Page 16 of Wonder (Wonderfall #3)

I went back inside and greeted Reno and Tucker on my way to the guest bedroom. Reno met my eyes briefly before looking away. I kept smiling. This was a marathon, not a sprint.

After I showered and got dressed, I returned to the living room.

Nicky was on the sofa eating oatmeal, and Jackson was next to him in their panther form, sleeping on their back with their paws in the air.

Nicky was wearing clothes that fit him, so Tucker must’ve brought those over.

I waved at Nicky, and he waved his spoon back at me before returning his gaze to the TV.

Shane had joined Reno and Tucker at the table, and Esperanza was stirring something on the stove.

“Good morning.” They all greeted me, and Reno actually gave me a nod. I passed the table and went into the kitchen. “Esperanza, do you need help with anything?” I’d only occasionally had access to a decent kitchen, but I could do prep work like nobody’s business.

“No, thank you, mijo. I’m making some hot chocolate for Nicky. If you want coffee, the mugs are in the cabinet above the coffee maker. Your breakfast is in the oven.”

I leaned over her shoulder. The rich chocolate and cinnamon smell was intoxicating. I found a mug and filled it halfway with coffee, then I took it over to the stove. “Is there enough to spare for me?” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes, and she laughed and knocked her shoulder into my arm.

“You are trouble, aren’t you?” She lifted the pot and carefully poured some of the hot chocolate into my mug.

“Mmmm. Thank you.” I bent down and kissed her cheek.

What the hell? I froze for half a second, but I managed to straighten up and take my mug to the table.

The last person I’d kissed, even on the cheek like I’d just done to Esperanza, had been Davi, multiple decades ago.

But this kiss had been unconscious, like my magic already recognized Esperanza as family.

Reno watched me with an unreadable expression as I set my mug down at the empty seat next to Tucker. I couldn’t feel anything through our connection. Had he already learned how to block it?

I went back and got my plate out of the oven.

After complimenting and thanking Esperanza, I sat down and focused on eating.

I’d need to figure out how to obtain more blood, because I’d have to consume my last bag before nightfall.

After a few minutes, Jackson came over, yawning and swishing their tail, and hopped onto the chair on my other side.

I gave them a piece of my toast, and they purred.

Tucker pushed his empty plate away. “I was tellin’ Reno and Shane that I spoke to Dominic this mornin’. The Hunters he sent after the runaway vamps couldn’t find the trail.”

I sipped my coffee and nodded. “I didn’t expect them to. Marcas and Roibeart would’ve stayed in mist form as long as they could.” I glanced over to the living room to make sure Nicky was occupied with the TV. “Which means they burned a lot of energy. They’ll have to feed as soon as possible.”

Reno pulled out his phone and set it on the table. “How far could they get in mist form before they had to rest?” His phone vibrated with a text, but he swiped it away, pulling up a map app instead.

“Maybe twenty miles on the outside.”

His head shot up, and his whole body went tense. He kept his voice low. “That’s not far enough for them to have followed us here, but could they have waited around and seen our cars?”

I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Even if they did, they’ve never had much in the way of computer skills. They wouldn’t know how to hack into the state’s database to find your address from your license plate.”

He relaxed. “Okay, good.”

Esperanza came out of the kitchen. “I’ve got my bridge club luncheon today, but let me know if you need help this evening.

There’s more soup in the refrigerator, and I also left a container of beans and some tortillas for Nicky to try.

” She kissed Reno’s cheek, then Tucker’s, then mine.

I managed to refrain from putting my hand over the spot, but I wanted to.

She patted Jackson on the head and waved at Shane, stopping on her way to the front door to reach over the back of the couch to hug Nicky.

Reno watched her fondly as she left before turning to me. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but I looked through those papers we found at the house. They’re in my office if you want to see them.” He made a face. “The laptops are password-protected, but hopefully you can get around that.”

“I can try.” I raised my eyebrows. “Did you find anything interesting in the papers?”

“I found a bank account. Since the early 2000s they’ve been using an account in the name of Monique Grafton. I’m guessing she was one of their victims back then.” He darted a glance toward the living room. “I don’t really want to ask Nicky about her though.”

