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"There’s a Grim Reaper in town," Mikhael mentioned

"I think Ramona’s adopted him for the afternoon," Raina added Ruby lifted a brow

"Should we be worried?"

"No Mr Know-It-All here says that he’s not here for her That it’s all part of the natural order, blah, blah, blah"

"Sorry; this is Mr Know-It-All" Ruby tilted her head toward Derek "One’s got to be an i the Feirl code"

Raina save Derek credit for that He’d helped her friend heal from the loss of their baby and the terrible fallout from that, which had nearly taken Ruby from all of them That won him a lot of points in her book Not that she’d show it

"Ice crea pointedly at Mikhael

"If you’re going to do the ultraprotective, husband-of- where you threaten to kick his ass if he’s ht here and do that," Raina said "And I don’t need anyone’s protection"

"Actually I was going to warn hio to sleep in the same house with you Unless he chains you in the base her in the sa" Mikhael wiped his mouth with a napkin and rose "I’ll ith you, sorcerer"

He gave Raina a glance thatin chains and at Mikhael’s istered her reaction, damn it, but there was no help for it Mikhael’s specialty was dark souls, and hers just rolled out the red carpet for him Each ti closer to when he’d istered it as promise or threat--she looked forward to it

"YOU HAVEN’T TOLD HER, HAVE YOU?" DEREK SAID, HIS jaw tight They’d moved a block down the street, turned into an alley between a café and a wine shop There was an iron gate to protect the cottage garden there, but it was open, allowing them to step out of the flow of foot traffic onto a pattern of concrete stepping stones

"Told her what?"

"What you’re feeling, what it ?"

"We saw you across the street before we ca, the peanuts"

Mikhael blinked "My God I knew I should have concealedactivities"

Derek set his teeth "I swear, you’re just like her"

"In a few days, I’ll likely have to kill the wild incubus she’s protecting Possibly in front of her How do you think she’ll feel about el, Mikhael"

"Any other obvious statements you wish to make? Do you need to res and--"

Derek had hiainst the alley wall in a heartbeat, just as Mikhael expected He dodged the punch to the face but caught Derek’s fist in his own before it iers would be hard to explain They held that pose a charged blink in time; then Derek shoved away from him

"The hell with you But if you hurt her, if you hurt my wife’s best friend, I will dise of the alley, then swore, pivoted "Is it the Darkness that makes you like this? You always had it in you, but over the years…it’s becoht ere friends, once"

"You even the scales for the Light, Derek I do it for the Dark It oal, but it’s from different sides I work froht of the sun"