Page 97 of Fresh Old Bounties

“Was Hutton at Rena’s?” I asked.

They all looked at each other, then Alex and Shane burst out laughing. My attention snapped to Ian. He was clearly hiding a smile under the guise of sipping his coffee—the crinkling at the edge of his eyes betrayed him. Even Key had covered her mouth with a hand.

“What?” I demanded, then winced. My magic had helped clear my mind, not numb the pain.

Without a word, Ian opened a drawer, then handed me a couple of painkillers. I swallowed them eagerly.

“Everyone was there, boss,” Alex said.

“Everyone?” I tried to remember. Dru and Key for sure, and that fleeting memory of Hutton. Wait, a couple of other faces were familiar. From the PBOA meetings? Bosko’s daughter? The stables guy?

“Word got out,” Shane said.

“Word of what?”

Alex brought out his phone and came around the table to show it to me. Strident singing filled the kitchen as he played a video. My strident singing.

I grabbed his phone and stared at the screen. There I was, on Rena’s karaoke stage, belting out “All By Myself” like I’d just gotten dumped by the love of my life and this was now my personal hymn.

“Oh, Mother.” I groaned, dropping the phone and burying my face in my arms. I barely remembered singing that song. That had been after my second—third?—drink.

Then the fact that the video was on Alex’s phone finally registered.

I snapped straight, immediately regretting it. “Did you take that video?”

“Nah. Dru sent it.”

“Dru?” I glanced around the kitchen. Shane was still grinning. Ian had his expression back under control, but his eyes gleamed with amusement.

When my gaze fell on Key, she hurried to assure me that “I deleted it immediately.”

But something in the way she shifted told me she might not exactly be telling the truth.

“Who else did she send it to?” I lifted a hand. “No, don’t tell me. Everyone.”

I was going to kill her.

“Not everyone,” Key said.

“Yeah, it kind of went viral by itself,” Alex agreed. “Not her fault.”

That thing better not reach the Council. Or Sonia.

Who was I kidding? It was definitely reaching Sonia.

“I’m so done for.”

Alex patted my shoulder. “Nah. You’re good. Everyone had a good time.”

I looked at Ian, searching for confirmation.

He shrugged. “There was a pleasant atmosphere.”

“You were there too?”

The twitch of his lips was confirmation enough. Of course he had been there.

“Why didn’t you stop me?”

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