"Tess Callahan-Shepherd," I snapped back, not realizing until I heard myself speak that I'd decided on the name issue.
"Shepherd? Shemarriedthe guy?" The Not-Gus guy suddenly went even paler, if possible.
"Whatever. He ain't here. Listen, girly. Our boss wants to talk to you. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."
I groaned. "No, you did not actually say that out loud. Am I going to sleep with the fishes?"
Gus narrowed his eyes, but the short guy just looked confused.
"What fishes?"
The door to Jack's office swung open, and my dangerous husband, flat-eyed and lethal, strode into the shop. "I'd like to hear about this hard way/easy way choice, myself," he said, his voice pure ice.
The short guy backed up, raising his hands as if he were surrendering. "Hey. Hey, man. We've got no beef with you. Our boss just wants a word with your missus. Tell 'em, Gus."
Gus spared a disgusted glance for his partner but then returned all of his attention to Jack. "Never mind the choices. We're just extending an invitation for a friendly visit to New York. For your … wife."
"I don't have time to go to New York," I told him, no longer even pretending to be cheerful. "Why don't you tell your boss to call me? Or, better yet, send me an email through the website."
"I'll tell him that," Gus said. "We'll be on our way."
"Who exactly is your boss?" Jack asked, moving to block their path to the door. "Someone I know?"
"He doesn't know you," the short guy offered eagerly. "This isn't about you at all."
"We'll be leaving now," the tall one said. "We don't want trouble."
"Too late," Jack told him. "What is your boss's name?"
"Jack," I called out. "Let them go."
He stared at them for several long seconds, but then he swung out of the way and gestured toward the door.
The short guy ran out without looking back, but Gus paused in the doorway. "Tell Carlos Gonzalez that Mikhail is moving into this territory. Might be time for him to take a permanent vacation. For his health."
Then he took off after his companion. I caught Jack at the door before he could follow them. "Please. Let it go. We've got enough going on now. Let's give Susan their license plate number and a description, plus the camera footage. When Carlos gets back tomorrow, we'll fill him in."
"He's coming back tomorrow?"
I nodded. "He emailed me."
Jack put his hands on my waist and pulled me close. "A lesser man might feel insecure or threatened when an elegant, fashion-plate vampire keeps in such close touch with his wife."
"Jack!"
He kissed me. "But not me, Tess Callahan-Shepherd."
"Let's call Susan."
The sheriff wasn't thrilled with this new development. On the bright side, though, she asked me to hold a fireworks ferret for her.
"Granny heard about them and wants one," she said resignedly. "I am going to blame you when she moves into the assisted-living home, and I have to shovel through seven tons of kitsch."
I laughed. "You can only blame me for six tons of it, at most. And I'll give you the law-enforcement discount on the ferret."
"You have a law-enforcement discount?"
"I do now."
