Chapter Thirteen

Magnus

"Howdy, boys."

The two Raggedy Andys looked from Jade and her baton to me, then back again. "We was here first," said the idiot on the left. "You got no right to kick us out."

"Actually, I claimed this house first," I said, standing slowly. "I put the plywood up. I suggest you bug out before the lady here gives you an ass kicking."

They exchanged a glance. "She can't take us both on," the first fool declared. "And you all busted up."

"Are you really going to make me use this?" Jade inquired politely. "Just leave before you piss me off."

The second dude sneered, his upper lip curling. "You ain't got nuthin."

Shaking her head in regret, Jade tapped her baton against her thigh. "I'll ask you again. Leave. Please. I really don't want to hurt you."

In reply, the pair bunched their fists and ran at her.

I also started forward, concerned that she could easily handle one opponent, but not two.

Like a dancer, Jade moved with lithe grace, swinging her baton. I hesitated, not wanting to get in her way, and stood ready to help her should she require it. Her weapon cracked against the sneering dude's head, making him screech, and bring both hands to his injury. Obviously, she pulled the blow, not hitting him nearly as hard as she could have.

The other guy swung his fist. Jade ducked low and hit him across his skinny thigh. Faltering, he, too, yelled in pain, then limped his way out of her reach.

"You hit me," he howled.

Jade ambled toward him and tapped the baton on his collar bone. A tap with that steel rod likely left a very nasty bruise, and obviously hurt like hell. The junkie screeched and backed away. Poking the tip into the first dude's diaphragm had him bending over while gasping.

"Okay, that's enough," she said firmly, turning them around and using the baton to usher them through the door they'd entered. "Go on. Grab your stuff, get out. Squat someplace else. That's it. Scoot."

In fascination, grinning, I watched as she herded them out the busted window, the cold air washing into our warm front room. They complained bitterly as they retreated, their sacks in their hands. Jade stood at the window for a long moment, making sure they departed, then stepped in the front room and shut the door behind her.

"You could have busted them up," I commented.

"No reason to," she replied, pushing the baton's rod back into the compact shell. "They've learned their lesson. And I'll get locks for those doors."

I rubbed my fiercely aching shoulder. "Think it's a good idea to leave here? Even to run an errand?"

Jade nibbled her lip. "We can't have any homeless yo-yo wandering in here to challenge us. Those doors won't hold a determined assailant, but I think they'll stop junkies."

I returned to my sleeping bag, suspecting I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. The cats had taken the invasion and the yelling with equanimity, busily washed their faces and ears with their tails curled around their paws. I lay back down, watching the fire as Jade went into the kitchen. She came out a few moments later.

"I'll fix us some soup," she said, standing over me. "Then I'm going to get locks and a cell. I'm really worried about Alix."

"You're really beautiful with the firelight dancing on your face."

Flushing, Jade offered a self-conscious half-smile. "Thanks. Um, I'll get the soup on."

I grinned to myself. For all her toughness and her abilities to fight like Bruce Lee, she had no idea how to take a compliment. And that was a real shame, as she wasn't just extraordinarily good looking, she was extraordinary in herself. I forced myself to admit I'd never met anyone quite like Jade.

I learned I liked Jade very much.

She returned with bowls of steaming soup, crackers, utensils, and plastic glasses of water on a tray. I sat up, leaning against the armchair for support as she doled out the goodies.

"Smells great," I said, accepting my share. "Thanks."

"No prob."

She sat gracefully on her sleeping bag, endearing her to the cats. They sat nearby, watching every spoonful of soup reach her mouth. At length, she set her bowl in front of them, permitting them to drink from it. When I finished mine, of course leaving soup in my bowl, I placed it beside hers. The cats contentedly lapped what was left, then returned to the serious business of washing their faces.

"I want to adopt them," Jade mused, stroking each head in turn. "Give them a better life than this."

"I dunno," I drawled. "Maybe I want one. They like me as much as they like you."

Jade stood as gracefully as she sat. "We may have to fight each other for custody. I'd better go before the stores close."

"Okay. Buy cat food."

"I plan to."

After donning her coat, Jade waggled her fingers in farewell, then left through the garage door. I gazed at the dirty dishes, considering cleaning up. As my shoulder burned and throbbed, I doubted my abilities to do much of anything. I did, however, stack them on the tray to take to the kitchen. That small effort left me exhausted.

"If anyone breaks in," I told the cats, "you scratch their eyes out. I can't do jack."

***

I woke suddenly to near darkness and the sound of a door opening. Shit, I should have asked for her baton. I can't fight in this state. Dammit, I'm in trouble. I sat up faster than I should have, and my shoulder screamed at the sudden movement.

"Jade?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I think I woke you."

"You scared the bejesus out of me." I passed my hand, that trembled, down my face. "I feel so helpless."

I heard her set packages down in the kitchen, then watched her shadow approach to kneel beside me. Her light caress over my brow galvanized me like an electric shock.

