Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
“Hey, Luke… Sorcha. What brings y’all to our little corner of paradise?”
Sorcha pressed her lips together, amazed that Luke didn’t say something about that comment. Especially since they were inside the police department, at Rory’s desk.
His partner, Beau Drimmel, was a teddy-bear-looking man. Around six feet, he had a full beard and beautiful brown eyes. Unlike Luke, there was nothing threatening about the man. At all.
Not until he interrogated someone. Then Beau was like a snapping turtle. Single-focused and relentless.
Since Luke wasn’t the most hospitable of people, Sorcha gave Beau a hug. “Just came to see if y’all had anything else about the two beheadings.”
“Naw. Can’t say that we do. We talked to everyone we could think of. No one knew anything, saw anything, or said anything. Makes me feel useless. We got a ninety-percent close rate on homicides, and I’d like to keep it.”
Luke clapped him on the back so hard, he stumbled forward a step. “We want you to keep it, too, hoss.”
“What are y’all doing here?”
Sorcha turned at the sound of Rory’s voice. Dressed in a dark blue shirt and jeans, he was adorable. “Came visiting.”
He pursed his lips, not buying the lie for even a heartbeat.
“They’re file snooping.” Beau picked up his water bottle from his desk and took a drink.
“No snooping here.” Luke grinned at Rory. “I have all my facts. At least the ones I need.”
“Well, why don’t I walk y’all out.” There was a note in Rory’s voice that caught her attention. There was something he wanted to tell them that he didn’t want to say in front of Beau.
“Sounds good.”
Rory stepped past Beau. “I’ll be right back.”
“A’ight. I’ll be here, pretending to work.”
Shaking his head, Rory led them through the police station, back out to the parking lot.
Sorcha could tell he wanted to say something, but he waited until they were far away from any of his coworkers to speak. “What’s up?”
“Y’all realize that we normally average, at most, two murders a month. That’s it. Two.” He met Sorcha’s gaze. “This isn’t New Orleans where a body drops every other day. We only have eight homicide detectives, total. Since you’ve come to town, the number of homicides keeps growing.”
Was he saying what she thought? “I’m not killing them,” she said in an offended tone.
“I know that.” He gave her a hard, droll stare. “But something’s changed since you rolled into town, and sadly, it’s not the mountain that trails you.” He glanced over to Luke. “We were certain more bodies would start dropping with him here. It’s why I joined the force.”
“Ha. Ha.” Luke’s sarcasm was tangible.
Rory shook his head. “What galls me most is that the homicide rate actually dropped with him here. I mean, it doesn’t gall me that we have less homicides—”
“We know,” Sorcha said, interrupting him. “You want Luke to be responsible for the deaths.”
Rory cleared his throat. “You don’t have to make me sound so childish, even when I’m being childish.”
She gave him credit that he admitted it. “So what are we doing then?”
He let out a tired sigh. “We had an attempted homicide last night. Another werewolf.” Rory handed her a piece of paper.
“That’s his contact info. You did not get that from me.
I never saw it and I know nothing…but he thinks I’m human, so he won’t tell me shit.
Maybe y’all can get something out of him that might keep this from happening again.
Or keep whoever tried to behead him from succeeding. ”
Luke inclined his head. “Thanks.”
“Just help us get this son of a bitch before they kill someone else. I’m tired of people dying.”
Sorcha rubbed his arm. “We’ll let you know what we find out.”
As she started away, Rory stopped her. “And this time, will you let me know it’s solved if y’all find the culprit? Don’t leave it for me to find out from a drunken elf. Especially if it involves a horny queen trying to make Luke her pet.”
Sorcha burst out laughing before she could stop herself. Luke appeared less amused. “Will do,” she promised.
Luke smirked. “Since you know the truth, I want a copy of the report you filed.”
“Sure,” Rory said with a nod. “It’ll make good bedtime reading.”
And with that, they headed back out to the parking lot.
Sorcha paused beside the car. “I should have asked Rory how long he’s known the truth about our case.”
“I should have asked him the name of the elf who needs its ass kicked for talking out of turn.”
Not wanting to comment on that, Sorcha pulled out her phone to call the number Rory had given her. But before she could complete it, Luke put his hand over hers.
“We need to do this in person. If you call him, he won’t talk to you. Werewolves have more trust issues than you do.”
