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“He’s lasted this long, he’ll find a way. I used to dig myself a hole and wrap up in a blanket when I was caught in the open. Not very dignified, but it works.”
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around the image. Urbane Rick, wrapped in a blanket in a hole in the ground? That was another story I’d have to dig out of him.
I looked back to where Roman had walked away, as if expecting him to return with an army of centurions.
“I’m not important enough for a vampire like that to pay attention to,” I murmured. My skin was chilled, and I hugged myself to try to get warm.
“Kitty,” Rick said, a smile hiding in his voice. “There’s a pattern here, and in the middle of it all is you. You draw people to you. Things happen around you.”
“I’m danger prone, you mean.”
“You’re just one of those people.”
“What people? What are you talking about?”
He just shook his head, his smile lingering. “Take care, Kitty.”
He offered his hand. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to accept, and we shook. Partners. He walked off in the opposite direction Roman had gone.
Reality slowly crept back, we started to get on with our lives. Gary went to the van to consult with his camera crew. Hardin, with her cops and fire fighters, continued cleaning up the aftermath. Jules walked around the outside of the house, studying details, looking for who knew what in his quest for science. Tina sat on the steps, cradling the bottled djinn, refusing to let it out of her sight.
Ben put his arm around my shoulders. “I need to sleep,” he said. And yes, he sounded sleep deprived and grouchy. His eyes were shadowed, his skin pale. “Are we done here?”
“I don’t know.” We all had a posttraumatic dazed look. But none of us, even Ben, despite what he’d said, looked like we were ready for sleep. “I’m kind of antsy.” But not to run. It wasn’t anywhere near the full moon, and I didn’t want to Change, however much Wolf nagged me. But I wanted to do something.
Ben raised a brow and looked at me. “Really?”
“Yeah. We just saved the city, you know.”
He rolled his eyes. Not impressed, apparently.
I called to the others, “Anyone want to go grab a cup of coffee?”
“Are there any all-night diners around here?” Jules said.
“Hell, yeah. Detective? You up for it?” I said.
“Only if you tell me what the hell’s been going on.”
“Deal.”
Ben, still skeptical, said, “You think this is what the Justice League does after saving the city? They go out for coffee?”
“I don’t care what the Justice League does,” I said, hooking my arm around his. “This is what werewolves and paranormal investigators and police detectives do.”
“Whatever you say, dear.”
“I need to call Shaun and everyone,” I said. “Tell them they can stop using that gunk.”
“How well does that stuff clean up, anyway?”
I was afraid the answer to that wouldn’t be good.
Then my phone rang. A call at this hour of night couldn’t be good. I pulled it out of my pocket, answered it, and started pacing. “Yeah?”
“Kitty, it’s Peter,” he said breathlessly, like he’d been running. I heard the electronic jangle and mayhem of a Las Vegas casino in the background. “We found it, we figured it out.”
I clutched the phone tighter. “Peter! Oh my God, are you okay? What’s going on? What’s happening? Where’s Grant?”
