Page 88 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

“Not here,” Marcus spoke low. “This is Loriana’s party. I’m leaving.”

“I’ll see you out,” Zach offered.

“You are not brawling in front of my house,” Loriana spat. “I forgot, and that’s on me, but you’re going to act like mature adults. There’ll be no fighting here.”

“Why would there be fighting?”

Mitch was pretty sure his groan was audible.

The cop. The fucking cop was back. And apparently the guy just wandered into people’s homes without an invitation.

Should’ve seen that coming.

The tall, dark man was accompanied by a much-shorter woman with wary blue eyes and her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail.

Loriana set the trifle on the table and hurried over to Colton. “I didn’t hear you knock.”

“Well, we did. Several times.”

As if seeking confirmation, Loriana looked to the woman. “Nice to see you, Dorrie. Would you like some coffee?”

“This isn’t a social call.”

The fucking cop again. What was his name? Colton. Corporal Colton Pritchard.

Loriana pivoted to him. “Are you here to harass Mitch?”

“I didn’t harass him—”

“But you are here to see him.” She looked back and forth between the two cops.

Or at least Mitch assumed the other woman was a cop. Her entire demeanor screamed law enforcement.

“There’s been a break in the case we discussed the last time I was here. We need to speak to Mr. Alexander.”

“On Christmas Eve? You chose Christmas Eve? You couldn’t wait until, I don’t know, Boxing Day?”

Loriana’s glare might’ve cowed a lesser man.

Unfortunately, it had no effect on the cop.

“We’re just doing our job.”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t just come into someone’s house and interrogate their guests.”

Here, the pretty blonde woman looked a tad uncomfortable.

“We were concerned about your safety when no one answered the door.”

“Jesus, Colton, there are like ten cars in front of the house. You didn’t think maybe we were having a party? Are you mad because I didn’t invite you?”

“What break in the case?” As much as Mitch loved Loriana taking on the dumbass cop, if they could clarify things, he might be able to get the police officers on their way.

All the other men in the room were motionless. Even Zach and Marcus—who’d seemed ready to come to blows—had gone very still.

“Marjorie Dawes is dead.”

That statement really should only have had an impact on Mitch, but Loriana appeared to take a body blow. She staggered back a step.

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