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“Geneviève,” Eli said coldly.
I gave Tres an apologetic smile and followed Eli out of the office. There was not much else to say in front of him.
In a matter of moments, Eli and I were outside, and he was opening the passenger door for me. As ever, Eli was a gentleman, even with a killer as his passenger. I gave him a chilly smile.
I could feel dawn start to come creeping toward us. Within the hour, it would be here. “Give me the card.”
“I shall investigate any leads on the injections,” Eli said.
“Fine.” I paused and held out my hand. “Card.”
Eli handed it to me, and I shoved the card in my pocket.
When we reached my building, I looked at Eli before he could turn off the engine and said, “I’m not a tool to cover up murder.”
His lips pressed together, as if there were words he was refusing to say.
“You were hired. You did a job.” He opened his door and got out to open mine.
I tried to open mine and get out, but he’d locked it. When he opened it, he offered me his glove-covered hand as if nothing was amiss.
I tensed. “I’m frustrated. I can’t just . . . what if the widow killed him?”
“Are you an officer of the law?”
“No.”
“Did you cover up a crime?”
“No, but—”
“You take the world on your shoulders.” He hugged me. “You cannot feel responsible for other people’s misdeeds.”
I knew he was right, but I still felt like I had to help Tres. I didn’tknowhim, but I wanted to set things right—even though I couldn’t truly do so. Maybe it was the touch of death on Tres that beckoned. Maybe it was worry that I was an unwitting participant in something heinous. Either way, I felt like a mother bear with no target to maul.
Eli motioned toward my building. “Ask me into your home. Let me take care of you.”
“No.” I folded my arms. “I’m fine. I just . . .”
“Feel like you must save people?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t,” he said. “Let me deal with Chaddock.”
“Fine.” I nodded, and then walked to my building door.
I waved over my shoulder because I knew that behind me, Eli was watching. He always waited until I was inside. I didn’t need to look to verify it, but I still did once I opened the door. And he smiled at me.
And despite the way he understood me, I was definitely not sleeping with Eli. Breaking both of our hearts seemed like a terrible idea.
Chapter Eleven
After the Chaddock job,life resumed something closer to the calm I often preferred. I went looking for Marie Chevalier, watching the usual news sources—which these days included various social media accounts and hashtags. Nodraugrsightings or suspicious kills came across my news. I didn’t find anything when I went out seeking trouble either. In truth, the newly-corrupteddraugrweren’t exactly daily events, but there ought to be something. Someone. Instead, everything was silent.
I was in my apartment, pausing between work-outs and toying with Tres’ card. I could call him, if not for the fact that I’d left my phone in Eli’s car. I’d need to borrow a phone or go to a public phone.
For the moment, I would let Eli deal with Tres. That meant I waited to hear about newdraugr,and I waited for some sort of information on the injection thing. Unless I got a call on a job or one of my paid-informants who passed on leads said something, I was at a loss. I didn’t get any new job offers. I rested and didn’t leave my home much, not that staying in was a hardship.
