"Youhaven't seen her since she left?"
"No?"
"Sheworks at the coffee shop in the bookstore."
"I'llhave to stop in there for lunch one day." Her eyes brightened a little,but Candace did that to everybody.
"Herfiancé is my–" I stopped myself from finishing that sentence. "Best friend. Tell 'emI sent ya."
"Iwill." She flashed another small smile and gave me a nod, leaving me toget dressed and get the hell out of there.
∞∞ ∞
"Wemissed the movie." Jimmy huffed, but I could tell he wasn't serious.
"I'msure I can think of some way to make it up to you." Ichuckled in the seat next to him.
"Nottonight. I'm taking you home and putting you into bed. A bullet in the braincounts as a 'Not tonight, Honey. I have a headache.'"
"That'sjust it. I don't. I feel fine. It's kind of scary."
"Itis," Dennis added from the back seat. "But it's also fucking awesome.If you'd been a normal witch, you would have died tonight."
Icould feel the sadness radiating from him like heat. He'd been scared. They allhad. Until they saw the wound close and my continued breathing. It was the onlyreason Materos was sitting in a cell and not a grave. Even still, it had beenclose. Yuki, believe it or not, had been the voice of reason.
Assoon as I had walked out of the hallway into the waiting room, Jimmy, Dennis, Shea,Dar, and Yuki had swooped me outside the hospital to tell me who had shot me.They'd been almost disappointed I'd already found out. After he pulled thetrigger, Dar shifted into a hell hound, Jimmy hit him with a right hook, Sheahad his dagger pulled and an arm around his neck as he was falling to the ground.Dennis was casting a petrification spell, while Chief was drawing his gun. Butit was Yuki who dislodged my little assassin and put herself between Materosand everybody else, shaking her head sadly. All she had said was, "No."
Andthey listened.
Iowed Yuki big time.
"So,what happened to the rest of the OWLs?" I looked over at Jimmy for ananswer.
"Assoon as Materos shot you, the rest of the OWLs scattered like vermin. Theywanted nothing to do with Materos or the murder charges."
"Thatwas smart and kind of cowardly."
Jimmynodded. "Please don't do that again."
"Dowhat?"
"Getshot. Even though we saw the wound close and you not dying, we knew you weregoing to be okay, but still. That was one of the most horrific moments of mylife."
Inodded and gave him a reassuring kiss. "I'll try. So, what is going tohappen to Materos?"
Jimmyjust shrugged.
Whilehe deserved whatever he got, I still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Iwas responsible for his actions. I needed to make it right if I was ever goingto get rid of the guilt. It even came before a shower. Which was saying a lotsince my hair was caked with blood. "Stop by the station a minute. I wantto check on Chief."
"Hewanted to be there when you got out, but he had to haul that dick down to the jail."
"Iknow. I'm not mad!" I laughed and held up my hands defensively. "Iwant to know what he's going to do to Materos."
"Chargehim for attempted murder?"
"Hecan't. Then he'd have to explain me walking around. The new DA is a thousandtimes better than the last one, but still. No."
"Well,he can't let him go. The fucker shot you, Dot. He deserves…"
"Todie? No. I'm going to talk to him. I'll figure something out."
"You'regoing to scare him?"
"He'salready afraid. I think that's what's driving him insane. And making him go tosuch great lengths to make our lives miserable."
"Thenthere's nothing left."
"There'salways other options, Jimmy. Pull over."
Hesighed and parked by the bookstore. "Want us to go with you?"
"No."I softened my response with a smile and a kiss.
"Iget one of those, too. Right?" Dennis' head appeared between he seats.
Hewas just too damn cute. "Of course. Even bigger than the one I gave Jimmy."I put my hand on his cheek and held him steady while I locked my lips to his.
"Hey!How come he gets a bigger kiss?"
"Hedidn't try and stop me from talking to Materos." I stuck my tongue out athim and slipped out of the truck.
Iopened the station door and Marcus turned around from the copy machine anddropped the stack of paper in his hands. "Holy fuck."
"What'samatter, Marcus?"
"Whatthe hell are you doing out of the hospital?"
"Amere flesh wound. Bullet grazed me," I lied with a grin. "Chief in?"
"Theback," he answered and hooked his thumb over his shoulder. Marcus couldonly stare at me with his mouth hanging open. As I reached for the knob, hefinally found his words. "Glad you're okay."
"Youand me both." I smiled and pulled the door open.
Chiefwas sitting at his desk, head in his hands, when I finally made it to hisoffice. When he heard me, he looked up and sighed. "Thank the Lady."
"Missedyou, too."
Hegot up, walked around the desk, and threw his arms around me, burying his facein my neck. The non-bloody side. "Thank the goddess for your vampirichealing…"
Ilet it go at that. "You keep thanking her like that and she might show up,"I chided softly.
"Whyare you here?" He pulled back and narrowed his eyes at me.
"Cameto talk to Materos."
"No.No way in hell."
"I'mnot going to hurt him, jackass."
"That'snot what I'm afraid of. If you wanted him dead, Yuki wouldn't have stopped us,"he answered thoughtfully.
"What?"
"Nothing.Just think she knew how you felt and was acting as you while you were…out."
"Probably.So, can I see him?"
Hewanted to say no. I could feel it. I could see it on his face. But he didn't. "Fine.But not alone."
"Ofcourse not." I motioned toward the holding area.
Chiefgrabbed his ginormous ring of keys off his desk and led the way. Unable to stopmyself, I frowned at the all too familiar setting and my butt puckered at mymemory of the last time I was in there. When he moved out of the way, the lookon Materos' face was pure terror as he finally let his eyes focus on me.
"No. No no no no nooooooooo. You can't be!"
"Alive?Sorry to disappoint you. Though, you shouldn't be. I just saved you from alifetime
