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“Have you decapitated anyone interesting of late, Buttercream?” Eli asked, looking at me longer than was strictly safe while driving. “Threatened any influential tourists?”
“Not that I know of.” I met Eli’s curious gaze—although he ought to be watching the road. He was the sort of driver who would terrify a calmer person, but fae reflexes likely meant he could stare at me and still drive better than most people.
He looked away and his little blue convertible moved with a near-silent engine as we raced through the city.
When the phone rang again, I saw “Gary Broussard” on my ID. I might not answer for NOPD, but Gary was my friend.
“What’s it take to get you to answer your phone, Gen?” he grumbled.
“Are you okay?” I asked in lieu of politer greetings. Gary was a sort of father-stand-in for me, sparking more of a paternal affection in me than anyone else ever had. “Are you in the hospital? Should I—”
“No.” He laughed. “Bulletproof, kid. I’m bulletproof thanks to you.”
“Why the call, then? I don’t think I broke any major laws today . . .” I hedged.
“Got a job for you.”
“Awhat?”
“J-o-b, kid. That thing where you do something, and get paid for it.” Gary sounded like he was trying not to laugh.
“I’m not really NOPD material, Gary, and raising witnesses is iffy business. People aren’t reliable even when they’re alive. Plus, I work best on my own. It’s safer and—”
“Freelance. Take a breath, Crowe.”
“So raising the dead? For . . . you? Or the department?” I glanced out the window, watched the increasing darkness. No foot traffic remained on the side streets in the Central Business District once dark fell.
“No raising. Freelancekillingdead things for the department,” Gary clarified. “Temporary position. NOPD got a grant for it, specifically to hire you.”
I paused. We’d always sort of agreed to officially pretend the NOPD didn’t know that killing was part of what Idid, although I had left enough bodies to pick up that it was hard to deny. I was about as subtle as a sharp sword.
I guess we were finally officiallyadmitting that I hunted the creatures that tried to eat their neighbors. “I’m not sure I’m the person for—”
“Biters are cutting into tourism. We need an exterminator, Gen. Just come down and hear them out,” Gary said. “Plus, the grant’s only good if we hire you.”
That set off alarms, and I tensed enough that Eli noticed.
“I’ll stop in this week. I’ll call you.” I disconnected and stared at the phone for a moment.
Who wanted me on the street? Who wanted the NOPD to know what I could do? Did someone know what I really was? Magic sparked in blues and purples along my skin, a side effect of my temper that had accompanied my recent brush with mortality.
Eli stopped the car, ignoring the honking car behind us.
“Job offer,” I said, gesturing toward the road. “Drive, please?”
He gave me a raised brow, but said nothing as he looked back at the road and sped off. Eli wasn’t a talker when he could convey his meaning with a look—or an action. He accelerated, cutting through the city, traveling at a speed that was only safe due to fae reflexes. Every spin of the wheel or drift around a curve was inviting me to comment, to object, to say something.
I fought back a laugh.
If anyone else had the wheel of his little blue convertible, I’d be doing more than objecting. I’d climb into the driver’s lap and stomp the brake pedal whether they liked it or not. Instead, I was pretending not to notice how close to cars he zagged or how fast he zigged into intersections.
He glanced at me, and I just grinned.
I likedmakinghim ask questions, and right now, I cherished the distraction of his provocative driving. Eli had the kind of charm and looks that meant he was used to everything falling into his lap—except me. We had the chemistry, and at first I thought that was all we had. Then he became one of my best friends, so I refused to get naked with him despite sparks. An accidental engagement complicated my resolve, and lately, I realized I’d been wrong. Wefitin every way.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was going to fall over myself to charm him or make things too easy. We’dbothbe bored if I did that. So I waited as he steered his fae-modified car around several slower cars, clearly trying to provoke me.
When I stayed silent even as he all but grazed a sign turning a corner, he laughed and asked, “I give, Geneviève. Would you care to elucidate?”
