Hot Trick (A Detective Shelley Caldwell Novel) (23 page)

Backup arrived. An ambulance hauled Snake Eyes to the closest ER, while paramedics gave an all clear on taking Oriel and Tattoo Boy to lock up.

Where they would stay this time.

Silke and Sebastian got a ride in one squad, while Jake and I ended up having to make explanations to Norelli all the way back to the office.

“We’re partners,” Norelli complained. “You weren’t supposed to make the collar without me.”

“Um, I didn’t exactly have a choice when I was kidnapped and stuffed in a coffin. Believe me, if I could have shared that experience with you, Norelli, I definitely would have.”

He gave me one of those did-you-just-insult-me? looks but didn’t say anything more.

Having coached the others with some creative explanations as to what had gone down tonight, I was relieved when Norelli and the others accepted every word.

Which also made me wonder if Sebastian hadn’t had something to do with that. Perhaps his power of suggestion hadn’t been affected. Or perhaps he had already begun to recover.

Everything was finally going my way. Another set of homicides solved. And for once, Norelli got stuck with the bulk of paperwork.

A win-win situation in
my
book.

“I still have an APB out on Tanya Janicek,” Norelli said. “I want to make sure she wasn’t an accomplice. Besides, she could be a witness.”

If she would cooperate.

We all gathered in the vestibule at dawn.

Silke and me, Mom in between us. Jake to the other side of me, Sebastian at Silke’s side.

I tried feeling what was going on between the brothers, but to my chagrin, they both kept me locked out.

“I’m so relieved the two of you are all right,” Mom said, keeping her district commander persona in place at the area office.

Silke and I hugged her and I swear she held us a moment longer than she deemed necessary. I got the message. She loved us. I was going to have to give her some slack.

Mom eyed Jake and said to me, “About that family barbeque—”

“Later! Give me a break already.” So much for the slack time.

“We’ll talk tomorrow.”

I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me.

The moment Mom left us, Silke said, “I’m exhausted. Magic is hard work.”

Uh-huh. I looked at her. Barely a hair out of place. I knew what I looked like after fighting Snake Eyes. I’d winced when I’d seen myself in the restroom mirror.

I had to give it to Silke, though. My impractical sister had saved the day using magic. I figured maybe it was time to start re-evaluating our relationship and who she was too.

Just as Jake was going to have to re-evaluate his relationship with Sebastian. The truce between them was still on, but for how long?

“You haven’t seen the last of me,” Sebastian warned Jake.

Jake drew himself into an aggressive stance. “I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting. Brother.”

The testosterone in the air was palpable. “Down, boys,” I said.

Both men mentally backed off and I sighed with relief.

“I’ll take you home, Silke,” Sebastian offered.

An offer that perked my twin right up. As they walked toward the exit, I heard her murmur, “Whose home? Mine or yours?”

My eyebrows shot up. So that’s the way it was…

If so, I didn’t think I was going to get any more middle-of-the-night visits from Sebastian in my dreams.

How Silke would work out her feelings for Sebastian—whether or not I trusted him with my sister—how the brothers would work out their feelings for each other and how I would work out mine with Jake would make for an interesting future. Not to mention how I would deal with the next woo-woo case that came along. It seemed I was the designated recipient of all the X-Files in the Chicago Police Department.

“So what’s this about a barbeque?” Jake asked, snapping me back to the now.

“Mom thinks a family barbeque is in order. I have to warn you, she doesn’t cook.”

“Warn me why?”

“Because you’re invited.” My stomach knotted as I asked, “Want to come?”

“Or maybe she can come to our new place,” Jake said, reminding me of the loft. He smiled, slid his sunglasses in place and opened the door to the dawning of a new day. “Let’s go home and negotiate.”

With more than six million books in print, Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with “dangerous love”—combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic suspense and paranormal romantic thrillers, even romantic horror, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills and romance to each book. She believes strongly in breaking down barriers to write crossover fiction that appeals to a large and varied audience.

Patricia has won a Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers’ Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from
RT BOOKreviews.
In her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses in the Fiction Writing department of Columbia College Chicago. Five of her former students are now published in novel-length fiction.

She’s coauthor of
The Last Vampire
and
The Vampire Agent
from Del Rey Books. Her latest Harlequin Intrigue book is
Deal Breaker.

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