I grimaced. “I’ll do some research. It probably won’t make any difference whether or not he remembers her.”

“Agreed. I also found a sort of ledger of jobs and who brought in what money. They did a combination of day labor and fencing stolen items. And they were squatting in the house. The owner went into a nursing home, and the property was being foreclosed on. That shit takes years, and even in Texas squatters have some rights. Even if one of the neighbors had reported them, they weren’t in any danger of being forced to move any time soon. ”

Tucker groaned. He elbowed Reno. “Remember those people we had to roust out of that house near the bayfront that one time?” He looked at me.

“This was back when we were patrol officers. This crew of four people had moved into this empty house and packed it with boxes and shit. When we finally got the approval to remove them from the premises, Reno and I had to chase them through this maze of crap. It was fucking frustrating.”

I frowned. I didn’t know what Reno did for a living. I knew he was the acting District Monitor, but in Texas it was an unpaid position. I turned to him. “Are you still a police officer as well?”

He shook his head and sighed. His phone buzzed with another text message, and he turned it over. “No. Tucker and I had both made detective. We were partners. I fucking loved that job.”

Tucker reached over and put his hand on Reno’s back. “You’re still doin’ some good out there, Magnum, P.I.”

I cocked my head. “You’re a private investigator now?”

He nodded, frowning down at his phone, which vibrated again.

“My cousin Daniel, Tia’s son? He was the District Monitor here.

He passed away two years ago from a heart condition.

And other than the DMs who already have Districts,”—He pointed at Shane—“there aren’t any magic carriers with District Monitor-type skills in Texas that we’re aware of.

But somebody had to step up and help the Wonders.

” He turned his phone over and tapped it, not looking up at us.

“The demands aren’t compatible with shift work, so I couldn’t remain a cop. ”

My heart hurt for him. I still couldn’t feel anything through our connection, but his entire posture seemed defeated and depressed.

He shrugged. “I don’t love the PI work, but it’s flexible, and usually it’s interesting.

But the Wonders need a real DM.” He glanced toward Nicky and lowered his voice again.

“I keep thinking there’s a Wonder somewhere who’s scared because they’re facing down two vampires, but I won’t know because I can’t feel anything even if I’m connected to them. ”

Shit. I wanted to help my mate. But how?

“Reno.” Shane reached out and put his hand on Reno’s wrist. “You can’t think like that.

You can only do what you can to the best of your abilities.

The Wonders in this District are better off having you than they would be without you, and you know it.

” I fought down the urge to bare my fangs at Shane for touching my mate.

Reno ran his other hand over his face. “I know. It’s just, I never wanted to be DM.

I mean, I never thought it was possible for me to be DM, so I never even considered it.

But having to act like a DM and not having the innate ability to be good at it?

It’s fucking with my head every single day.

” He pushed his chair back and stood. “I’ve been up for hours.

I’m going to go take a nap and hope I have a vision about where the vampires are.

Not that I can call a vision, but maybe if we all cross our fingers it’ll happen.

I love being a shitty Seer, exactly like I’m a shitty DM.

” He walked swiftly out of the room, heading for the stairs.

I half-stood, wanting to follow him, but Tucker shook his head. “Let him breathe a bit. He’s under a lot of stress, and he’ll feel better after a nap, whether or not he has a vision.”

Reno’s phone vibrated again. He’d left it behind. “Should we check that?”

“Nah.” Tucker grimaced at the phone. “The Wonders’ll call if it’s an emergency. He’s got them trained that much at least.” He shook his head. “ By the way, the vampire’s van was stolen in Missouri two years back. The plates are stolen too, but from up near Lubbock a few months ago.”

“So nothing to help us there.”

“No. Unless you find somethin’ on the laptops, we’re kind of at a dead end.”

Beside me, Jackson morphed into their human form.

Today they’d altered their cheekbones, and their hair was a little longer.

They still wore the jeans and black t-shirt they’d had on last night.

“Since we are not required to be anywhere at the moment, could someone help me learn to use this human form?”

“Uh, I’ve got the day off today, but what exactly would that entail?” Tucker’s tone was more than a little apprehensive.