Page 28 of Death Raiser

He tilted his head at me as if I said the oddest thing. “Thank you. It has been quite the adjustment, but I find I’m enjoying this new era.”

We shared a smile.

I unlocked the door and Pierre held it open for me.

I stepped inside the apartment and turned to say goodbye. “I know it’s a part of your job but thank you for guarding me tonight.”

He nodded and released the door. “I will always protect you.”

He turned to walk away, and the door whooshed shut and before my brain could process the words or muster any kind of response.

A chill ran along my spine—not because of Pierre’s words—if anything, his words were kind and gave me warmth. No, the fear came from something else. It came from the knowledge that I had the power to control vampires, that I’d used that power on Pierre and he obviously still felt a piece of that connection. If Gregor ever discovered the extent of my magic, the vampires would go from protecting me to exterminating me.

Chapter Nine

The sun glared down on me, and I cursed. The sunglasses and pain killers did little to minimize the raging headache and unsettled stomach. I hadn’t consumed enough alcohol last night to get super drunk, just enough to feel a little tipsy at the club and like garbage the next day. I might be young at heart, but my body was telling me I had definitely left my twenties behind.

I hadn’t woken up to another rose, but I had been greeted with a hangover and a snarky twin who still wanted to pack me in bubble wrap and shove me in a vault. We’d argued. He’d called me stubborn, I’d called him a dick, and then we’d both left the apartment in a crappy mood.

“You look like shit, Morgan.” Kang waved me through the crime scene checkpoint.

“Missed you, too, Kang.” I stepped under the crime scene tape. My world tilted, and I stumbled to the side.

Someone gripped my arm to steady me, and I looked up to find Kang standing impossibly close.

“Where the hell did you come from?” I asked. He moved fast.

His mouth twitched.

“Under the weather, Morgan?” Jacobs walked up to join us.

I grumbled and snatched my arm from Kang’s grasp. “I don’t look that bad. You two are just assholes.”

Jacobs snickered.

“You never look bad,” Kang said. “But you smell like a rundown alehouse.” He wrinkled his nose.

“And you’re wearing shades even though you just stepped into a shadowy forest,” Jacobs added as if his commentary was needed or helpful.

“You used to be my favourite, Jacobs,” I grumbled.

He laughed harder. “We all know Brandon is your favourite.”

My mouth fell open. How did they know that? I didn’t talk about the boys that much at work.

Kang leaned in. “We are detectives.”

Speaking of detecting, I needed to tell Kang about the roses. Maybe he could weave some of that investigation magic and discover who was messing with me.

But now wasn’t the time.

Maybe it was sheer foolishness not to mention the roses right away, but I could only manage so much at the moment and I needed to focus on the reason the detectives had called me here. I’d tell Kang later.

With an exasperated sigh, I walked past Kang and Jacobs to follow the trail to the crime scene. I’d tell him later.

“How could I forget you two are detectives?” I asked in a conversational tone. “You only mention it at every possible opportunity. Probably on your dating profiles.”

One of them snorted behind me, but we walked along the path in silence. I didn’t need directions.

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