Page 49 of Fresh Old Bounties

“Not here.”

I glanced at Dru. The urge to see whatever had made Ian turn into cold stone was nearly overwhelming, but best friends came first. “We can’t leave Dru alone here with him. What if he has friends?”

Dru’s mouth twisted in a grimace of displeasure, as if it hadn’t occurred to her until now that someone might come to help the man and she wasn’t thanking me for putting the idea in her head.

“I’ll take care of it,” Ian said. He made a quick call. “It’ll be a few minutes. You’re keeping the gun?” he asked Dru.

She crossed her arms. “Sure am.”

Ian nodded, and I was again surprised by the matter-of-fact quality of his decisions. Dru had the gun; Dru got to keep the gun. It was of no interest to him.

You had to admire a guy who respected the right to finders keepers.

I moved closer to where he stood by the spellbook until we were almost touching.

“Thanks for coming,” I whispered, pressing my arm to his.

“If you guys start making out, I will shoot you,” Dru said from the other side of the small room. “Hey, does Ian know about your ghosts?”

If he hadn’t, he did now. I sent Dru a look of warning.

She shrugged. “Just checking.”

More like payback. Ah, well. I deserved it.

“Yes,” Ian said.

“All of them?”

“Yes,” he repeated.

Dru appeared less than impressed. “You told your boyfriend before you told me, the person who actually works here?”

“It was his grave dirt that started everything,” I pointed out.

Her lips curled. “Please.”

“Bagley’s playing a game,” Ian said, unbothered by the fact that Dru had probably just added me to her list of grudges, and it’d take me a few lifetimes to dig my way out of it. “She would’ve never revealed herself to you because you’re a demon, not a witch, and she knows you’re too smart to believe in her lies.”

I snapped straight. “Hey, now.”

Dru flashed me an evil grin. “No, please. Continue.”

Ian rubbed his chin. “That’s all there is to it. You’re not a witch and not likely to help her find one to continue her plans, so while you are of no use to her, part of her might wonder if you know of her existence and are faking it or not. It’s good to keep her busy with small guessing games like that rather than the big picture.”

“She has plans?” Dru asked, a little aghast. “What kind of plans?”

“She wants a new body,” I said.

Dru shivered. “Creepy.”

“Yes.”

We fell silent, and the longer we waited, the more I worried Ian had called the strays to help out. As much as Shane and Alex had proven themselves with Vicky and Mr. Lewis, it wasn’t right to keep putting them in danger. This man had used a gun. If he had a friend coming to help him, they might have a gun too.

I bit my lip, about to ask Ian who he’d called, when someone clanged on the gate.

Ian went to open it and returned with a familiar figure.

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