Page 9 of The Psychic and the Vampire

Viktor swerved to the side of the road and slammed on his brakes. Thank goodness there wasn’t any other traffic. “What are you talking about? You wanted me to pay him off a few days ago.”

“That was before I found out the psychic described me perfectly in fucking court.”

That explains the bad mood,but Tony hadn’t finished ranting. “Banks told me – told me the damn man described me down to my freaking eye color. How the hell was that possible?”

“I don’t know how magic users work.” Viktor rubbed in between his eyes, thinking fast. “The description he gave could fit a hundred people. I was there, remember. I did hear what the psychic said. The man also said specifically he had no idea who you are because your half-assed lawyer asked him.”

“I don’t care. It’s too much of a risk. As it is, I’m going to have to dye my damn hair…”

You do that already.

“…and find some fucking contact lenses. I’m not having some no-account magic user put my life and operations at risk, you hear me? I want him taken out. Silenced completely. Now. Tonight.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Think!“Tony, if you do that then the police are going to come looking for you, for sure. I don’t care what Banks said – that ass couldn’t argue his way out of a paper bag and anything he’s telling you is to save his own skin.

“Unlike Banks, I paid attention when I was in the courtroom. The judge called that psychic by name and treated him with respect. The man works with the police on all kinds of cases – finding missing kids and reading murder scenes. If he goes missing then every officer within a hundred miles is going to be chasing his killer and they’re not going to give up until they find that person. That’s without the magical community getting up in arms about one of their own disappearing and using their own skills to find out the person responsible. Do you want or need that kind of heat, Tony? Be sensible about this shit.”

Is that why Ant was shot at tonight? Has Tony already sent his men out?

“He knows what I look like,” Tony insisted. “He can finger me for the Fallows murder.”

“If you’re arrested for it, then yes, potentially he could verify it was you who did it. But think about it, Tony. How likely is it that’s going to happen? You didn’t know Fallows, did you?”

“I told you. He was just a random stranger walking down the road.”

Viktor rolled his eyes – Tony should’ve left the poor man alone. “There you go. Why would the police come knocking on your door when there are a hundred other people in town who have the same basic physical description as you? And what if the police did end up at your door? They still couldn’t arrest you. You would have a dozen people in your house at any one time who would swear that you were home having a party the night of the murder. You know this, Tony. You’re letting Banks’s poor performance in court get to you. You’re better than that.”

There was a long silence, and Viktor was thinking about pulling his car back out onto the road again, when Tony laughed. “That’s why I keep you around, Vik. You’re my voice of reason. It must be because you’re so damn old. How long are you going to be? I was thinking we could hit a couple of the clubs tonight.”

Viktor checked the time on his car dashboard, and then glanced down the road. “I’m about twenty minutes out of town. Text me what club you’re going to, and I’ll meet you there.”

“You’d better.” Tony disconnected the call before Viktor could.

That’s all I fucking need, spending the night watching Tony throwing his weight around and making a fool of himself,Viktor thought grimly as he started driving again. But as he got closer to town, he thought about the other things that Ant had said, about those in the shadows and their danger to himpersonally.It would’ve helped if you’d been blessed with a spot of foresight, instead of hindsight.

Ant had to be referring to Tony. He read things that had already happened, and Tony had brought up the idea of being turned at least a dozen times in the past year alone.

There was also Tony’s business dealings and the people he kept around him as “family.” Viktor could think of at least ten people in that group who’d happily knife him in the back in the hopes of stepping into his job.

And that was without the danger his association with Tony and his family was to Viktor personally. He was damned by his association with the crime family and had been for years. Frankly, when he got his first taste of that a few years before, Viktor hadn’t cared. There had never been anyone who’d given a damn about him for decades and being empathetic wasn’t in his skill set.

Somehow, Viktor didn’t think when Ant said about how it might’ve been time for him to step out of the shadows, he was talking about going to a brightly lit nightclub.

And yet, that’s where I’m going.He patted his pocket, feeling the small vial along with the bullet he’d grabbed, saving the man…or his dog,he thought with a shake of his head.

Maybe I need to grab some dog treats and start carrying them around,and no, Viktor had no idea why that sounded like the best idea he’d had all night.

Chapter Seven

“Is that a pensive look on your face? Are you thinking about something, having a vision, or are you just constipated?”

Bridget’s question was unusual enough to stir Ant from his contemplation of his morning coffee. “When did you let yourself in? Can we please not refer to my bowels in any conversation between us? Even if I did have difficulties in that area, and I can assure you I do not, then it would not be something a grown man would discuss with his sister, unless she was part of some medical fraternity and even then I would think twice before saying anything.”

“It got you to pay attention to me.” Bridget sank gracefully into the chair across from him. Ant was at home, sitting at his kitchen table pondering the events from the night before. “What’s going on? Are you still annoyed with me about my asshole date last night?”

“I’m not annoyed with you period.” Ant glanced at his sister. “Are you working today? That suit looks new.” And then, remembering what he’d been told about compliments, he added, “The sage color looks very nice on you.”

“That is sweet, thank you.” Bridget beamed, but the smile fell off her face just as quickly. “That is still not telling me what you’re so deep in thought about so early in the morning. You had that reading with Mike last night. I’m surprised you’re up at all.”

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