Page 48 of Deadly Lineage
“Perhaps not, but—”
“I need to go, Pops. Whoever’s doing this shit is about to be very sorry.” I hit the end button and valiantly (stupidly) ignored the follow-up call.
“I need to get home,” I said before heading for the door. I dodged the hole in the floor easily and trotted to the stairway. Detective Harrison was still at the end of the hall with Dr. McCallister.
“Boone, wait!” Franklin called after me. I didn’t wait. I headed down the stairs. I could hear Franklin yell something to the other detective and thought I caught the word “leaving” in there somewhere. I didn’t want to wait.
My hand was on my car door when Franklin’s giant palm landed on my skin. He sounded faintly out of breath when he said, “Will you just wait a fucking minute?”
I stood there, tapping my sneaker. The puddle I was standing in splashed water up my legs, but I didn’t care. “I need to get home,” I argued.
“And I need you to stay safe,” Franklin argued back. “We don’t know who or what is trying to get into your house, but I’ll bet it’s safe to say that if your father’s wards are unhappy about it, then whoever it is isn’t there to drop off a gift basket.”
“Your detective is correct. I did not see evidence of one of these gift baskets,” Aurelia agreed. I wasn’t sure if she’d gone down the stairs or simply blinked out of existence on the second floor and popped back up outside. When Franklin’s attention turned her way, I realized she still wasn’t making an effort to conceal herself.
Franklin tried to formulate words a couple of times before he finally managed a question. “Could you tell what they were doing?”
Aurelia didn’t show the slightest hint of distress. “They were trying to enter without permission.”
“B&E,” Franklin mumbled before releasing my wrist and running his fingers over his close-cropped hair. “I doubt it’s as simple as that.”
“Could you tell their species?” I asked, while wondering just how much longer Aurelia would decide to be helpful.
“Human,” she easily answered. “Others may be there by now. They were not pleased when I left.”
My heart dropped and a wave of nausea swept through my body. “What did you do?” Those words were barely a hushed whisper.
“I did nothing.” Aurelia coolly answered. “They were displeased by their lack of progress.”
My body deflated and I leaned heavily on my car. “Thank Gaia.”
“Ride with me,” Franklin said. He didn’t give me much choice as he grabbed my bicep and hauled me toward his car. “We can come back later for your car.”
“I can drive,” I said with a huff.
“I know, but right now I don’t find you particularly trustworthy. Knowing my luck, you’ll pull up to the curb, jump out of your car, and get a bullet between the eyes. Whoever this is, they want something, and I’ll bet that something is you. I’ll be damned if I serve you up to these assholes on a silver platter. We’re going to be smart about this and if we can’t be smart, then at the very least, we can be careful.”
I followed him, my pace quick as I tried keeping up with Franklin’s longer legs.
“Aurelia, can I ask you to do a little recon for me?” Franklin asked as he opened the passenger side door and guided me inside.
Not shocking at all, Aurelia was gone. Franklin’s head twisted around and he asked, “Can you see her anywhere?”
“Nope. She’s gone.”
“Damn.”
“That’s a djinn for you—or at least that’sAureliafor you.”
Franklin climbed into the driver’s seat and my phone buzzed with Pops’s ringtone again.
“If you really don’t want him on a flight out here, then you better get that.” Franklin started the car and pulled out, headed for my home. Deciding he was correct, I answered and gave Popsthe rundown before he could start talking. I was almost done going over Franklin’s loose plan—although I wasn’t even certain itqualifiedas a plan—when a thought struck me. “Momma, is she—”
“Her wards are secure and untouched. I called her when you hung up on me.” Pops’s tone was filled with a rebuke I was sure I’d pay for later. “She is currently fine and staying with friends until we figure out what’s going on.”
“And Mrs. Hart?”
“Who?”
