Page 28 of Evil Eyed
“We’d like you to come down to the station for some additional questions, Ms. Newkirk,” Detective Beasley said.
:Like I said, that lake is a damned fine place for nosy cops,:Aidan growled.
Doran’s gargoyle wings flapped in my head.:I’ll crack their heads together like two rotten melons.:
Even Ivarr’s soft glowing light blazed like a piercing shard of jagged glass.
Out of all the things I thought we might face, I hadn’t put “get arrested for my ex-husband’s murder” on my Bingo card. I certainly didn’t want to leave this beautiful house and go on the run because the guys had disappeared a few cops.
I met Vivi’s gaze. “I think it’s time to call Boss Man.”
“Already on it, honey.” Phone to her ear, she stepped toward the other room. “Don’t say another word.”
17
I’d never met Boss Man. I didn’t even know his real name. All I knew were Vivi’s stories about all the cases he’d won. She’d always said he’d be the first person she’d call if she ever needed legal help, and though he didn’t practice family law, they’d gotten me set up with an excellent divorce attorney that I’d never have been able to afford on my own.
He paid Vivi extremely well, and she adored her job. If she said he was the best defense attorney in the state, then I believed her wholeheartedly. Especially when Detective Beasley’s phone rang a few minutes after Vivi called her boss.
He and the other detective stepped outside, though we kept the front door open. Glowering with his arms crossed over his chest, Aidan stood like a sentinel at the door.
After a minute or two, the detectives came back toward the door but didn’t enter the house again. Red faced, Beasley didn’t say anything and stood slightly behind the younger cop, letting him take control.
“Would it be convenient for you to come to the station at two this afternoon, Ms. Newkirk?”
I glanced at Vivi to be sure, since I hadn’t talked to Boss Man, and she gave me a subtle nod. “Yes.”
“Ma’am,” Detective Short nodded at me and then at Vivi, though he gave her a big, winning smile. “Ma’am. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
She was too busy flipping through the folder to acknowledge him.
Aidan slammed the door shut in the man’s face. “Why the hell did you agree to meet them again?”
“Because we have enough to worry about with dark fae attacking at any moment. We don’t need to worry about pissing off the police too.” I stepped closer to Vivi to see what she was reading. “How bad is it?”
“It’s not bad at all. In fact, if you weren’t the treasurekeeper with a leprechaun at your beck and call, I’d be thrilled for you because you just came into a shit ton of money. You’d be set for life.”
“But I don’t want his money! I never wanted anything from him, even before I knew that he was a changeling.”
Keane handed me a cup of tea. “Money’s not a bad thing to have in this world. When—”
“If,” Doran broke in. “If something happens to us, it’d be a relief on my mind, at least, if you have plenty of resources at your fingertips. Human laws can be tricky things for us to maneuver around.”
“This house is in your name,” Aidan added. “The bank accounts are handled by the club, but we’ve added you to all the documentation. The Demon Hunters will take care of you as long as any of them are still alive.”
My throat ached and my hands trembled enough that I sloshed tea onto my jeans. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
Doran dropped down in front of me, sitting back on his knees. His big palms gently cradled my hands, steadying me. “You know what we are, love. We’ll stay by your side until forced to part by death, but we all know how this battle ends.”
“No,” I whispered fiercely, staring into his eyes. “We don’t know how this ends. I refuse to let you go.”
He sighed, his wide, massive shoulders falling. “I don’t want to see your heart shattered, love. It’s a horrible thing to endure any lover’s death, let alone four.”
Perversely, his sadness and acceptance only made my defiance more determined. I lifted the teacup to my mouth but I didn’t take a sip immediately. I breathed in the perfume, closing my eyes so I could concentrate on its soothing warmth and aroma. I smelled the darker, earthy scent of tea leaves but also lighter floral scents. Almost like the faerie mead.
:Just a splash of drúchta,:Keane whispered in my mind.:I thought you could use a little extra kick.:
:Definitely.:Opening my eyes, I took a sip of the hot, lightly sweet tea. Another. Letting the soothing warmth flow down my throat and through my body.:Perfect. Thank you.:
