Page 86 of The Tracker's Revenge

He threw a sidelong glance my way. “Oh, I’m good for more than that.”

“Maybe you too can wait to get hot and heavy until we get there.” Rosalina glared at me through the rearview mirror, wrinkling her nose.

At the agency, I parked right in front of the door. We peered inside through the glass door at the darkened interior, weary of what might lurk inside.

“It seems safe,” Jake said. “Give me the key. I’ll go.”

I didn’t argue. I knew there was no point. I held my breath as he keyed the lock and rushed inside. My heart knocked like crazy inside my chest as I waited, biting my thumbnail.

Rosalina groaned behind me. I glanced back and found her pressing a hand to her mouth.

“I swear,” she mumbled through her fingers, “this suspense,” she gestured between us and the office, “is harder than shooting at those fucking hybrids.”

I knew just what she meant. The not knowing was like waiting for an enema to take effect.

When Jake came out of the office, Rosalina and I both released pent-up breaths of relief. He locked the door behind him, rushed back into the car, and handed me one of the padded boxes we used to store our potions.

“Is this what you needed? I scooped a bit from each slow cooker.”

I’d started brewing two potions this morning, one for each of our clients. I’d asked Jake to get a bit of both.

I opened the box and peered inside. “Yes, this is it.”

“How do they look?” Rosalina asked.

“They’re both shimmering. I think they’re fine.”

“Good, let’s get going toward I-44.” Jake stabbed a finger into the map.

I shifted into first and got us on the way. I’d barely made it a few streets away from the agency when I slammed on the brakes. Everyone’s neck whiplashed.

“What the hell?!” Rosalina exclaimed.

“Fuck!” Jake said in more colorful tones. “Is something wrong?” He glanced all around, peering into the empty street. It was late and there wasn’t much traffic.

“I got to get Blaze.”

“Blaze?”

“Her cat,” Rosalina said. “You met him that day at the office the day she found it.”

Jake had come into the office that day while I was at the pet shop. Apparently, they hadn’t gotten along.

He pulled a face. “That awful pest?”

“Just because he doesn’t like you, it doesn’t mean he’s awful. He’s smart like that.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “Whatever you say, Toni. I don’t think we need to get your cat. He’ll be fine.”

“No! That’s the same thing Eric said about Cupid, and now he’s dead.”

“He had lived a long life for fish.”

“Um, he really had, Toni,” Rosalina piped in. “You need to stop blaming yourself for that.”

“No!” I shook my head. “I don’t care what you two say. Cats need more care than fish. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone, and he’s locked in my condo.”

I wound the wheel all the way to the left to make a U-turn.