He looked at me.
"You don't risk anything for that book," I told him.
"If someone comes and threatens you--just give it to them." He raised a well-groomed eyebrow.
"Why don't you give it to them? Whoever `them' is." I sorted through a number of answers, but finally said, "That's just it.
I don't really know who `them' is or why they want that book.
Or really if they want the book." Probably I was overreacting to the whole thing, and Phin would call me in a couple of days and ask for his book back.
Probably the bounty-hunter incident was just what everyone thought it was--a publicity-hungry producer.
And the armed fae was .
.
.
My imagination failed me.
But there could be an explanation that had nothing to do with me or the book.
I couldn't really see someone just killing me outright like that for the book.
Wouldn't they at least approach me first? Ask me for it? Tell me that if I didn't give it to them, they'd kill Phin? Unless they'd already killed Phin.
"You okay, Mercy?" Kyle asked.
"Fine.
I'm fine." WE WERE ON OUR WAY DOWN THE STAIRS BEFORE I finally gave in to curiosity.
"Okay.
Who's the Thomas the Tank Engine fan--you or Warren?" Kyle threw back his head and laughed.
"Maybe we should have hidden it in the bathroom of the Princess room.
Then you could have asked which one of us likes to sleep with a pink canopy over his head." The grin died down.
"I have guests, Mercy.
Mostly divorces are messy and hurtful for everyone involved.
All that hurt can explode on the wrong people.
Sometimes people need a place to be safe for a while--and if there's a pool and a hot tub in the backyard, so much the better." Kyle hid people in his home, children who needed to be safe.
Sam growled.
I reached down and rested my hand on his head, but Kyle didn't seem to recognize that Sam's reaction was a little extreme even from a wolf who loved children.
No one was being hurt here and now.
"Yes"--Kyle started down the stairs--"I agree, Samuel.
Those are the men I really love sticking it to in court." He paused.