That sobered me. “You know I would never do that.”
“Yeah, I do. I believe in you, and I always have. So does Lady Findlay-James. She wants to talk to you about a number of things, your safety among them, and you should keep your smart mouth shut and listen for a change.”
“Just for you, Osiris. Assuming, that is, that you do me that second favor.”
He stared at me, waiting.
“I want you to assign a couple of your best men to guarding Kirsten, day and night. Mages. People who will take it seriously and not get her or themselves killed.”
He jerked his head once. “Done.”
That was too easy, and it made me even more anxious about my meeting with my grandmother.
He seemed to study me for a few moments, as though trying to decide something. Finally, he said, “Your Aunt Courtney asked about you yesterday. Wants you to stop by.”
“Thanks for the warning. Anything else going on?”
That earned me a grin and a wink. Then the expression on his face turned serious. “Danica, in addition to your problems, there are rumblings about Akiyama pushing into our markets for medical supplies. Lord Findlay and your grandmother seem to take it quite seriously. As long as you’re playing games with that Family, keep your ears open for me as well, will you?”
“Sure, no problem. There haven’t been any supply disruptions, have there?”
“One problem down in Atlanta. Could be a natural storm, or it could be magik. Caused a real headache with the customer.”
Most organizations would tread lightly around Findlay, but the Akiyama Family was almost as wealthy and powerful, and the two Families had been rivals for decades. The Family head at Akiyama had died three years before, and the new Family head was aggressively trying to expand their businesses and influence. All’s fair in war and business, and the Families were always either fighting to climb up the ladder, or fighting to hold onto their place.
When I left Osiris’s office, I stepped outside for a few moments to call Whittaker and Novak and tell them I would be in late, then took to the servants’ stairs. I didn’t know if Aunt Courtney was anywhere on the premises, but I had no intention of seeing her if I could help it.
I managed to reach my grandmother’s suite without running into any other family members. I knocked and one of her maids opened the door. When she saw it was me, she stood aside to let me enter.
“She’s on the veranda, Mistress.”
“Thank you, Hilda.”
Olivia Findlay-James sat at a white wicker table eating her breakfast. The veranda overlooked the back garden and was my favorite spot in the whole huge house.
My grandmother was one hundred ten years old and appeared to be half of that. That morning, she looked as though she was posing for a magazine. Her lovely face was still unlined, her natural light-brown hair was elegantly coifed, her blue eyes sparkled, and her dress probably cost more than my weekly wage. When standing, she only came up to my shoulder, but there was nothing frail or fragile about her, and she could still beat the hell out of me at tennis.
She gave me a satisfied grin. “My, I’ll have to send Osiris for you more often. Seems to work better than leaving messages on your phone that you never return.”
I bent down and kissed her on the cheek, then took the chair across from her. She poured me tea.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Yes, but I’ll have one of those tarts, if I may.”
She smiled and motioned for me to take one. They were still warm. Raspberry.
“You look well,” she said. “Dodging bullets must agree with you.”
“You heard about yesterday.”
“I think the whole metropolitan complex heard about yesterday. Martin Johansson’s murder in the morning, then the shootout at a brothel, and you were there for both. You’re quite photogenic, you know, and your height makes you stand out.” She gave me a smile that held no humor. “The media types enjoy taking pictures of you, and of course, your name is rather catchy. It makes for good ratings.”
The tone of her voice didn’t convey much in the way of approval.
“I didn’t ask to be ambushed.”
“I’m sure you didn’t, at least not directly. I am gratified to know that you can defend yourself. I truly hate funerals, especially those of people I love.” She gave me a very stern look, took a sip of her tea, and said, “But that’s not what I need to talk to you about. You getting shot at on the news vids is just an unfortunate coincidence.”
She bit her lip, turned her head, and stared off into the garden. That moment of hesitation, a slight lack of confidence, unnerved me. I braced myself.
“Dani, I want you to come home,” she said when she turned her face back to me. “Findlay needs you. George and I think the proverbial shit is about to hit the fan, and having a magitek of your caliber working with us could make a big difference.”
Not at all what I expected her to say. “Come home? You mean, move in here?” I had never thought of Findlay House as my home. Home was with Kirsten, and before that with Mom.
A faint smile. “You do have a suite of rooms here, which I have dusted regularly, but that’s not exactly what I mean. I mean quit the police force and bring your talents back to the Family.” She leaned forward, putting her arm on the table. “Dani, no matter how you may attempt to avoid it, you are my heir and a potential heir to the Family leadership.”
I barked out a laugh. “What makes you think I would want it? What makes you think the rest of the Family would have me? That’s ridiculous.”
Olivia shook her head. “Would you rather see it go to Courtney? Or Karolyn? Or maybe you think Marie is qualified?”
My Aunt Courtney and I were oil and water,
