Val’s cheeks warmed. “I don’t complain. Well, maybe a little.”

Blair laughed. “I don’t blame you, but I’ll be pleased if you stay bored.”

“Don’t worry. I found other ways to keep myself entertained.” Val accepted another soda from the glowering Tetra.

Jess raised her eyebrows. “Like obsessing over a stray dog?”

“Not only that. I got into a scuffle at a nightclub at the edge of Bed-Stuy.” Val rubbed the back of her neck. “I might have ended up handcuffed in a cop car.”

Isabella snorted into her drink. “You got arrested?”

“No, no. Not in the end. The six guys whose asses I handed to them didn’t press charges.” Val grinned. “They started it.”

Laughter rippled through the group. Yuka shook her head. “It’s good to be reminded that our bodyguard is a badass.”

“The cop who cuffed me said something interesting.” Val turned her glass on the bar, ice rattling. “He mentioned a cage match, and I Googled it. It seems cool.”

“Cage fighting? It’s also known as MMA, or mixed martial arts.” Liam’s eyes gleamed. “It’s a full-contact sport using combat techniques from all over the world. Whatever works, basically.”

“That sounds amazing.” Val tilted her head. “Are there matches in New York City, do you think?”

“Plenty of them!” Liam enthused. “There are dozens of gyms in the city that offer MMA and plenty of amateur and professional matches.” He dug for his phone. “Let me show you a video of a great match held in Queens last week.”

“I didn’t know you were an MMA fan,” Val remarked.

Jess grinned. “It doesn’t fit his good-guy image.”

“I’d never fight in one,” Liam admitted, his cheeks reddening. “They’re epic to watch, though.” He held up his phone, showing Val a video of two human guys beating the shit out of each other. She could take either of them, but their technique impressed her.

“It’s a fascinating sport. Obviously, there are rules, but it feels like a real fight when you watch.”

“It does.” Val grinned. “I love it.”

Liam chuckled. “That cop was right. I’d put money on you in a cage match.”

Val shrugged. “I usually let off steam by beating up assholes in bars, but it’s not legal to do that. I could do this instead!” She pointed at the screen.

Isabella and Jess burst out laughing. Val stared at them. Their laughter slowly died.

“Wait.” Isabella lowered her drink. “You’re serious.”

“Are you insane?” Jess demanded.

“Why shouldn’t she?” Liam raised his chin. “What, you think she can’t fight those guys because she’s female?”

“That’s not what I said!” Isabella protested, but her cheeks glowed red.

“You think it’s a good idea, Lee?” Val asked.

Liam grinned. “I do. You’d kick ass. We all saw how you handled that weirdo at the acting school opening while you were guarding Nadia Stewart.”

Jess shook her head. “I don’t get it. Your day job involves fighting. Why would you want a hobby that involves more fighting?”

“Said the vet nurse who has more pets than her landlord needs to know about,” Isabella muttered into her drink.

“Shhh.” Jess shoved her lightly.

“It’s an opportunity to train and practice. That can’t be a bad thing.” Liam spread his hands. “You could boost your street cred that way. Better to have a reputation that prevents fights when you’re on protection detail.”

Val glanced at Blair and Yuka, who were absorbed in conversation with one another. “Good point.” She rubbed her chin. “What about the idiots who pick fights to challenge me, though? If I’m known as a fighter, I’ll bet the occasional wannabe will try to fight me simply to prove a point, and I can’t afford that distraction or danger to my clients.”

Liam sipped a mocktail, considering her words. “Tell them that challenges are accepted in the ring or they don’t count. Outside the ring, you don’t hold back when you're on duty. No rules.”

“Incapacitate them fast,” Val translated.

Liam nodded. “Exactly.” He pursed his lips. “The first idiot who ignores that statement gets put in hospital for a month.”

“How’s six weeks?” Val asked. “That’s how long it takes broken bones to heal.”

Liam chuckled. “That works, too.” He typed on his phone. “If you want to get started, I can easily find you a gym with a coach who can help you.”

Val bit her lip. “Yeah, I...don’t think a gym will work for me.”

Liam shrugged. “You can try to get in as an unaffiliated fighter. It’s harder to get started, but with your abilities, promoters will pick you up fast after they see you in one fight. You need to get a license with the Athletic Commission, that’s all.”

“I can do that.” Val grinned.

“I’ll help. I know a few people in the MMA world. Not important people,” Liam hastily added, “but they could point us in the right direction.”

“That would be really cool.” Val raised her glass. “I owe you another one, Lee.”

Liam clinked his glass against hers. “Not even close.”

Tetra sulked in the passenger seat as Genevieve rumbled between the elegant homes in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The faerie’s Iron Fist golf shirt bore stains and spatters, and her eyes were red-rimmed with exhaustion.

“You okay?” Val grunted.

“Ready to get home,” Tetra muttered.

“Thanks for dropping us off, Val,” Yuka slurred from the backseat.

Val smiled into the rearview mirror. “Of course.” She halted Genevieve in front of their house. Small lawns and flower gardens bordered the broad, quiet street. “You two can stay in the car while I clear the house.”

Used to the routine, Blair and Yuka didn’t protest. Val eyed Tetra and considered ordering her to stay in the Mustang too, but the faerie seemed tired and subdued.

She got out of Genevieve, drew her dagger, and held it by her hip as she unlocked the front door and swiftly stepped into the narrow foyer. Coats, hats, and a heart-lifting landscape of the Spine’s mountains greeted her. Val flicked on the light and moved silently into the kitchen. Old but well-maintained wooden cabinets surrounded a linoleum-covered floor, and Val quickly checked under the dwarf-height table. Nothing.