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“Besides the barbecue?” Riker said, flexing his bandaged arm as if testing its usability.
“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t suppress a smirk. “Think about it. He’s King of the Djinn, not King of the Waiters. Something else is holding him here.”
“Maybe he’s waiting for a shipment,” Riker suggested, his brow furrowing. “Some kind of magical artifact that can boost his powers, or...”
“Or he’s hunting something—or someone.” I stopped mid-pace, an idea igniting in my brain. “What if there’s a rival power player in town, some entity we don’t know about?”
“Could be,” Riker said. “But what could possibly stand up to a djinn king?”
“Good question.” I chewed on my bottom lip, feeling the tickle of my purple curls against my cheek. “We need more muscle, more...sniffing power.”
“Sniffing power?” Riker raised an eyebrow.
“Yep.” I straightened, resolve hardening in my gut. “Time to call in the big guns. Or rather, the big fangs.”
“Seriously? You want to bring him back into this mess?” Riker frowned.
“Absolutely.” I hit dial before I could second guess myself.
“Great,” Riker sighed, “Just try not to get us all killed in the process.”
Niko’s smooth voice answered, laced with an undercurrent of curiosity. “Tessa. I thought we were meeting at two tomorrow?”
“Change of plans. Can I come by your office in the morning?”
“What time?”
“About nine?”
I needed plenty of time. It might take several showers to wash the scent of smoke out of my hair.
“See you then.”
Riker flexed his arm with a grimace as I disconnected from the call. “You do realize that going to Niko might not be the best idea?”
I stashed the first aid kit back on the shelf, its contents now slightly disheveled. “And I need to talk to him alone. It’s about... werewolf stuff.”
Riker rose to his full height, towering over me. “Werewolf stuff? What does that even mean?”
“Means I need a word with the man without a chaperone.” I slipped past him, heading for the door.
“Wait.” Riker’s broad hand caught the frame, blocking my exit. His eyes, usually cool and reserved, now flickered with something dangerously close to raw concern. “I don’t like this.”
I laughed, though it came out more of a huff. “Trust me, Riker, I’m a big girl. I can handle Niko.”
“Can you?” He tilted his head, his expression unreadable, but the tension in his jaw was telling another story. “Ever since the case with his ex-wife, things between you two...”
“Have been professional,” I interrupted, though I couldn’t quite meet his gaze.
“Fine.” His hand fell away from the doorframe, but his disapproval hung in the air, thick as Dallas smog. “But if you’re not back in two hours, I’m coming after you.”
“Two hours? That’s enough time to negotiate world peace or bake a dozen cookies—whichever seems more likely.”
“Drop the case, Tessa,” Riker said abruptly, his voice low and serious. “If you let this go, Zayn will have no reason to come after you. Cairo and Poppy... they’re not your fight.”
“And let King Barbecue win? Not a chance.” My words came out sharper than broken glass. “Dropping cases isn’t my style. Besides, I made a promise. Cairo and Poppy are counting on us.”
“Zayn will retaliate, Tessa,” he warned again. “He’s not just any supernatural thug. He’s an ifrit, a king. His retribution will be... incendiary.”
