Page 9 of Graveyard Dog

After grinding his teeth to dust, he scrubbed his fingers over his face, winced at the lump on the side of his head, and groaned. He was going to kill her. Elwyn Loehr. Had she really called him at two in the morning with a false report? How had he not recognized her voice? That little shit.

A harsh laugh escaped him. The girl was good. He’d give her that. And she’d been planning this for a while. No one else at the compound seemed to have picked up on her odd activities, but it was all becoming as clear as vodka to him. She would have waited until his maintenance tech was out, of course, but she had to make sure to get him to this apartment before his tattoo cover-up appointment.

But how?Howdid she know? About Izzy’s ex. About the doctor Donovan had hooked up with. About the woman being stalked in Idaho, who Eric was now dating—happily. And now Michael and Izzy? Was this like a blind date?

First, if that was indeed her plan, the kid had good taste. But Michael had no supernatural abilities. Did that mean Izzydid? Did Elwyn need Izzy on her team? Did she want to add her to the list of soldiers for the upcoming war?

Every muscle in his body clenched at the thought of Izzy being in that kind of danger. He didn’t want her anywhere near his mystical band of misfits.

Like he’d thought earlier, the kid was collecting supernaturally inclined humans, gathering her army, readying for a battle prophesied years ago. The mere thought of that child going to war with the king of the underworld gave him acid reflux. They needed more time. She needed more training. And he needed a lot more alcohol.

“So, he’s a Bandit?” he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to look out the window without answering.

“And you think we all know each other?”

“Don’t you?” She turned back to him, the accusation clear in her toneandexpression. Hostile. Defiant. Wildly beautiful. She swept her hair off her face with one gesture, the rich color of her eyes shimmering softly in the glow of the early morning sun. She’d been hurt. Badly.

Guard the heart, Cavalcante. Don’t cave now.

“What’s his name? We may be besties, and I just never made the connection.”

A bitter smirk lifted one corner of her mouth, and he noticed tiny, almost imperceptible scars on the sides of it. “Dunsworth. Ross Dunsworth.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, Killer. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

She didn’t know if she should believe him or not. He could see it in the suspicious slant of her eyes. The thinning of her mouth.

Before he could question her further, the sound of heavy breathing filtered into his thoughts, and he looked at Emma. “You okay, Squirt?”

He glanced back at Izzy. A flash of fear registered on her face. She lunged forward and knelt beside her daughter. “Did you wash that apple, hon?”

“No. You already washed it. I saw you.”

“Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this.” Izzy pursed her lips and shook her head as though chastising herself. “I’m sorry. This is not your fault. Sit here, and I’ll get your inhaler.” She started to rise but whirled back around at the Squirt’s next words.

“It’s empty,” she said as she coughed into a tiny hand.

“Empty?” Izzy squeaked, kneeling down to her again. “Since when?”

“Since I said, ‘Mommy, my inhaler is empty.’ We were supposed to pick up a new one today.”

“Right.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, we’ll go get it now.” She checked the watch on her wrist. “They should be open, right? It’s not too early?”

Emma rubbed her chest as the wheezing sound grew louder. “Mommy, I don’t feel good.”

Izzy pushed a plethora of curls off the girl’s cheeks to expose how bright they’d become. Her jaw dropped as her gaze first locked onto Michael’s and then darted to her purse. She dove for it, but Emma had closed her eyes and started sliding off the table.

Chapter Three

Please stop asking me if I’ve had a rough night.

I always look like this.

—Meme

“What’s going on?” Michael asked Izzy as he scooped Emma into his arms and pulled her to his chest. She’d gone limp in a matter of seconds, and Izzy was doing everything in her power to quash the panic rising in her chest.

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