Page 47 of Stronger Than Blood

Chapter forty-three

Rory

Isent out my feelers to see if I could detect any remaining energy in the room from the evil entity that’d just tried to keep Ida from coming in.

For the life of me, I couldn’t detect a thing.

That was good. Not that I could depend on my gift for detecting things or not.

Still, I suspected Ida’s no-nonsense way had sent the jackass packing… at least for now.

“Just to accommodate our favorite patient,” Kalinda said, bringing me back to the present.

“Well, I’m not gonna be a patient in my own home. Here, I’m just myself. But what smells so good? I haven’t had anything decent to eat since I got stuck in that hospital, but it smells plumb heavenly in here.”

“Ready to eat?” Kalinda asked, and Granny nodded, a smile crossing her face. Mostly, Kalinda had warmed up leftovers from last night, but Granny was happy as could be with them. Of course, most of the food she ate was the fruit of her own labor, so I’m sure she was happy with it.

After we’d eaten on trays in the living room, I finished unloading the car.

Ida watched her favorite shows, then quickly began to tire.

We got her tucked into bed, and when Kalinda kicked us out, saying she needed bonding time with Ida, I followed Mick over to his apartment.

“You okay?” I asked when we were alone together.

“Yeah, overwhelmed with the day, but good.”

“You need to be alone?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, unless you need time to yourself, I could use the company.”

I smiled and went to him. “Know what I want?” I asked.

Mick snorted. “I have a pretty good idea.”

I nuzzled his neck and bit his earlobe from behind but then turned him to face me. “Yeah, but before that, why don’t we curl up on that couch of yours and watch some bad television?”

“Oh, that sounds perfect. Are you okay with me just falling asleep? I’m wiped out.”

“More than,” I said and leaned over to kiss him on his neck.

“Mmm,” Mick moaned, and we stayed like that for several minutes before I drew him over to the couch and let him lie back against me.

That was the best thing for both of us, although I really could use another roll in the hay. I instinctively knew that tonight, he just needed a solid wall of support.