I could ignore him as long as he didn’t talk.
“Ethan doesn’t like this kind of stuff, and neither does Pierette,” I said. “I think they’d rather not be here for details.”
“I’m your bodyguard. I’ll do my job,” Ethan said.
“As will I,” Pierette said.
“Fine, but I’m not sure I can be in the room with this many people and have this discussion,” I said.
Nicky said, “How about if I give a list, and I stop when you tell me to?”
“I’d rather not have anyone here I’m not sleeping with.”
“I’ve given my word of honor that I will not harm anyone unless you harm me first,” Olaf said.
“That’s his way of saying that Milligan and Custer can wait outside the door or in the other room,” Edward said.
“I know what he means,” I said, and my words sounded cranky even to me.
“She likes breath play,” Nicky said.
“That does not interest me,” Olaf said.
“And we have to clear the room before we do any more on the list,” I said.
I don’t know what we would have done next, because my phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but I was hoping it was someone who would get me out of this conversation.
“Blake, this is Livingston.”
“Hi. What’s up?” I asked.
“I need you to meet me at Sugar Creek ASAP.”
“Why is it an emergency to meet you at the restaurant?”
“Hazel just came from the hospital.”
“Newman told us that Carmichael didn’t make it. I’m sorry his girlfriend is having to deal with it.”
“Yes, she came back here to talk to Pamela. I think you need to hear what she has to say.”
“Did she talk to Newman at the hospital?”
“Hazel doesn’t trust anyone local.”
“You’re local.”
“She trusts me because of Pamela. You need to hear what she has to say, Blake.”
“Care to give me a preview?” I asked.
“Just get over here, and don’t mention this call to the sheriff or any of his people. And don’t bring any of your deputies. It’s a regular murder case now, and I’m not sure what involving deputized Therianthropes will do to any evidence we find.”
“I’ve used them before on other cases.”
“Those were supernatural cases through and through. This one isn’t. Regular Marshals Service doesn’t have the ability to deputize anyone, so let’s not give a lawyer the chance to use preternatural deputies against us later.”
“I’ve never had a case go from preternatural to ordinary murder, so I can’t tell you that it won’t negatively impact the case later.”
“Then you agree to leave them out of the rest of the investigation?” he asked.
“I guess so.”
“Then you, Forrester, and Jeffries are the only people I want to see from your branch of service.”
“All right.”
“Good. Now get down here ASAP.” He hung up.
Olaf stood up. “I heard. We need to meet him at the restaurant.”
I filled Edward in since he didn’t have super hearing.
“I can’t tell Livingston he’s wrong about the extra manpower being a problem later in court,” he said.
“Neither can I.”
“We’re your bodyguards,” Nicky said. “We’re not much use if we aren’t with you.”
“I gave my word,” Olaf said.
“His word really is good,” I said.
“It really is,” Edward said.
Nicky and the others didn’t like it much, but in the end, they agreed, so the three of us left them at the motel. They couldn’t even finish the discussion about edge play, because we took Olaf with us, and without him there was no reason to have the talk. Edward and I rode together so I didn’t even have to finish the talk with Olaf. Yay! I did have to ask Edward one question on the quick drive to the restaurant though.
“You know I’m never going to have sex for real with Olaf, right?”
“That was the original plan.”
“I do not like the way you just said that.”
“I’ve never seen him try this hard with anyone. I honestly thought he’d bail on the whole bondage conversation.”
“So did I.”
He glanced at me. “Olaf is being so damn reasonable that we may run out of reasons to say no.”
“It’s not we that he wants to fuck. It’s me.”
“True.”
“True? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What do you want me to say, Anita?”
“One minute you tell me to kill Olaf or you will, and the next, you make it sound like you’d sign off on me having sex with him. What the hell, Edward?”
“I’m sorry, Anita, but the big guy just keeps surprising me. I thought I knew who Olaf was, what he was, and that there wasn’t enough human being left inside the monster to