Gunmetal Magic: A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels

about it,” I said. “I think he has the roof heavily warded and there are a lot of surveillance cameras. He did leave a very nice route open for me, with cameras not covering it even, so I’m pretty sure it’s trapped six ways to Sunday. I’d probably go through the basement instead. But again, since he isn’t in the office much, there’s not much point.”
    Raphael stared at me. I wished he would stop doing that. Every time he turned to me, my heart kept trying to pirouette out of my chest in a futile attempt to flop itself at his feet. Meanwhile my hands wanted to wrap around his throat and strangle him. It was good that my brain was in charge.
    “Who are you and what have you done with Andrea?”
    “I’m the new and more-screwed-up version. Or much improved, depending on the way one looks at it.”
    He stared straight ahead. “I thought being screwed up was something we had in common.”
    “No, I was always the fucked-up one. You were the spoiled one.”
    The line of Raphael’s jaw hardened. “I’ve worked since I was sixteen, six days a week. I’ve built my company from nothing with ten thousand dollars of seed money I borrowed from the Pack, just like everyone else, and I’ve paid back fivetimes that. I am supporting the entire Clan Bouda now. Nobody gave me any special treatment. How exactly am I spoiled?”
    I blinked at him. “Seriously?”
    “Yes. Please, enlighten me.”
    “You remember last year you wanted to take that vacation in the Keys for a week?”
    He glanced at me. “You’re going to hold our vacation against me? You loved it.”
    I did. It was just me and him and the ocean. “Do you remember that bouda family wanted to join the clan about the same time? The De La Torre family?”
    An individual shapeshifter joining the Pack was a relatively simple affair. He presented himself to the alphas of his clan, and if they said yes, they would then in turn sponsor the shapeshifter before the Pack. With families and small packs, the process became complicated. Multiple background checks and individual interviews later, a special date had to be set, and alphas or betas of other clans had to be present.
    Raphael shrugged. “What about the De La Torres?”
    “Aunt B had the date set and you had to be there to sponsor them with her.”
    “Yes.”
    “And you told your mother that she was welcome to do whatever she wanted but you were going on your vacation.”
    “I’d worked seven-day weeks for two months nonstop.”
    I bared my teeth at him. “Are you going to let me make my point or do I have to bite you to keep you from interrupting?”
    “If you bite me, I’ll bite back. And I grow bigger teeth.”
    Oh, it’s like that, then.
“But I’m much more motivated.”
    He snarled. I snarled back and snapped my human teeth at him. A little crazy light sparked in Raphael’s eyes, but I couldn’t figure out what it meant. I used to be able to read him better. I used to know exactly what he was thinking—it registered on his face and if it didn’t, he would tell me. He was more closed in now, self-contained and hidden. There was a steely resolve there, and a hint of danger under the surface. Raphael had become unpredictable. It was exciting. Exciting was so not the emotion I was looking for.
    “What, nothing to say?” he asked.
    “I’m waiting to see if you’re going to do something or just flash your pretty teeth.”
    “Don’t tempt me.”
    I gave a mocking sigh. “Oh, I would. But then I would have to bring your battered body to your fiancée and I hate hysterics. Or did you mean the other sort of tempting?”
    Raphael laughed. It was a wild laugh that promised all sorts of evil things. Fun evil things.
    Something loomed in front of us.
    “Bus!” I barked.
    He looked at the windshield and swerved, avoiding an overturned bus by a couple of inches.
    Tiny needles of adrenaline prickled my skin. I shuddered, trying to shake them off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Spots ghosted just under my skin, making faint stains on my arms.
    “What was the point of bringing up the vacation?” Raphael asked.
    “Your mother rescheduled everything. She traded a favor to Curran for a special dispensation so the family could stay for another week in the Pack’s territory. She convinced Valencia to bump her ballet recital—forty students had to change their schedule to match the new date. B schemed and shuffled things around. It didn’t matter how many people were