My eyes closed, I half-listened to her explain about the tracker, how I’d been shot, and my father’s goons following her.
“Search your car,” Jade went on, a mere shadow in the firelight. “I found the one on my car’s frame. Ditch it far away from where you are. Yeah. Good.”
She listened for a moment. “We’re safe for the moment. Magnus found us a safe house. He’s recovering. When he’s better, we’ll buy a different car. Yeah. And then bring that fucker down.”
I barely heard Alix’s voice from the speaker as Jade said nothing. “I appreciate what you’re saying, but we’re not human. We’re shifters. Dragons. No, I’m not willing to just fly away. Nope, not until we give that asswipe our best shot at bringing him down. Yeah, look, I’m keeping him awake. Call me tomorrow, after you’ve searched the car. Okay. Love you.”
Jade clicked the phone off but continued to stand by the kitchen.
“Come to bed,” I murmured. “Someone’s waiting for you.”
“I haven’t brushed my teeth,” she protested. “I can’t sleep until I brush my teeth.”
“Come here.”
She slid unhappily into her bed, the cat muttering small growls under its breath until she got settled. Then it curled into her stomach, purring and kneading busily. I reached across theshort space between us and brushed a lock of her hair from her brow.
“This one’s mine,” I told her. “That one’s yours. No fighting for custody.”
Jade chuckled. “I guess we’ve been chosen.”
I blew her a kiss. “Sleep.”
***
For the next two days, I slept, drank, gobbled aspirin, and pissed orange juice. Still, whether it was thanks to Jade’s efforts, her thrice daily wound cleaning, the various liquids, or my own body, I healed. With the new locks on the doors, we both felt relatively safe from intruders, and if my pop hadn’t found me here by now, it wasn’t likely he ever would.
Sitting in the armchair on our fourth morning in the house, I carefully flexed my arm. “If the bullet broke a bone, it’s healed remarkably fast.”
Jade pushed me forward to examine the wound. “Hmm. It’s crusted over. The skin around it is still red, inflamed, but not as bad as it was.”
I seized her hand to kiss. “Thanks, Doc.”
“Try not to get shot again,” she advised, pulling away. “Next time, I might really screw you up.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As she tidied up our temporary home, fed the cats, put wood on the fire, I pondered our next move. “So we get a new car today?”
Jade straightened, brushing wood dust from her fingers. “That’s next, yeah, but only if you’re ready. We can wait another day.”
“I think I am,” I replied, flexing my arm before buttoning my shirt. “It’s time we stalked my old man, wait for him to leave his house. Then search his records.”
Jade smiled. It sent a primal shiver through me. Both of delight in her ferocity and a tiny bit of fear. “Then we bring him down.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jade
“No,” I snapped. “You’re not listening. I’m paying for that Jeep straight up front. I don’t need to see your finance manager.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Magnus struggling to hold in his laughter as the used car salesman gaped like a landed fish.
“But,” he protested. “We have such a great interest rate –”
I lifted my finger toward him like a sword. “Listen carefully. Either you bring me the paperwork to buy that Jeep right now, or we go elsewhere. Got it?”
He sighed, defeated. “Yes, ma’am. Are you perhaps interested in our extended –”
