“I doubt it’s necessary with all of us in the house. Let’s sleep armed. We’ll activate the security system and let Pauline know it’s on so she won’t set it off when she comes back. We’ll sleep light enough and no self-respecting shifter is going to run around as a leopard in broad daylight out in the open. There are too many of us for the killer to show up.”

Joshua nodded. “Thanks, boss. For some reason, I can’t keep my eyes open. I must be getting old and can’t hang with the young crowd anymore.”

Drake laughed and pointed at Jeremiah, the youngest of all of them. He was desperately trying to cover a huge yawn. Joshua clapped the kid on the back and his team went upstairs to their rooms, leaving him alone with Pauline and Saria.

Pauline took Saria’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead. “I hope Iris didn’t hurt you with her snide comments.”

“No. I always hope she won’t come at me that way, but then I see what she does to Charisse and I know she does it because I’m friends with Charisse. Charisse is an amazing woman, Miss Pauline, and her mother doesn’t even see it. I went with her once to the hospital. She visited the children’s ward and she brought them all kinds of things and spent hours talking to the kids on the cancer floor. They all knew her by name. She goes there often. Her mother found out because we were late getting back and she was furious with Charisse and told her she’d better not bring some horrible disease home.”

“Iris has a terrible fear of illness,” Pauline said. “She always has.” Pauline patted Saria’s hand. “Get some sleep, cher, I’ll be back this evening.”

Saria blew her a kiss and sank down into a chair at the table. She was too tired to eat, but Drake was eating, so she drank a cup of coffee, hoping it would keep her awake long enough to get up the stairs to bed.

In the end, Drake carried her up the stairs and tucked blankets around her. The coffee definitely hadn’t worked—she nearly fell asleep sitting at the table. The moment her head hit the pillow she was asleep, barely aware of Drake’s body pressed tightly up against hers.