“This is about summoning demons, isn’t it?” I said, and he nodded, too fresh-faced to look sage but trying for it anyway. I leaned against my car, amazed at how the brightest-looking people did the dumbest things. “Despite what you’ve heard, I don’t summon demons. They just show up to irritate the hell out of me. I don’t twist demon curses.” Anymore. “You couldn’t pay me enough to twist one for you. So whatever problem your friends have, you can take it somewhere else.”

“It’s not illegal to summon demons,” Tom said belligerently.

“No, but it’s stupid.” I reached for the door again, pulling when Tom stepped forward and put his hand on mine. I yanked out of his reach, ticked. Damn it, he was a demon practitioner.

“Rachel Morgan, wait. I can’t tell them you didn’t even listen.”

I wasn’t going to hit him again, but a yelling redhead could usually drive the most persistent person away. I took a breath, then hesitated. This wasn’t about the focus, was it?

Exhaling, I eyed him. My gaze fell to Jenks, my hand starting to ache from holding that same stiff position, then back to Tom. “Are you the ones killing the Weres?” I asked flat out.

Tom’s mouth dropped open in a surprise so genuine I had to believe it was real. “We thought you were,” he said, and I didn’t know which was more disturbing, that they thought I was capable of murder or that they thought I was capable of murder and wanted me to join them.

“Me?” I said, shifting my weight to my other foot. “What for? I’ve never killed anyone in my life!” Let a demon take them instead of me but never killed them. Ah, except for Peter. But he wanted to die. Feeling guilty, I searched the horizon.

The tips of Tom’s ears went red in embarrassment. “The inner circle has extended an invitation,” he said, struggling to regain my attention. “They request that you join them.”

I’ll just bet. “Excuse me,” I said angrily. “Get your hand off my car.”

Tom removed his hand, and I tugged the handle up. He backed up when I got in and settled into the sun-warmed leather seats. This was great. Just freaking great. A wacko fringe organization wanted me as a new recruit. Slamming the door shut, I held Jenks in my cupped palm and dug the box of tissues out of the console. I set it on my lap and carefully laid him in it. Seeing him there motionless, a feeling of panic slid through me and was gone. If he wasn’t okay, Matalina would be devastated, and I would be really pissed.