Sucker Punch (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 27)

Angel put her forehead against mine, because more skin contact was better for most metaphysical powers. The lioness snarled and lashed out, claws extended. It made me stagger against Angel; she wrapped her arms around me while I fought the sensation of phantom claws trying to cut me up from the inside. There was never any real physical damage from the inner beasts, but it hurt as if there was for seconds, minutes, while my body had to realize we weren’t really hurt.

“Are you all right there, Marshal?” Leduc asked from the cell area.

I had to breathe through the pain to answer him. “Yeah, just . . . I’m fine.”

The lawyer actually moved around to distract Leduc. Ms. Brooks had been around enough shapeshifters to know an issue when she saw it. She started to try to argue that Bobby should be released into her custody now, today, which was ridiculous and had no legal standing, but she restarted her fight with the sheriff. It gave me time to stand up straight and pretend nothing had happened.

Angel spoke with her mouth touching my face so that her whisper wouldn’t carry to any of the humans and might not carry to Bobby. “We need to get you out of here.”

Pierette came to stand with us as if it were a group hug and whispered, “We all need somewhere private to discuss things with the big werelion.”

It took me a second to realize she meant Olaf and not Nicky. Out loud I said, “We need to leave at least one of you guys here with Bobby.”

“The case is solved,” Leduc said, “and as soon as we can get the legalities worked out, Bobby is going home. We don’t need the Coalition to babysit anymore, do we, Bobby?”

“It was my doubts that made me lose control of my beast,” Bobby said. “I don’t

doubt myself anymore. I know that I didn’t kill my uncle.”

“If you weren’t a Therianthrope, you’d be able to walk out now,” Ms. Brooks said.

I nodded and walked into the cell area like my lioness hadn’t just sideswiped me. The dull ache of it was just that, dull. I wasn’t hurt. “Sorry, Ms. Brooks, but Bobby has to stay in the cell tonight. Hopefully sometime tomorrow he’ll be home and clear.”

“You know he’s innocent now. Why should he spend another night in jail?” she asked.

“Because he’s still a shapeshifter accused of a murder. I can refuse to execute him even with the warrant in his name, but until we’ve cleared him more publicly, he’s probably safer behind bars.”

“Are you saying that people who have known me all my life would hurt me?” Bobby asked from the open door of his cell.

“I’m saying that legally let’s not tempt fate. You stay in overnight and part of tomorrow, and by then we’ll figure something else out.”

“But no one is going to execute me?” he asked.

“You don’t have to worry when any of us come back here now. We aren’t here to kill you.”

“We will be working to get you free as soon as possible,” Ms. Brooks said.

“You know he has no legal right to counsel under the supernatural system,” Leduc said.

“And yet here I am,” she said.

“You’re here, but you have no legal rights, because Bobby has none,” Leduc said.

“Which is monstrous,” Ms. Brooks said.

Leduc shrugged, spreading his hands wide. “You heard the marshal. He has to be locked up for his own safety as much as anyone else’s.” He shooed Bobby back into the cell and closed the door with a resounding clang.

Bobby put his hands around the bars. “You promise that I’ll get out tomorrow?”

I wasn’t sure whom he was asking, but I answered. “Yeah, you’ll get out tomorrow.”

“Anita, you can’t promise him that. It might take a couple of days,” Edward alias Ted said from the doorway.

“I will keep fighting to get you out,” Ms. Brooks said.

“I’ll stay until you’re out of jail, too,” I said.

Bobby flashed a very warm smile my way. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”