Page 2 of Bad Medicine

“What dreams?” She shrugged. “Ithink I’m subconsciously punishing myself by refusing to let the dreamsthrough. Funny, when I never knew I had a choice.”

“You don’t,” I said gently. Isqueezed her shoulder. “You’re not a bad person.”

“I guess. It’s just…” She blewout a hard breath and stared up at me. “Kait, I miss him. I miss a serialkiller who kills women. Why would I do that if I’m not a bad person? I can’tmove on from this. I can’t forgive myself for what I did.”

“You kept his name to yourselffor a little while,” I said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. And you know youdon’t miss him—you miss who you thought he was.” But nothing I said was goingto fix Lucy’s pain. She would come to terms with it in her own time, and all Icould do was be there for her.

“There was just something abouthim,” she murmured, “and I felt a connection.”

“Him” being Samuel the serialkiller, aka Ray Christian, Lucy’s former boyfriend. At the time, I hadn’t realizedhow she’d felt about him. I doubted she had, either.

After Lucy had refused to seehim again, he knew she’d figured out—somehow—who he was. I hadn’t asked her ifshe’d ever told him about her dreams, but I figured she had. Perhaps he’d lovedthe thrill of knowing she might discover his identity at any time. Maybe he’dbelieved she might not reject him for it, that she might accept him anyway. Ididn’t know and couldn’t guess why he hadn’t taken her when he’d had plenty ofchances. Why hadn’t he killed her? Only he knew the answer to that question.

And maybe he would explain somethings when Detective Rick Moreno caught him. It was only a matter of time. Thepolice had a physical description, a first name, and an alias. They didn’t havehis fingerprints, though. Samuel had been very careful not to leave any in myhouse, but he had to have left a trace of himself behind.

Techs had gone over the house,Lucy’s car, and even my office, collecting hair, fingerprints, fibers, whateverthey could find. An artist’s drawings had gone out to the city, and the picturewas extremely accurate. Lucy said that whenever she’d wanted a selfie with Ray,he’d always gotten out of it. Not really a red flag. Some people just didn’tlike having their pictures taken.

He may have left the city andgone into hiding, but I didn’t think so. I believed he was right where hewanted to be—in Jakeston with his current fixations. Lucy, the detective, me—anda rich garden of blonde women from which to pluck his latest doomed flower.

I took another gulp of coffeeand then climbed from the bed. “Time to work,” I said, giving Ash a last pat.

“Breakfast first,” Lucy told mesternly, as though if she didn’t stay on me I wouldn’t eat—which was a laugh.

“I will eat everything,” Isaid.

At that moment, a spirit fellinto the room with such force I could actually hear the impact—though he was asinsubstantial and airy as a ghost. He crouched on the wood floor like a wild,savage beast, his black hair covering half his face, and his heavy black and silverwings taking up so much space I could barely draw a breath.

Ash went nuts, barking,growling, snarling at something he surely couldn’t see. He flung himself offthe bed and shoved his body against my legs, threatening the newcomer withdeath if he so much as looked at me.

“Great,” I said, proud that myvoice was only a little shaky. “Another fucking angel.”

Chapter Two

“Nicole,” he growled, rising tohis feet. “Where have you put her?”

“Do I look like I might have anangel in my pocket?” I glanced toward my closet, unable to help it. My demonblade was in that closet. Dammit.

He curled his lip, then pointedhis finger at Ash. “Quiet.”

Ash cut off his barkingabruptly, then yelped and sat on my foot.

“Don’t you hurt my dog,” Isaid, and my voice was cold, despite a fear that was natural and bone deep.

“Oh shit,” Lucy whispered.“Kait. EvenIfeel this one.” And though she couldn’t see him, he lookedat her, and she shuddered. “What is he?”

I squinted. “You know it’s ahe?”

“Oh yes. There’s all sorts ofbad, masculine energy slapping me in the face.”

He was primal as hell, savage,otherworldly, definitely larger than life—but I wasn’t saying that aloud. Ineeded to maintain my composure. “Take Ash from the room. I’ll be out in aminute.” I put my stare on the dark angel and didn’t take it off him while Lucytook hold of Ash’s collar, and then, when he refused to budge, she picked himup and carried him toward the door.

It broke my heart the way hewhined. “Hush, Ash,” I soothed. “I’m okay, baby.”

“I’ll give him a treat,” Lucysaid, then hurried through the doorway, shutting the door behind her.

“Where is Nicole?” he askedagain. “I know she has shown herself to you.”

“I don’t know where she is. Shepops in to rest and then leaves again. She doesn’t tell me what’s going on orwhy she’s so damn sad. I didn’t know what she’d been through, what she wasafraid of, or why she was running—until now.”