"You're running a fever," she said, her voice soft. "Don't lie down, I'll get you some aspirin."

"That's all we need," I muttered. "What if I've got an infection?"

"I'm going to take a look at your wound," she replied from the kitchen.

When Jade returned, she brought not just aspirin, but a tall glass of orange juice. "Take these, drink up."

While I obeyed her, I watched her add wood to the fire and create a nice blaze. She helped me take my shirt off and turn so my back faced the light. Delicately, she removed the bandage from the hole in my shoulder.

"Well?"

Jade clicked her tongue. "It looks worse than it did. I told you, I don't know what I'm doing."

"You can heat a knife in the fire and burn it closed."

At her long silence, I turned a worried eye on her. "I was kidding. Right?"

"We'd seal the infection inside when we want it out." Jade pursed her luscious lips. "I think I'd better clean it again."

"Much safer than burning me," I agreed as she left my side yet again.

She came back a short while later, armed with her arsenal of warm water, cloths, the dreaded iodine, and bandages. "Alix had antibiotics in her bathroom," she said, sitting behind me. "I never thought to grab them."

"They'd come in handy about now."

Her efforts to clean my wound hurt as badly as it had the day before. I clenched my jaws tightly to stop the screams that wanted to surge from my mouth, my fists clenched against the red-hot agony. Jade worked quickly, efficiently, then, as I breathed raggedly, and then she taped a fresh bandage over it.

"Drink your juice," she ordered, wiping my sweaty brow with a cloth. "From now on, you drink water, broth, juice, soup. I hope that'll flush your system of the infection."

My hand shook as I lifted the glass to drink thirstily. "Did you see pus back there?"

"Yeah. I'm not doing a very good job of caring for you. I'm sorry."

Before she turned her face away, I cupped her cheek with my good hand, then dropped a quick kiss to her mouth before she recoiled. "You're doing a fantastic job," I murmured. "I can't say enough thanks."

Jade flushed bright pink, pulling her face from my hand. "You'd better lie down. Get some sleep."

I lay down, digging my slow way into my sleeping bag without jostling my shoulder too much, while she collected her nursing tools. One of the cats nestled under my arm, purring, the other sitting on Jade's sleeping bags as though waiting for her.

Still, she didn't come to bed straight away. Standing in the kitchen doorway, she used her new cell to call Alix. "Hey, it's me. Are you okay?"

My eyes closed, I half-listened to her explain about the tracker, how I'd been shot, and my father's goons following her.

"Search your car," Jade went on, a mere shadow in the firelight. "I found the one on my car's frame. Ditch it far away from where you are. Yeah. Good."

She listened for a moment. "We're safe for the moment. Magnus found us a safe house. He's recovering. When he's better, we'll buy a different car. Yeah. And then bring that fucker down."

I barely heard Alix's voice from the speaker as Jade said nothing. "I appreciate what you're saying, but we're not human. We're shifters. Dragons. No, I'm not willing to just fly away. Nope, not until we give that asswipe our best shot at bringing him down. Yeah, look, I'm keeping him awake. Call me tomorrow, after you've searched the car. Okay. Love you."

Jade clicked the phone off but continued to stand by the kitchen.

"Come to bed," I murmured. "Someone's waiting for you."

"I haven't brushed my teeth," she protested. "I can't sleep until I brush my teeth."

"Come here."

She slid unhappily into her bed, the cat muttering small growls under its breath until she got settled. Then it curled into her stomach, purring and kneading busily. I reached across the short space between us and brushed a lock of her hair from her brow.

"This one's mine," I told her. "That one's yours. No fighting for custody."

Jade chuckled. "I guess we've been chosen."

I blew her a kiss. "Sleep."

***

For the next two days, I slept, drank, gobbled aspirin, and pissed orange juice. Still, whether it was thanks to Jade's efforts, her thrice daily wound cleaning, the various liquids, or my own body, I healed. With the new locks on the doors, we both felt relatively safe from intruders, and if my pop hadn't found me here by now, it wasn't likely he ever would.

Sitting in the armchair on our fourth morning in the house, I carefully flexed my arm. "If the bullet broke a bone, it's healed remarkably fast."

Jade pushed me forward to examine the wound. "Hmm. It's crusted over. The skin around it is still red, inflamed, but not as bad as it was."

I seized her hand to kiss. "Thanks, Doc."

"Try not to get shot again," she advised, pulling away. "Next time, I might really screw you up."

"Yes, ma'am."

As she tidied up our temporary home, fed the cats, put wood on the fire, I pondered our next move. "So we get a new car today?"

Jade straightened, brushing wood dust from her fingers. "That's next, yeah, but only if you're ready. We can wait another day."

"I think I am," I replied, flexing my arm before buttoning my shirt. "It's time we stalked my old man, wait for him to leave his house. Then search his records."

Jade smiled. It sent a primal shiver through me. Both of delight in her ferocity and a tiny bit of fear. "Then we bring him down."