Blood Charged (Dragon Blood, Book 3) by Lindsay Buroker

people?
    Apparently he’s quite well known for it.
    Lovely.
    “I gather you haven’t spoken to her in years,” Ridge said, after they had glared at each other for a while. “She might appreciate it if you stopped by to check on her.” As if the man’s icy stare mattered nothing to him, Ridge offered a wry smirk. “Let her introduce you to her pirate. Maybe they’ll take you out to dinner. Wait, that might not be a good idea. I hear he has a number of strange potions he can slip into a man’s food.”
    Ahnsung stood there seething for a long moment, but he finally lowered his finger. “You like to walk the cliff’s edge, don’t you?”
    “Just living up to the name Dad stuck me with.”
    Ahnsung snorted softly.
    “We’re leaving in the morning,” Ridge said. “She’ll be packing tonight. Plenty of time for you to stop by, say a few words. Give her some fatherly advice on staying alive in enemy territory.”
    Ahnsung clasped his hands behind his back. He’d recovered his equanimity and didn’t react to Ridge’s words, other than to look past him again, considering Sardelle and the mess around her.
    “Your home is in disarray,” he said.
    “It must be those keen observational skills that make you such a fine sniper.”
    Ahnsung reached under the flap of his jacket. Ridge tensed again, and Sardelle felt the surge of concern go through him as he wondered if he had pushed the man too far. But Ahnsung merely withdrew a business card and extended it.
    “Er?” Ridge frowned at it without taking it.
    “In case you are in need of my services.” Ahnsung laid the card on the side of an upended bookcase near the door, then walked away without another word.
    Sardelle waited for Ridge to close the door before saying, “Did that man just offer to kill your home intruders for you?”
    “I believe so.” Ridge pushed a hand through his hair, leaving it in a state of disarray that matched the room’s, albeit the hair was attractive like that, the room less so. “For the right price. I don’t know what he thinks officers make these days, but I doubt I could afford him.”
    Sardelle stepped past a potted plant, the dirt spilled onto the carpet, and slipped her arms around Ridge’s waist to give him a hug.
    He returned it without hesitation, resting his cheek against her hair. “What’s this for?”
    “All the craziness I’ve brought into your life.”
    Ridge chuckled softly into her hair. “I’m not above accepting affections given out of guilt, but I should inform you that my life was hectic before I met you too. In fact, certain colleagues have suggested that my unique personality and unconventional approach to life attracts interesting people and unorthodox situations. So if you’re some kind of repository of craziness, it was probably inevitable that you found me.”
    “Were these colleagues who respected you or were they trying to point out a character flaw?” Sardelle appreciated his attempts to make her feel better—and let him know with a touch to the cheek and a fond smile—even if she couldn’t shirk her guilt that easily.
    “I believe so, yes.” Ridge sighed and released her with reluctance. “I need to get up to the hangar. General Ort’s already going to be wondering about my diversion. I need to pick the rest of the team, not to mention visiting Lieutenant Ahn’s pirate.”
    It amused Sardelle that Tolemek was still Ahn’s pirate to him, even when the four of them had spent several days together out at his cabin and she had started teaching Tolemek to recognize his talent and apply it to more than the creation of potions. Of course, Ridge had done his best to pretend nothing of a magical nature was going on by wandering out to fish, never mind that he had to break a hole in the ice and sit on a snowy stump in freezing weather to pursue the hobby.
    “I have to convince him to come along,” Ridge added.
    “Tell him you’ll fly past his sister’s sanitarium.”
    “That did occur