A Ghoulish Midlife (Witching After Forty #1) - Lia Davis Page 0,52

would be there.

Wallie settled down with Sammy on the couch. Alfred hovered by the stairs and I could tell he was concerned. There was nothing I could do to ease his mind.

“See you soon,” I said brightly.

At the last second, Wallie ran over, right before I shut the door. He pulled me into a big hug. “Love you, Mom. Be careful.”

I looked my boy deep in his eyes. “I will. I promise.”

Chapter Eighteen

The quiet morgue wasn’t any less creepy now that it was dark. It was a lot creepier. I shivered as we crept down the cinderblock-lined hallway and through the glass sliding doors of the morgue.

Drew was already inside. I stopped briefly to admire how handsome he looked in his uniform. You had to appreciate the tight pants and shirt that practically hugged his lean muscles. He suddenly lifted his gaze in my direction, and I jolted into motion while averting my eyes elsewhere. I was totally busted for checking him out.

Now that I knew he wasn’t out to kill me, I felt pretty guilt free and a little less crazy while ogling him. I couldn’t help it. The man was hot.

Drew didn’t take his eyes off me as he addressed everyone in the room. “If we’re doing this, and you guys here…” He looked at Olivia, then swung his gaze to Sam. “You let her come?”

Sam threw up his hands in exasperation. “I don’t control that woman. I’d like to see you try.”

I coughed in my hand to hide my laugh. No one was fooled though. Olivia and I exchanged a glance, then burst into nervous laughter. Like either of them could control a woman.

Drew rolled his admittedly handsome eyes and held out his hands. “All of you except Sam in the other room. Stay quiet. We’ll try to cuff her and take her quietly. Hopefully, we won’t need any of your magic.”

“That would be nice,” Owen said. “But I doubt it.” He leveled as stare on Drew. “Were you trained? As a hunter?”

Drew nodded, his features turning dark for a moment. “Yeah. I was trained.”

“Good. Sam wasn’t. And Sam is human. Hunters do have a little extra something in their blood that makes them stronger, healthier. Sam doesn’t. You’ll have to protect him.”

Sam bristled, but Owen shook his head. “I mean no offense. But you’re human and she’s not. We’re just in the next room, ready with binding spells. Remember the panic word.”

“Snooze,” Sam said. “We know.”

Owen turned and held the door open for Olivia and me. We stood just inside the room and listened. When Carmen arrived and the doors clanged, all three of us jumped, even Owen, who seemed nearly nonreactive.

“Carmen, thank you for coming in.” Drew’s voice filtered through the door strong and clear. “We just need you to provide a positive identification. Your brother was unable to do it.”

“Of course, it’s no problem,” she replied. The room was quiet for a moment. Then the sound of shuffling feet made my heart lurch into overdrive. I took a chance and peeked through the little window.

Drew had his gun out, pointed at Carmen. She had Sam in a grip in front of her with a knife to his neck. “Sleepy!” Drew yelled, then cursed. “Uh, Tired, Dozer!”

I burst through the door with my hands out, Owen and Olivia on my heels. “Good try. Snooze,” I hissed at Drew as we inched forward. “Carmen,” I said louder. “Let him go. He’s human.”

“This blade is cursed,” she said in a low, melodic voice. “One touch to his neck and he’s dead.”

My pulse quickened and my inside burned with fear for my best friend’s life. If only I could knock her out with my power without harming or killing Sam. But I wasn’t confident that I could.

She grinned, more like bared her teeth. “Now, all I want is your father, Ava. Give him to me and this will be over.”

“He’s dead, Carmen. He died a long time ago.” I tried to keep my voice soothing, but I heard the tremor in it. “I’m sorry. I wish he were alive, too, though for very different reasons than you.”

She snarled and pushed the blade of the knife to Sam’s throat. We all flinched, and Drew lunged forward, but froze again when nothing happened. “What the fuck?” Carmen yelled. “Why isn’t it working? It should kill anything magical with a touch, except necromancers. They require a little more zing.”

Sam sighed. “Thank goodness.” With a yell, he elbowed Carmen in the chest.

She