Page 17 of Blood Magic

He rubbed his eyes. “No.”

I stood and held out a hand. “Come on.”

He stared at my hand for a good twenty seconds before he took it. He stood. “Where are we going?”

“I’ve had a few sleepless nights myself. Sometimes you just need to know someone is there.”

“Kait, I’m not a child.”

“No. You’re not.” I tugged him to the front door. “Come on. I’ll heat you some milk and sit with you until you fall asleep.” The detective never touched pills. Not even sleeping pills. Warm milk might not put him to sleep, but the comfort of having someone with him might.

He was exhausted but couldn’t turn his mind off. I knew how that was. While I went into the kitchen to heat his milk, he undressed and got into his bed. “You should get a dog,” I told him when I returned with the milk. “They’re the best company and incredible stress relievers.”

He took a drink of the milk, made a face, and set it on the nightstand. “Thanks, Kait. Go home. Get some sleep yourself.”

“I’ll go home when you’re snoring.” I sat down in a chair close to the side of the bed. “So nothing from the demon. That really is a good sign. I don’t know why this demon maintained his power after I killed him. He should have become a helpless spirit, doomed to float through our world forever. But somehow, he can fight. He can possess people. He can’t possess me—I’ve got an anti-possession tat on my shoulder. Something you need to get done, Detective. Obviously, I have to keep the blade from him.”

And I just kept talking. It should have felt strange, being there in his bedroom, but it didn’t. It didn’t feel strange at all.

Ten minutes later, he was out. His eyes were closed, his breathing even, and some of the new stress lines on his face had smoothed out. For a little while, I watched him, tempted to pass out in the chair.

But in the end, I left his house, and I got into my car.

I backed out of his driveway, then paused in the dark, quiet street as goosebumps popped up suddenly on my skin. Someone was out there, watching me. Someone dangerous.

My ex-alpha and his goons, maybe. He wasn’t going to go away. Or maybe…

Maybe it was the demon.

I probed the shadows, but other than the cars lining the side of the streets, I saw no movement. I was tired. My encounter with the vampires had used up a lot of energy. My shift had used up more. I needed to have some dinner, take a nice, hot shower, and sleep.

I was tired and overreacting. That was all.

But when I reached my house, the bad feeling was still with me.