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"Whatever you want," Vinnie said again "It’s yours"

I would have told Vinnie that ere square, but I knew his fatherly pride dictated that he find so to enjoy following in Fletcher’s pro bono footsteps, I was never one to turn down a favor

"I just ht hold you to that"

He returned my stare "I hope you do I really hope you do"

"Daddy?" Natasha said in a soft voice, interrupting us "Aren’t irl held out her hands for us to inspect Vinnie gave hter, and hugged her close once more

"They’re beautiful, honey Just beautiful," he whispered against her hair

And they were

Jo-Jo settled Natasha in the downstairs den with some chocolate chip cookies that I’d baked yesterday at the Pork Pit, a glass of milk, and some old Scooby Doo reruns on one of the cable networks Vinnie sat on the couch with his daughter, giggling right along with her at the slapstick antics on television

The rest of us-Jo-Jo, Finn, Owen, and I-retreated to the next room over, the kitchen, which was one of ular butcher’s block table surrounded by several tall stools took up most of the area, while appliances done in a variety of pastel shades ringed three of the walls Runelike clouds, Jo-Jo’s symbol, could be found everywhere in the room, from the place mats on the table to the dish towels piled next to the sink to the fresco that covered the ceiling

My eyes went to the cloud-shaped clock on the wall Just after one in the afternoon, more than twelve hours since I’d taken hts turned to all the tiht have happened while I’d been unconscious

"What about the Pork Pit?" I asked Jo-Jo

"Sophia’s covering for you," the dwarf replied, bustling around the kitchen, pulling plates, silverware, and more out of the drawers and cabinets

I nodded The Goth dwarf knew just asthe barbecue restaurant as I did I only hoped she wouldn’t have to work too hard today, prepping all the holiday orders, since I wasn’t there to help her

Jo-Jo reached for an ovensna drifted out to me, and I scooted off my stool

"Here," I said "Let ave me a hard stare with her clear, alht now, darling I can cook for you today I was doing it for years before you ca, Gin"

Properly chastised, I sank back ontowith a Caesar salad and soarlic breadsticks The others had already eaten Good thing, since I attacked the food with unrestrained gusto, going back for three helpings Then again, it had been the better part of day since I’d last had aaway In the den, Natasha had finished her cookies andwith his daughter Not surprising He’d been through just as trauht he’d lost her

"So lay it out forwas squared away "What happened last night? And what’s been going on while I’ve been out of it?"

Finn took a sip fro of chicory coffee that he’d set down on the counter By my count, that was the third cup he’d had since I’d woken up "After you ran back into the train yard, I told the kid to stay put and hung around for a fewyour back Which was considerably easier to do once you started that fire It lit up the whole depot like it was the Fourth of July I popped a couple of the giants and dwarves ere headed your way I looked for LaFleur and Mab, hoping to take theles on theirl and got the hell out of there"

I thought that the goons had been shooting atoff a fewto add even ot the kid back to ure out where you one, and I had no idea where At least not until Owen called ht Natasha over here Jo-Jo patched her up, and Vinnie hasn’t let his daughter out of his sight since then"

I looked at ed "You’re the one who did all the heavy lifting I just killed a couple of Mab’s irl over here"

I nodded

"As for the after in the last few hours"

"How so?" Owen asked

Finn stared at him "Well, for starters, that little fire that Gin started? It co any kind of nightclub there anytiasoline," I said "Surely, it didn’t do that asoline mixed with paint and all that other fla around the depot You started a four-alar, and Mab’s men freaked when they couldn’t contain it They had to call the fire department to come out and handle it Evidently you could see the flames and the smoke a mile away"

I frowned "Why didn’t Mab just take care of it herself? Fire’s her element Surely, she could have put out the flaed "Maybe, but apparently she was too busy screa back your head to care that her building was burning to the ground right in front of her Ruun"

Despite the fact that I’d alht, I couldn’t help but grin Maybe it was petty ofMab’s best-laid plans<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>