Page 84 of The Flame Game

“Do you think we can beg Sariel for an aversion to make sure I never walk down that dark road?”

“That will be the first thing I do when we get home. I’m going to ask a rather odd question, so please don’t think too badly of me.”

“What?”

“How are we going to deal with Morrison if your father sends him our way?”

“Isn’t it premeditated murder if we discuss how we’re going to deal with him in advance?”

“He’ll force us to kill him, thus making it a self-defense verdict, especially as part of his bail condition is to stay away from you.”

“There’s a restraining order?”

“Yep.” Quinn shrugged and ate more of his salad, and I smirked when he eyed the shrimp on the edge of his bowl with interest. “I initially didn’t want to tell you because it would worry you. If there’s a restraining order, then obviously somebody believes he needs to be restrained. That somebody is my grandfather, because he was quite upset over what he found in your memories. He won’t tell me, because he would rather I not be charged with premeditated murder.”

“Which leads you to believe his actions were closer to the rape scale of things than not.”

“I don’t think you were raped, but there is a huge spectrum of things he could have done to you that all count as violations. If my grandfather believes it is best to bury it, then it’s probably best to bury it. That said, you were most certainly a virgin when I got my hands on you. There is a reason people say virgins are extra special treats for incubi and succubi.”

“You are so bad, Samuel Leviticus Quinn.”

“I am. So, how would you like to bury him?”

“Big fire leaves little smear,” I muttered.

My husband frowned. “We probably need to report he was dispatched if he attempts anything.”

“Probably. But big fire leaves little smear, which in turn, is very little to clean up. I view it as reducing burial fees should anyone actually want that bastard’s body.”

“And considering how hot you’re rolling, you won’t have to work hard to make a big fire.”

“But a big fire would be so much better with napalm.”

“I should have known you would try to work a napalm bender into this somehow.”

“I bet Perkette would give you the recipe for her special blend, and I could easily con the CDC into giving me the good neutralizer.” I fluttered my lashes at him. “Pretty please?”

“You are so going to owe me for this, Bailey Ember Quinn.”

Fifteen

I can’t win this one, can I?

Upon learning about Annie, Archambault Quinn did the equivalent of locking down Fort Knox, opting to take precautions to prevent his hive—or other hives—from further falling victim to the demented former police chief still on the loose. My husband rolled his eyes at the development, which involved his grandfather immediately doing a head count of his wives, his bride, his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren.

He hung up on us before we had a chance to ask our whelps what they were learning and check in with them.

I figured we could handle being a little lonely as long as they remained safe.

The lonely problem I resolved with a little bit of dust and a whole lot of lust, which did a good job of making us skirt the line checking out on time in the morning. Thanks to Sunny, we did wake up before our pets perished from their delayed breakfast, although the trio gave us dirty looks even after we fed them, let them walk around and stretch their legs, and otherwise shower them with our affection.

“We’re late once with breakfast, and we’re going to be in the doghouse for the rest of the day, Sam. I feel our kitten has taught them some tricks. That’s feline disapproval in triplicate.”

“Oh, no. Canine disapproval is a real and dangerous thing, Bailey. We have failed as pet custodians. We dared to make them wait for breakfast. Shame, shame, shame.” Quinn did a check of the SUV, making sure everything was ready for our pets in the back before rewarding our animals with treats and the pettings they were owed. “Apparently, I sleep really well after that grade of pixie dust. When was the last time I slept in that late?”

“Good question. Obviously, the solution to my sleeping problem is to exhaust you so much even you’re forced to sleep. Actually, forget that. We slept in. We’d be late to work daily.”

“Think we’d be fired if we started sleeping in all the time?”