Ride the Storm (Cassandra Palmer 8)

“What?”

“The mage. He wanted—that is, he was trying to trade her for Lizzie—”

“We know. We got that much from those reporters before they ran off, to file who knows what kind of stories. And the rest from the witches—”

“Witches?” I looked up. “What witches?”

“That’s how they got her,” Rico said softly, putting his book down and coming over.

“That is not how they got her,” Marco said, quietly vicious. “That’s how they tried. They got her because of the damn Circle—”

“You can’t trust a mage,” Rico agreed.

“Would someone please tell me what you’re talking about?” I whispered.

Rico glanced at me. “We were out of it this morning, until the master woke us up and sent us the power to go after you. But, apparently, there were some of the Circle’s men here last night—”

“Jonas brought them.”

“Of course he did,” Marco said, in a savage undertone. “He’s been trying to get you, and your court, under Circle control ever since he got back into power. Figures that the first time we’re vulnerable—”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t like that. He came to see me alone, and only called them in later, after he found everybody unconscious. Except for Rhea and Tami, who were freaking out—”

“She’s good at that,” Rico said, rubbing his jaw.

“Rhea?”

“Tami. I thought she was supposed to be your housekeeper, but I’m thinking you should recruit her as a bodyguard instead. She has a mean right cross.”

“She’s not my housekeeper. She’s my . . . organizer.” ’Cause God knew I could use one. “And why did she slug you?”

“My fault.” The dark eyes smiled. “When the master woke us up, it was a little . . . abrupt. I think I startled her.”

“He jumped up swinging, and she swung back, knocking him on his ass,” Marco translated, making me bite my lip. Because Rico was the most obviously badass of my bodyguards, the leather-wearing, tat-sporting, gun-carrying one, when most of the others wore Armani like their master and debated things like plain or tassel-front loafers.

I doubted Rico had a pair of loafers, or if he did, I’d never seen them.

I also doubted that he’d ever been decked by a slim, pretty woman before. But then, Tami was pretty badass herself. And she didn’t need leather to prove it.

She had a belt in jujitsu, the same color as her weave, that did that for her.

“I’m sure she’s sorry,” I told Rico, who was openly grinning now.

“She promised me some cookies,” he agreed.

“I’ve had her cookies. I’d take a belt for them any day,” Marco said, but he was still looking at me. Because he had the patience of Job, and the stubbornness, too, and I doubted he was going to let this go. He took his job as chief bodyguard seriously, and was not a fan of the Circle.

At all.

“Jonas said he called for backup so my court wouldn’t be without protection while he figured out what was going on,” I explained.

“And you believe that?” An eyebrow the size of a caterpillar went north.

I clasped my arms around me again, and told myself it was because I was chilly. The vamps had adjusted the temperature to compensate for all the extra body heat we’d had lately, and

without it, it was verging on cold in here. “I don’t disbelieve him. He said he wants to work with us—”

“He wants to work with you. I think he could do without us just fine.”