Charlie Asher climbed out of Audrey’s Honda and stood by the door. “You guys are ready already?” He wore a leather jacket and was carrying a black cane with a silver handle, but otherwise he looked like Mike Sullivan out to buy a paper.
“How’s the old lady?” asked Rivera.
“She’s stable. Heart attack. Her son is there.”
“But alive,” said Rivera. He looked at Minty Fresh.
“That’s good,” said Minty, meaning more than it was good that she was alive, it was good that Lemon had attacked her and she’d managed to survive it. It meant Lemon was vulnerable.
“Where’s the Emperor?” Charlie asked.
“Jail,” said Rivera.
“Really?”
“Just until this is over. Actually I had them lock him in a cage at the animal shelter so his men could stay with him. They owed me a favor.”
Charlie joined them at the back of the Ford. “My motocross leathers got all cut up when I—when Mike jumped off the bridge, so I only have this jacket. Should be okay, right?”
“Yeah, you ain’t going to need them,” said Minty Fresh.
“Go home to your daughter, Charlie,” Rivera said.
“What are you talking about? This is my battle. I’m not a afraid of them. I’ve done this before.”
“We know,” said Rivera. “That’s not even the issue. You have to go back to Audrey and your daughter and your sister because you have them to go back to.”
“We don’t,” said Minty Fresh.
“I have guns now. Look at these bad boys,” Charlie said, flexing his biceps. “I didn’t have these before.”
“Have you ever been to the animal shelter, Charlie?” Rivera said. “I could show you around.”
“Go home, Charlie,” said Minty Fresh. “I didn’t go to all that trouble to bring you back to life so you could get killed again. If something happen to me, you look out for Lily, you hear?”
“You know I will.” Charlie slumped, knowing he was defeated. They had decided this long before now. If he hadn’t shown up early, it would all be over by now. And they had a point. He had charged into battle against the Morrigan once before, and Sophie had lost her daddy for a year. He couldn’t do that to her again.
“Well, at least take this with you.” Charlie held out the cane. “It’s my sword cane.”
“We look like we need more weapons?”
“It was my soul vessel—where my soul went before Audrey put it into that little body. It might be good luck or something.”
“Didn’t you have this with you when you got killed?” the Mint One asked.
“Kind of.”
Minty took the cane from him and tucked it into his belt. “Thank you.”
“Give a brother a pound?” Charlie held out his fist to receive a pound. The Mint One left him hanging.
“Don’t do that,” said Minty.
“Sorry.” Charlie turned to Rivera, started to go in for a hug, which Rivera intercepted and turned into a handshake. “Something happens, you can have my suits,” he said.
“Nothing’s going to happen,” said Charlie.
Rivera smiled. “If you’re going to stay out here, tell anyone who comes up that we’re animal control and they should move along because of the chemicals.”