Page 22 of Lovely Wicked Things

For good measure, I add, “We can see if any of them sport little antler implants.”

The tension in his shoulders slackens some. “We can’t just go around demanding to see their heads.”

“Why can’t we?”

His gaze narrows on me, then a faint smile graces his mouth. “I’ll start on the left. You take the right.”

As I work my side of the party, I actually do make an effort to collect information from the families, none of which is useful. But uncovering more of Devyn’s minions is not my sole priority.

I eat up at least thirty minutes with trivial banter, keeping an eye on the lurking FBI agents around the perimeter of the party. By the time I make my way back toward Halen, she has Mrs. Lipton warmed up enough to talk with her phone out, discretely recording the conversation.

“Devyn was here quite a bit,” the woman is saying to Halen, “overseeing our festivities, and as a guest, of course. Julian always respected her.”

Halen bristles at the woman’s use of the past tense. “How well did you know her and her brother, Colter? Her family?”

Mrs. Lipton adjusts the gaudy shawl wrapping her shoulders. “The father left when the twins were little. He didn’t care for small-town life. The mother passed away when they were just out of high school, but I mean, Devyn and Colter had been on their own pretty much anyway. I helped where I could, of course, until Devyn decided to move away for school in the big city.” She shrugs. “Following in her father’s footsteps, unfortunately.”

“The big city is…?” Halen presses.

The woman’s penciled eyebrow arches. “New York City, of course.”

“Of course. Did she stay in contact with her father?”

“I wouldn’t know. When Devyn came back after Colter went missing, she was… Well, she wasn’t the same.” A frown deepens her makeup creases. “I suppose none of us were, really.”

“Mrs. Lipton, did you ever notice a physical change in Devyn, or anyone else she was close to?”

The woman stares blankly. “Such as?”

“Such as extreme body modification, like horn implants on the head. Did your brother, Vince, ever show signs of this before he went missing?”

Her features harden. “Vince was starting to get into some peculiar interests and hobbies.”

“And this didn’t set off any alarms with you?” Halen asks.

Tightening her shawl more snugly, Mrs. Lipton turns rigid. “Why would it? Before you all arrived here, no one had any idea about rituals or any of that nonsense. Now if you don’t mind, I need to attend to my guests, and I’m sure you have more pressing matters to handle. Anything else needs to be addressed through my lawyer. Please leave my party.”

Halen stops the recording and tucks the phone into her tote bag. “Only old money can dismiss you like they’re doing you a favor.”

“As long as they say please.” But I’m no longer concerned with founding families or their peculiar hobbies. My gaze captures and holds Halen, and with the slight part of her mouth, she senses she’s been caught.

I seize her wrist and pull her against me, linking her arms around my neck as I lure her into a slow dance to the deep and melancholic notes of the cello.

“Smooth, professor.” She glances around anxiously. “But we’re the only ones dancing.”

“Does it bother you?”

Staring up at me, she tilts her head. “No.”

I tighten my arms around her, drawing her closer. Halen stopped worrying about what others thought of her a while ago. When you’ve experience true suffering, you no longer perceive the world’s trivial concerns as relevant.

“We can do whatever we want,” I say as I nudge her bag aside and cup the curve of her lower back. She gauges me carefully, my little seer reading more into my statement.

“Kallum…” I hear the disapproval in the way she trails off from my name. “Your joke to Riddick was extremely impulsive and reckless.”

I lick my lips, loving the hint of clove she’s giving off. “It wasn’t a joke.” I possessively dig my fingers into the sexy flare of her hips and drop my voice. “I never should’ve let Alister get that close to you.”

Had I done away with Alister from the start, then Halen never would’ve been alone where Devyn could get to her.

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