Page 19 of Booked for Kidnapping

“Sometimes, I wonder how I ended up in a contract with you.”

“Oh, that’s simple. I’m useless with women, I had a crush, and you love your parents. I took advantage of how much you love your parents so I could overcome my general uselessness with women. I miscalculated, as I had no idea what I was getting into with you. I’m thinking my mother should have just offered a lot of cash for you to take me off her hands. But then I think about the repercussions of the current bills, and I think I had the right idea. With how they’ve been moving, what would have happened if you hadn’t been in my employ?”

“Especially with the effort they’ve gone to make it look like I did it. Or someone like me.” In some ways, the accident had become a blessing in disguise. “It really does look like they’d planned the killings to pin it on me, doesn’t it?”

“Or on me, since you’re in my employ. Either is viable.”

I blinked before staring at him, my mouth dropping open. “You? Plan a murder?”

“That’s what my mother said when I pitched the idea. Nobody believes I’m capable of murder. I’d make a very bad scapegoat, if everyone I know is to be believed. Honestly, that’s what I said about you. Sure, you’ll kill if you’re defending someone else. But you? Plan a murder? You’re more likely to plan how to get access to the ER so you can save lives. That, by the way, doesn’t need much planning. As soon as your lungs heal, you can just tell me you want to go volunteer, and we’ll loiter in the ER until they need you. That does lead me to believe the culprits don’t actually know anything about you beyond superficial assumptions. Of course, it could be a red herring, but we just don’t know.”

“That is a lot of work and effort on a red herring. Honestly, I almost admire them for their skills. That mender is incredible. They’re not touching the victim, they’re working under severely limited time, and they’re doing it while also working with someone capable of masking the true cause of death at the same time.”

“You’re not the first to mention that. Tawnlen has a pretty severe level of admiration for the mender, too. I think it’s because of his background. He knows a lot about how bodies work from his time in the morgue, and that level of work is top notch. Why is a mender of that level of skill assassinating politicians?”

“I’d say they might be at high risk of being drafted. And if the draft is meant to kill off a bunch of people, what would they make menders do?”

“You mean beyond help the government kill people more efficiently?” Bradley asked.

I wondered what life would have been like if I’d been born with a different and weaker talent. “Yes, beyond help them kill people more efficiently. I don’t even want to think about the trauma a mender would go through if they were drafted just to become killers. Where exsanguinators are expected to kill, menders are trained to heal from the moment their magic is identified.”

The bitterness I’d carried with me over the years sharpened my tone, and I winced at having allowed it to emerge.

“You never liked your reputation.” Bradley tapped at his laptop and turned the system so I could see the screen. “Your reputation is not what you think it is, you know. You’re admired and liked by a lot of people, based solely on your actions. Somebody leaked about your hospital work after the shooting. Those you saved had a lot to say about those who hate exsanguinators. Sure, not every exsanguinator is you or even like you, but you are far more than your magic.”

According to the article he’d selected to showcase my new and improved reputation, I deserved a Person of the Year award. I frowned, narrowed my eyes, and scrolled up to discover I’d been put in the running for said award by a magazine. “I don’t want that prize, Bradley. That looks like a surefire way to get a lot of attention.” On second look, I had no idea where they’d gotten the picture of me, but it was recent enough I had my oversized, gloriously tacky glasses. They’d even caught me wearing one of my favorite shirts. Judging from the mess of hair piled on my head, I’d been working at the time the picture had been taken. For someone who hadn’t prepared for a picture, I liked the shot. “Where can I get a copy of that picture? I like it.”

“You can thank Meridian for that picture. She took it at your work because she liked how intense you looked, and it turns out among all of the intense concentration pictures, there was this one, where you were obviously entranced by something among the stacks.”

My expression had been rather peaceful, with the ghost of a smile at whatever had caught my attention. I shrugged, able to make one good guess. “It was probably Ajani being her usual, charming self.”

My fluffy goddess bolted out of my bedroom, jumped on the couch, and took over my lap. While she successfully evicted my laptop, Bradley rescued it from death and destruction. As I understood my role in her life, I snagged the brush and went to work taming my cat.

“I see she has learned if you say her name, you are there to serve at her leisure.”

“I understand my place in our relationship. It is as her servant. I’m just glad she doesn’t bite me anymore on her way to get brushed. She used to. And she doesn’t attack me if I stop brushing anymore, either. She’s a good kitty.”

“She’s a wild demoness out for your blood, but she’s cute, so I can’t complain. I’ve discovered if I brush with one hand I can pet with the other and get away with it.”

I chuckled at the evidence Bradley had amused himself trying to befriend my cat. “We are in agreement. The cat rules, and anyone who tries to take my cat should be punished.”

“I’m trying to upgrade your cat to our cat status. Please offer assistance on how to make this transition.” Bradley wisely waited for me to give her a few strokes of the brush before swooping in and scratching my fluffy goddess under her chin, earning a contented purr. “I taught her a bad habit.”

“What now?” I asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of my tone.

“The jangle of keys will bring her running because I had a l-a-s-e-r p-o-i-n-t-e-r and she learned the sound. It was on a keyring. If anyone picks it up, she will not quit until she’s had at least five minutes with it. I have been attacked several times now for not playing with her.” Bradley pointed at his leg, which was covered by his slacks. “Cruelly mauled in punishment for my crimes. I almost bled to death, Janette. You have to take care of me now.”

“Does Ren know you were mauled?”

“I got him good. I played the victim of a vicious attack on the floor, and I even did a death scene. It took him a solid minute to realize I’d just angered your fluffy goddess for not playing with her. The murder weapon was on the carpet. I’m quite proud of having gotten him. He might need therapy now. It’s bad enough everyone is worried about protecting you, but for me to dare be scratched? Then he witnessed how I’d gotten scratched, and for some reason, he felt I deserved it.”

“Well, you hadn’t played with her appropriately or sufficiently. That seems like a good reason to be mauled. Honestly, any reason is good enough for her. I swear she’s made a lot of progress since I adopted her.”

“I know. I’ve handled the brush, and the imprints are fairly strong, even from when you first got her. She’s an angel compared to right after you got her and she clued in she was no longer dying.”

Damn it. Life with Bradley was filled with unique perils. “Your magic is going to drive me more than a little crazy.”

He smirked. “I know, especially when you think you can hide certain things. But don’t worry. I’ll only use such knowledge for your benefit. Realistically, our benefit. And while I have an advantage, all you’ll have to do, once that foot of yours is healed, is put on your boots to take full control of the situation. Those boots are going to drive me more than a little crazy. And patience. Those boots are a lesson in patience. It’s a lesson I’m really not appreciating right now.”