Chapter 7 #3
“Not sure. Trish lives in an adorable 1920s bungalow. I guess I assumed he’d be in something similar.
Definitely wasn’t expecting a multimillion-dollar mansion…
with brass bird feeders.” Which was an elegant touch on a well-manicured lawn.
The upkeep on the lawn alone was probably more money than her rent. “What were you expecting?”
He shrugged. “Wasn’t expecting anything.
I keep an open mind. One thing my past has taught me…
never judge. The man who looks fine and upstanding is probably a wife-beating pedophile who cheats the IRS or worse, and the biker who makes people tremble at his approach is just as likely to be the one who donates his spare time to homeless shelters or other humanitarian causes.
The Malum come in all shapes and sizes.”
Still…
“His name is Senechal Villan.”
“To be fair, Villan was once a popular English name and had nothing to do with actual villains. All it meant back then was that someone came from a nondescript village and they weren’t a farmer.”
Bemused, she snapped her head toward Luke. “Seriously? Where did that come from?”
“My travels in medieval England. You’d be amazed how many Villans were willing to give up their souls to stay healthy during plagues.”
Not really. She might have been willing to give up the ole soul depending on the plague. It definitely wasn’t the way she wanted to go into eternity. “I have to wonder. Are you just making shit up or is that for real?”
“It happened.” Helly grinned at her from the backseat. “Luke doesn’t lie. He might withhold information, but he never lies about anything unless he’s screwing with a bad guy.”
Sorcha turned and looked at Luke for confirmation.
He nodded. “I have no fear of consequences. Liars lie to avoid something they’re afraid of, or to pump up their egos.” Clicking his tongue, he winked at her. “My ego is super pumped…in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Oh, I did. You let that flag fly freely.”
“Yes, I do.” He got out, then turned toward Helly. “You staying in the car or coming with us?”
“Too tired to get out and walk, and you won’t let me fly in public. Y’all have fun.” She laid back down on the seat.
Pulling his hair tie out, Luke pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head as he waited for Sorcha to join him on the sidewalk.
Damn… He was something else. There was something unnatural about his charisma and beauty. No man had a right to look that edible.
You have got to get a grip. He’s your partner.
Yes, he was. But this close to him, she really wanted to take a bite out of that luscious hide. It was hard to stay focused with someone who was just so…
Je ne sais quoi. That was the only way to describe him.
Doing her best to ignore his massive sex appeal, Sorcha followed him up the expensive brick walkway to the front door.
Luke rang the bell and they waited.
Given the quality of the home, Sorcha half expected a butler to answer it.
Maybe Lurch.
Instead, it was a humongously tall man around forty, wearing a pair of khaki pants and a striped button down—how he’d found clothes to fit a mountain was really the question of the day she wanted answered.
And the word huge…massive understatement.
This man towered over Luke and probably weighed twice as much.
Or more.
Damn. Just damn. She hoped she wouldn’t have to chase him down and try to cuff him. It’d probably take half a dozen cops.
In fact, she had the cartoon image in her mind of him slinging officers off and sending them flying. Too bad he had short, curly brown hair because bald would have helped him look even more like a cyclops than he already did.
“Can I help you?” he asked Luke in a rather high-pitched voice that didn’t match his appearance at all.
“You Senechal Villan?”
Suspicion darkened his brown eyes as he swept his gaze over the two of them. “He’s not here. Can I take a message for you?”
Luke let out an evil laugh, then pulled his badge from his pocket and held it up for the man to read. “Don’t lie to me, Sen. I tend to react badly when people do that.”
Rage darkened Senechal’s eyes, but so far, he wasn’t trying to kill them or run so she counted that as a victory. He jerked his chin at her. “You Five-O, too?”
The unexpected slang caught her off guard. “I am.” She pulled out her own badge and held it up for his inspection.
There was now a tension in the air that was so thick it almost choked her.
His gaze returned to Luke and stayed there. “You’re not human.”
How did he know that?
Luke quirked a bemused grin. “Never said I was. If you want to run… I don’t mind chasing.
Bigger the better, I always say. But you should know that it never goes well for those I catch up to.
And I always catch them. The chase just pumps enough adrenaline in me that I like making it hurt.
” The gravelly way he said that sent a chill down her spine.
As did the hopeful grin on his face as if Luke were savoring the thought of chasing Senechal.
Senechal considered those words before he stepped back and let them inside his immaculate home. The marble foyer was just jaw-dropping. Straight ahead was an alcove with a real suit of armor in it.
“Love what you’ve done with your mansion,” Sorcha said.
His answer was a flippant “humph.” Closing the door, he turned to face them. “I hate inviting evil into my home.”
“Not a vampire. I don’t have to be invited.” Luke inclined his head toward Sorcha. “Neither does the human.”
Those words didn’t amuse Mr. Villan at all. “Why are you here, officer?”
“Detectives,” Luke corrected. “We’re looking for creatures who like to mutilate college students and steal their souls.”
“So you thought, what? Rattle the local Wiccan? I’m not the only one, and last time I checked, my religion is protected under the First Amendment.”
Luke scoffed. “Definitely not impinging on your right to practice whatever religion you choose. But not even the First Amendment allows human sacrifice. The state gets a little miffed when covens eat people.”
“Are you trying to piss me off?” He stepped forward to physically intimidate Luke.
Luke laughed at his efforts. “You might want to take a step back, little man. I’m not afraid of you and given who my parents are, you don’t want to glare at me.
If they take offense—and they might—you’re going to have a really, really bad day.
But I’ll be amused. Nothing like the smell of blood in the morning to make me deliriously happy. ”
Out of nowhere, Helly appeared immediately beside Luke. Her eyes were solid black, and she sported a pair of fangs along with a set of curled horns that were above her ears. “You need me, dominus? Who do you want me to kill?”