”
She sighed. “Not my type.”
“Never know, these days,” he said vaguely. “Later.”
Cynna wasn’t sure what it was about her that gave people the idea she played on her own side of the fence, but this wasn’t the first time she’d run up against that notion. Not just from men, either. She’d been hit on plenty by the DC-types of her own sex.
After the door closed behind T.J., Cynna sighed. “Maybe I need to wear a button. Something discreet like, ‘No, I’m not lesbian.’”
The door opened again. “And I, for one, am pleased to hear it. Do you fool around?”
Cynna turned around. And fell in love.
“You must be Lily’s Finder,” said the most beautiful man in the world. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.”
“I am so shallow,” she muttered. Then, louder, “Listen, about fooling around… I’ve got some things to do first, but if you’d like to wait until after I’ve talked to Yu—to Lily, I mean—I’m up for a discussion of the subject.”
“Should I tell you who he is before you jump him?‘ Lily asked from the bed. ”Or would that detract from the mystery?“
“I’ve got this theory that it’s classier to know a man’s name before you get naked together, so shoot.”
“Cullen Seabourne.”
Shit. She should have known he was too good to be true. “The sorcerer.” Her right hand was still full of flowers, so she used the left one to run a quick diagnostic, barely moving her fingers.
He noticed. It amused him. “Thank you. I’m afraid I haven’t rediscovered the trick to creating a full, mobile illusion, however. Nor am I running any charm spells.”
“He really does look like that.” Lily didn’t sound amused. More like weary. “As for charm, I haven’t noticed any.”
“Ouch.” He came farther into the room, and oh, man, but he did know how to move. He had one of those lean bodies, all muscle and grace, like a Siamese cat. And knew how to display it—tight black jeans, a snug T-shirt the same startling blue as his eyes. His hair was a spicy brown.
She was pretty sure there were horses that color—rich and reddish, not quite auburn. He wore it too long, but Cynna wasn’t complaining. And his face… God, what a face. She could have hung him on the wall and just looked at him all day. After they had sex, that is. Hot, sweaty sex for maybe five, six hours.
“Wait a minute,” she said, scowling at a sudden thought. “You aren’t gay, are you?”
His eyebrows lifted. “Didn’t Lily tell you? I’m lupus.”
And that, of course, was that. Lupi simply didn’t produce homosexuals. The so-called experts coughed up all sorts of reasons, but Cynna considered it an argument in favor of a genetic link for sexual orientation. “And I’m very glad to meet you. Cynna Weaver.” She held out her hand… and saw the flowers she was still clutching.
She turned to Lily. “Uh, these are for you.”
“Thank you. I’m afraid I don’t have a vase, but there should be a water pitcher around here somewhere.”
“That’ll do.” God, how lame. Why hadn’t she gotten a vase with the flowers? She looked around.
“Here.” The love of her life handed her an ugly plastic pitcher.
“Great. I’ll just fill this up with water.”
The bathroom was tiny. Cynna turned on the water, but not too high. She didn’t want to miss anything.
Lily said one word to Cullen—a name. “Benedict?”
“He’s hanging in there. Beth was treated and released, I understand. She’s okay?”
“As far as I know. Mother said…” Lily hesitated, as if she didn’t want to repeat whatever her mother had said. “Beth will be staying with her and my father for a few days.”
“What about you? Any change?”
Cynna returned, ugly plastic pitcher in hand, in time to see Lily shake her head.
The gorgeous Cullen didn’t even notice her, intent on Lily and his questions. “Did they find the toltoi?”
“No.”
“What’s a toltoi?” Cynna asked, setting the improvised vase on the hospital table by the bed.
Cullen answered absently. “A charm. Her necklace got broken during the fight.”
“Easy to see how that could happen.” Harder to see why Cullen was so tense about a missing bauble. He was a sorcerer, though. Maybe he meant “charm” literally. “Change in what?”
“What do you mean?”
“You asked her if there was any change.”
He was surprised. “I wanted to know if she felt better.”
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “You’re good, but I’m not buying. I’m here because Lily is about to get dumped on, and I don’t like that. But 1 don’t like being kepi in the dark, either. And that’s happened right from the start.”
The other two didn’t exchange telling glances, but their silence said plenty. Cullen broke it to ask, “Who’s about to dump on Lily?”
“Have you seen the headlines?”
“Some of them.”
“They aren’t exactly good PR for any of us.” The ones in the more respectable media ranged from “Gang Slaughtered in FBI Bust” to “Wolves on the Rampage?” Cynna’s favorite tabloid had the FBI signing a demonic pact to wipe out all gangs, with the lupi acting as the demons’ hit men. Talk radio was going with pretty much the same slant, only without the demonic middlemen.
“They were bound to be all over this one,” Lily said. “Fourteen people killed, the lupi implicated, the FBI definitely involved… have they picked up on the death magic angle?”
“The Times mentions it. References an anonymous source on the San Diego PD.”