“No, sir,” Tetra muttered.

“You can lower your hands.” Officer Harris holstered his pistol. “What happened here?”

“Sir, this residence belongs to two clients for whom I’m providing security.” Val produced her license, expertly forged by trolls in the PMA. “I was clearing the house for them to enter when these two men attacked me. My associate and I subdued them.”

Officer Harris eyed the bullet holes in the house’s façade. “You didn’t have firearms?”

“They did.” Val nodded at the restrained men. “We didn’t need them, sir.” She smirked.

Officer Harris’ mustache twitched. “Clearly.” He nodded at the men. “Let’s see who they are.”

Val grabbed a stocking cap in each hand and none too gently pulled them off. Officer Harris gasped and stepped back.

“What?” Val asked. They looked like ordinary human dudes to her.

“Shut the front door.” Officer Harris shook his head. “You don’t know who these guys are?”

“I do,” Tetra chipped in.

Val gaped at her.

“What? I was stuck on the news channel for days. They’re wanted killers. Weren’t they involved in a drive-by shooting in Brownsville?” Tetra asked.

“Indeed they are, miss.” Officer Harris shook his head. “These two are enforcers for one of Brooklyn's most dangerous organized crime syndicates. We’ve been hunting them for months. They killed three kids in that drive-by last fall, not to mention several members of an opposing gang.”

“Assface,” Val growled at Taser. “I should’ve choked you longer.”

Taser sneered.

“You ladies have done the NYPD and the people of this city a service.” Officer Harris beamed. “I need to take your statements, though. Hang out by the cruiser while I wait for backup to get these guys cuffed and loaded.”

Val and Tetra crossed the front yard to a fresh wave of applause from the crowd.

“Why are they clapping?” Tetra whispered as they reached the cruiser.

Val leaned against the black and white vehicle, arms folded. “Because they’re grateful.”

A middle-aged man stepped out of the crowd and held out a hand to Tetra. She hesitated, then took it. He wrung it. “Thank you, miss,” he cried. “Thank you. My kids are in that house right across the street.” Tears filled his eyes. “If he’d gotten away... Just, thank you!”

The man let go of her hand and rushed across the street. Tetra stood frozen, her hand hovering in midair, staring after him.

Val grinned and clapped her on the shoulder. “Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”

Tetra stared at her, open-mouthed.

A familiar snarl echoed around the street, and Genevieve purred up to them to gasps of awe from the crowd. Val jogged to the door and pulled it open.

“Are you guys okay?” she demanded.

Yuka gagged into a paper bag.

“Motion sick.” Blair rubbed her back.

“Yeah, Gennie does that. That’s why we have puke bags in the back. You’re not hurt?” Val asked.

Blair shook his head. “Nope. You?”

“Tetra and I are fine, the house is fine, and the cops have both guys who tried to ambush you,” Val told him.

Blair’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you, Val.”

Yuka croaked, “Thank you for keeping us safe.”

She smiled. She hadn’t been exaggerating with what she’d asked Tetra.

It did feel pretty good.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cops swarmed the living room and hallway. Val sat in the kitchen and watched as they photographed the scene and talked in low voices.

“A formality,” Officer Harris had assured her.

Val sipped a glass of water. Tetra sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through her new phone.

A plainclothes officer approached Val, carrying a notebook. “We’re done for the night, Miss Stonehold. You’re free to move around the house as you choose. These guys were professionals. They disabled the alarm system and the cameras. They didn’t know Blair and Yuka had a hidden doorbell camera. It captured enough of the fight to confirm your story.”

She grinned. “As well as giving us everything we need to put these assholes away for a long time.”

“Good.” Val nodded.

“We’ll leave a patrol car out front for the night in case any other threats appear,” the officer added.

Val shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ll stay with Blair and Yuka. I think they’ll sleep better with me on guard.”

“I’m sure they will.” The cop chuckled. “I would.”

You didn’t see the part where I ripped the taser barbs out of my flesh, Val thought but smiled.

The police left in a hum of engines. Val checked the doors, using magic to fuse the locks shut, and listened at the bedroom door. Blair was snoring.

She returned to the kitchen and found Tetra raiding the fridge.

“What are you doing?” Val demanded.

“Eating.” Tetra discovered a pack of hot dogs and tore it open with her teeth.

“Tetra!” Val protested.