Page 56 of Deadly Avarice
I fought my grin. “I’ll let her know.” Captain Cicely would be shocked and most likely mortified. She was well acquainted with Warlock Holland’s arrogance.
Holland grumbled something before he asked, “Have you received the list of names?”
“Boone got it earlier. FYI, he was contacted by someone pretty low in the warlock hierarchy. The council did as instructed, but in as shitty of a way as possible. The slight was clear.”
“Fools,” Holland hissed. “There will be consequences, Detective. I will make certain of that. However, those consequences will need to wait. Patience and planning arecurrently required. I am familiar with both. The Warlock Council are double the fools to believe there will be neither retribution nor consequences for their shortsightedness.”
My shiver wasn’t caused by the cold. The arctic tenor of Holland’s voice spoke of future pain and degradation. I had no doubt he’d make good on his promise. It might take time—decades or perhaps centuries—but he’d find a way to make the Warlock Council regret their actions.
Clearing my throat, I changed the subject and filled Holland in on the latest information regarding Boone’s most recent attack. Holland quietly listened. “I showed Boone the video, but he didn’t recognize the person.”
“You believe this Detective Cardoza is worthy of investigating my son’s attack?” Holland asked.
“I believe he’s a good detective. That said, I’m doing my own investigation.”
“I would expect nothing less. You will keep me apprised.” It wasn’t a request.
“Of course.”
“And I will do the same regarding the Warlock Council and Director Tenzen Huxley. Happy hunting, Detective.” Holland ended the call, leaving me chilled to the bone and staring at the brick façade of the police precinct. As I’d thought, speaking with Holland hadn’t improved my mood. If anything, the hollow pit in my belly doubled in size. I’d had worse days—yesterday being one—but today wasn’t anything to write home about.
The trip home was bittersweet. I was relieved to be headed back to Boone’s but felt mentally and emotionally wrung out. Enhancing the video of the person who’d most likelyattacked Boone hadn’t yielded anything new. Becks said she’d keep working on it, but I could tell by the cadence of her voice that she didn’t expect much. It was damn frustrating to get eyes on the person but still have no idea who they were. On top of that, I hadn’t made much headway into the Lucas Davies case. Davies had been a homeless vagrant. He’d left no electronic trail, no home, cell phone, or anywhere else to investigate. It was as if the seventeen-year-old had never existed. The mere thought created an ache in my chest. No life should ever be that transient or discardable.
As expected, Captain Cicely had been floored when I told her she had Warlock Holland’sreluctantgratitude. She also had mine. Captain Cicely had waved my thanks off but placed her hand over her heart when I’d told her about Holland’s. She told me she needed to go into her office and sit down before she fell down. I think she was only half joking.
The scent of Chinese wafted my way. I’d stopped to pick up takeout, and it was currently parked in the passenger’s side seat. I turned on the seat warmer in an effort to keep it piping hot. Boone and I rarely had Chinese, but he said chicken fried rice sounded good to him and I was always down for half a dozen or more egg rolls. It wasn’t exactly comfort food, but it smelled damn good.
I pulled into Boone’s drive. Warm lights lit up the inside, welcoming me home. As I got out of my vehicle, I noticed woven swags hanging from the porch railing. Branches of holly, along with dried orange and lemon wedges, were braided into the greenery. A larger branch of holly mixed with evergreen berries hung from the front door. The smell was amazing.
I’d no more placed my hand on the doorknob when Boone opened it, a large grin dancing across his face. “Welcome home,” Boone practically sang as he stepped aside, holding the door open and allowing me inside.
The scent of evergreen was even more heady when I entered the living room. Similar decorations were interspersed inside the house while in the corner by the fireplace stood a medium-sized fir. Green and white lights decorated the tree. Cinnamon sticks, orange and lemon slices, and a myriad of berries were tucked within its branches.
“What is all this?” I asked as I set the Chinese takeout on the couch. Slipping off my coat, Boone grabbed it and hung it up.
“Happy Solstice Day! Well, not yet, but soon. What do you think?” He moved farther into the room. Boone held out his hands. He didn’t exactly spin, but it was close. A low banked fire crackled and popped behind him, lighting up his figure from behind.
I was damn near speechless. “What do I think?” I couldn’t decide where to look. The place appeared magical, especially after the day I’d had. “I think I’ve been transported inside the land of Fairy.”
Boone laughed. “Yeah, no. Although, to be fair, I have no idea what Fairy looks like.”
“Not many do.” I walked toward the tree and noticed that it was raised off the ground. I pointed down and asked, “Potted?”
Boone nodded. “I know that’s not common for Christmas celebrations, but those that pray to Gaia don’t believe killing a tree is the way to offer her thanks.” Scratching the back of his head, Boone’s cheeks heated pink. “I grew up with Momma. She’s Christian and celebrates Christmas, but I pray to Gaia, just like Pops. I’m afraid my traditions are an odd mashup of both.” Boone waved a hand at the tree. “Momma would get a live tree, and we’d decorate it with lights and ornaments. Now that I’m on my own, I don’t do the ornaments, but I decorate it with other offerings to Gaia.”
“It’s beautiful.” I ran my fingers along the soft edges of the fir tree. Somehow, Boone and I hadn’t gotten around to discussinghis holiday traditions. The way things were going, I was having a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit and hadn’t taken the time to give it much thought.
“After Solstice, or in our case, Christmas, we’ll take the tree and plant it. There are parks around the area that offer plots of land. We can also take it into a local wood. I’m afraid I don’t have room on my property for it.” Boone sounded apologetic at the last.
“That sounds perfect.” Grabbing him, I pulled Boone close before tipping his head back and kissing him. I would never get tired of touching those lips, of feeling them move against me. Some days I thought Erasmus Boone had been created just for me. While thatprobablywasn’t true, I liked to think it was.
Careful of his injuries, I pulled back before I wanted, easing our foreheads together. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I usually don’t decorate until a week or so before Solstice, but after seeing you earlier today, I thought we could both use a mental boost.”
God, could I love this man anymore?“It’s wonderful. But you shouldn’t have pushed yourself. You’re healing and—”
“Pfft.” Boone smacked my chest. “I feel a ton better, and Loretta’s magic is fantastic. Her coven could charge a lot of money for those potions. Honestly, I have no idea why Loretta is in law enforcement. She wouldn’t need the money if she sold these.”
