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half-hearted one.
Don t you want whatever information he has?
She did, but it was hard to explain. It s just& She
looked away from Jase, fighting back tears she didn t
want him to see. You know how you said that George
could be the one, right? Up till about two hours ago, I was
having those same thoughts about Ric. Then it turns out
68 Motor City Fae
he was using my attraction to get close to me. It hurts.
His warm hand rubbed her shoulder in a soothing
massage. I know it does. But it also makes no sense.
Seems like all he had to do if he wanted to find out about
your adoption was ask. He could have done that at any
time. Sounds like maybe you were messing with his head
as much as he was messing with yours.
Probably having a hard time deciding whether to do
the job or get laid. She tried and failed to keep the
bitterness out of her voice.
Could be. Us guys are pretty stupid critters when the
hormones get messed up with the thinking process.
Don t even think about defending the rat!
You know better. I d still be happy to go beat him up
for hurting you, but I do think you should talk to him. He
held up a hand when she swirled to glare at him. About
the adoption stuff. Find out what he knows about your
biological family. Then I ll hold him while you slap him
silly.
That was a good plan, she had to admit. If he knew
something about her origins, she owed it to herself to find
out. She let out a breath. Okay. I ll call him.
Good girl. Jase leaned over, dropped a kiss on the
top of her head. Now I m going upstairs to shower and
change. I ll also see what the cards have to say about all
this mess. You call me if you need me, you hear?
Yes, sir. She smiled again, for real this time. I love
you, Jase. Thanks for everything.
He unfolded himself from the chair and patted the top
of her head before walking toward the garage. Love you
too, sweetie.
Heaving a sigh, she stood, walked back into the house
and picked up the phone. Ric s card still lay on the
Cindy Spencer Pape 69
kitchen counter, only inches from where they d nearly
made love early that morning. She picked it up, sucking in
a breath as the memory of his touch seemed to radiate
from the pasteboard and assail her.
Hands shaking, she dialed the phone, mentally trying
out her words as she did. She had to get this right, had to
stay tough, stay in control.
Hi there, you ve reached my voice mail. Since I m
sure I ll want to get back with you, please leave a
message after the beep. His sexy, glorious voice was
flattened into detached technological coolness.
Meagan closed her eyes, counted to three and spoke
into the phone, hoping she managed a coolness of her
own. Ric, this is Meagan Kelly. I guess you were right,
we really do need to talk, so please get back to me when
you get the chance.
She switched off the phone, slid down into a chair and
laid her face across her arms on the table. There was one
thing you could say about the whole mess, she mused.
Today couldn t possibly get much worse.
What do you mean your people fucking lost him?
Ric shouted into the cell phone, still slouched in his Jag,
watching the front door of Meagan s house. Six empty
coffee cups littered the floor of the passenger seat and
another, newly empty, was clutched in his hand. Absently,
he crumpled the foam cup and conjured a replacement.
Today, even caffeine, a potent drug to one of his kind,
wasn t helping his mood. He wished he hadn t given up
cigarettes years ago. They weren t going to kill him, after
all. He d done it out of concern for the humans around
him. Well, that, plus he had to admit, the smell was
disgusting. I thought your people were good at their
70 Motor City Fae
jobs.
They are good, Aidan growled, as pissed as Ric had
heard him in years. But so is Owain. Just go talk to the
girl, all right? Use a spell if you have to.
Ric started to snarl an answer, mostly profane, when
he heard a loud knock on the window beside him. He
jumped, this time succeeding in spilling the steaming hot
coffee all over his lap. He swore as he pressed the
automatic window switch.
Meagan s friend Jase stood outside the car with arms
crossed over his chest and a menacing look on his face.
Do I need to call the cops?
Why? Busy mopping coffee off his singed privates,
Ric wasn t following the mortal s train of thought.
Stalking is illegal in this state.
Fuck me. After tossing the pile of napkins he d been
using to the floor, Ric banged his forehead against the
steering wheel. I m not stalking her; I m trying to protect
her.
Better to have her friend on his side, if it came down to
it, even if that meant Ric had to say more than he
probably should. Llyris could always wipe the mortal s
mind later. If she is who I think she is, she could be in
danger. It s complicated.
This has to do with her biological parents?
Yes.
Are you some kind of cop?
Not professionally. Not for any authority in this
world, anyway.
Then how did you get involved?
I m a friend of the family. They asked me to do what
I could to help find their missing heiress. That much was
completely true, though not truly complete.
Cindy Spencer Pape 71
Heiress? Monroe s dark eyes widened. There s
money involved?
Ric nodded curtly. Money, land, power.
And somebody stands to lose if the missing heiress
shows up. He wasn t stupid, Ric thought. For an artist,
Monroe had a pretty quick grasp of the real world.
That about sums it up.
Come on. Monroe opened the door of the Jag,
motioned Ric outside. You two need to talk. I ll make
sure she lets you in the door.
Ric followed, nodding his thanks.
One last thing, Thornhill. Right in front of Meagan s
door, Monroe halted. Hurt her again, they won t find
enough parts to identify your body.
Ric nodded. Oddly enough, he wasn t offended. He d
have thought less of Jase if the artist hadn t warned Ric
off. Understood.
Monroe studied him for a moment, seeming to weigh
his sincerity. He rang the bell. You keep her safe, now.
This is Detroit. I know enough people to make you
disappear for good.
Yeah, like George Novak alone. Though he bet
Monroe didn t know all of his new boyfriend s secrets
yet.
All levity fled the instant Meagan opened the door.
She d been crying, he noticed immediately and he fought
down the urge to skewer someone. The man who d made
her cry was him and that knowledge cut deeper than any
sword.
Ric detected the surface layer of Monroe s thoughts
and knew he planned to stay and support Meagan during
the upcoming conversation. He sent a small surge of
magical energy toward Jase, a tiny compulsion. He didn t
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need an audience and neither did Meagan.
I found him pulling into your drive, Monroe lied,
jerking a thumb toward Ric. Figured you two have some
things you need to talk about.
Meagan nodded and held open the screen door. Come
on in, Ric.
Ric entered, nodding his thanks to Monroe, who turned
and walked down the driveway toward the garage. Ric
followed Meagan into her kitchen and took the seat she
gestured to at the table, though he would have preferred to
stand. He probably should be on his knees, he thought,
struggling to control the unfamiliar sensation of guilt.
What was it about this woman that made him feel things
he d never before experienced?
He waited until she d taken the seat across from him
and looked up into her eyes. Their green depths brimmed
with pain and distrust. Where would you like me to
start?
She shrugged, obviously trying for a nonchalance she
couldn t quite achieve. The beginning, I suppose.
He expelled a short bark of laughter. Hell, Meagan,
even I m not sure where this whole clusterfuck began.
He raked his fingers through his hair. Look, some of
what I m about to tell you is going to seem awfully far-
fetched. Please promise that you ll listen first, hear me
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