Banshee Hunt (32 page)

“Yes Sir.” Yasmin suddenly looped an arm through James' and started escorting him along the hallway back to the stairs.

“Ahh?” It did seem a rather familiar gesture out in the open.

“What.” She turned and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You really think there's anything in the office the boss doesn't know about?”

“Now, let's talk about shoes. And in particular about high heels and soft grass. They don't go together as you may have noticed. Which is why I would very much appreciate it if you would stop arranging all these meetings in grassy areas!”

“Ahh?” James wasn't sure if he should even bother protesting. He already knew he wasn't going to win. But he did know as they hit the stairs that he didn't care. The hunt was over. The banshee was in custody. And really, everything seemed to be going well. Strangely though when his boss was busy showering his ex with magically summoned wild-flowers and stuffed toys, but well. And really, he was too tired to care. With the adrenaline wearing off he just didn't have a lot of strength left.

It had been a very long day.

Chapter Twenty Three

Dawn was well and truly broken by the time they made it to Yasmin's apartment. And James was near to breaking as well. He wasn't completely sure why they were there, but he was at the stage where he was simply too tired to care. All he wanted to do was sleep. He didn't care where. He'd slept a little in the car on the ride back, but kept waking every time the car hit a bump or turned a corner. And quite frankly even if his own apartment was still a crime scene full of technicians and surrounded by reporters, he wouldn't have cared. He would have simply slept where he fell and they could have worked around him.

“Grief you're a mess!” Yasmin suddenly started patting him down, brushing off the worst of the dirt from his clothes, and then running her fingers through his hair. “Maybe that's your magic. You're a dirt magnet!”

“And maybe.” James suddenly felt frisky. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and kissed her. “I'm just a magnet for you.” Yasmin didn't exactly seem to be disagreeing he noticed.

“Really? Out here? On the landing? Where the neighbours can see? What would they think?!” She pretended to be upset, though she still made sure to kiss him back. She was enjoying herself.

“That I'm a very lucky man.”

“You are indeed. Especially for the next four days.”

“Four days?”

“Time of the month. And since you can't possibly get me with child twice or unchild me, you can screw my brains out until then!”

James wasn't sure about the logic of that, but he liked the sentiment. Especially when she was wrapping herself right around him. Unfortunately she stopped too soon and he didn't like that so much.

“First though you have my house guest to meet. So best behaviour please.”

“House guest?” James hadn't known she had someone staying with her. Maybe that was who she'd been texting as they'd driven back. But as she pushed the key in the lock and turned it he guessed he was going to find out. Then the door swung open and he forgot about everything as he discovered his daughter standing there in front of him.

“Daddy?”

James stepped in and grabbed her up in his arms, lifting her right off the ground in his happiness. She was too big for it really and he was hurting all over, but he simply couldn't help himself. He couldn't stop himself kissing her either. Or the tears from leaking down his cheeks.

“She needed a safe place to stay after Daniels was exposed, and I volunteered.” Yasmin shut the door behind them. “But now that everything's been dealt with, I imagine she'll be going back to school soon. So you two had better make the most of your time together.”

“I'll get some breakfast on.” Yasmin left them then, heading for the kitchen and giving them the promised time together.

“Thank you.”

There were few moments in life that James had found were truly worth living for these past few years. But this one was. He'd been shot at, blown up, beaten up and attacked by an invisible wolf. He seemed to be cornering the world market in gauze bandages, surgical tape and pain killers. But just then he didn't care about any of that. Just these few precious seconds were worth all of that and a hell of a lot more.