She couldn’t fault them for that. “Fair point.”
“What’s the address?”
“Bradley Point Road.”
Luke screwed up his face, then nodded. “Makes sense. By the creek, there’s a lot of woods out there. And marshes filled with gators if you screw up and need to dispose of a body.”
She cringed at the very thought. “That’s just chilling.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Gators gotta eat.”
These were the times when he made it hard for her to work with him. He could summon nightmares for her without even knowing it. “I don’t want to think about gators. Too many memories of half-eaten bodies in New Orleans.”
“I will cut out my gator jokes, cher.”
“That’s an impressive Cajun drawl you got there.”
He grinned as he opened the car door for her. “I know. Spent a lot of time on riverboats, taking people’s money and their souls.”
She slid into the car and reached for her IA ball cap. “Of course, you did.”
He pulled his hair up and then got into the car. “Delilah? You back?”
Not a word.
Sorcha turned toward him with an arched brow. “Should we be worried that she’s been gone so long?”
“Not sure. On the one hand, I enjoy the silence and lack of groping. On the other, I don’t really want her harmed. While she’s a pain in my ass, she’s been my PITA for centuries. I hate to say I kind of miss her, but…”
“I get it. I’ve got a couple of those myself.” She cut her gaze toward him.
“Ha. Ha.”
Helly leaned forward in the seat. “Hi!”
Sorcha let out a short scream. “Make noise when you pop in! You scared the crap out of me.”
“I did make noise. I said hi.” She nudged Sorcha’s shoulder. “You’re a little jumpy there, O’Malley. You okay?”
“I don’t know. We were talking about Delilah when you jump scared me.”
“Delilah’s on assignment.”
Luke glanced at Helly in the rearview mirror. “What?”
“She’s been sent after a human your father wants.”
A tic started in his jaw. “Then we need to find a way to get her back before she succeeds.”
Sorcha was confused. “I thought you wanted her gone.”
“Oh, I do. But I want my father to fail more. I’ve been dealing with D for centuries. I’m used to her.” He turned his head to speak to Helly. “Go tell Delilah that I’m missing her enough to let her in my bed.”
Helly vanished immediately.
Sorcha gaped. “Excuse me? You’re really willing to sleep with her?”
“Oh hell no. She can sleep in my bed. I didn’t say I’d be there too.”
Sorcha groaned as she realized what he’d done. But then Luke was good at that.
Devil’s in the details. As one of his father’s staunchest advocates and dealmakers, Luke knew exactly how to angle a deal to get what he wanted while trapping the other party.
“I will never bargain with you.”
“Never say never, love. Besides, I wouldn’t play that with you. I’ve taught you all my best tricks.”
She knew better.
Luke was evil, but not evil, evil. His was more playful and fun.
Or is he?
She hated when her conscience came out to remind her of all the people Luke had damned. She hoped he wasn’t lying to her whenever he assured her that they deserved it. That they were terrible and had earned what he did to them.
It made a good fairy tale. One she wanted to believe.
But then Bert used to sell her that kind of bullshit, too. He was the worst at the old “I got the cookie for you” lie. I’m not really hurting you. I’m protecting you.
She did not miss that gaslighting.
Sorcha put her hands over her ears and squeezed hard. Get out of my head, Satan!
Luke scowled. “You okay?”
“The beast is back. Why can’t I let him go?”
He reached over and took her hand to pull it away from her ears.
“Don’t. This isn’t your fault. You’re still working through it.
Those little demonic thoughts are opening a gateway in your head you want to keep sealed.
Last thing you want or need is for a demon to use that to enter your mind and set up camp. ”
“That’s very similar to what my grandfather always said. Idle thoughts, not hands, are the devil’s playhouse. Mind your thoughts before a demon takes root in them.”
He nodded. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Your granddad was a wise man. I’m glad I never had to face off with him.”
She chuckled at the thought of Luke and her grandfather fighting. “He lived to drive the devil out.”
“So do I…now.”
That seemed to be very true. “Do you think you’ll ever know why you were banished?”
“Getting closer. I’m pretty sure I know which sibling to blame. Now I just have to figure out what lie she used to make my father act.”
Those words oddly saddened her. “You still want to go home.”
Luke’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. He took so long to speak that she thought he’d forgotten what she said. “Not as much as I used to.”
Not as much as I used to.
Those words lightened her mood. I am so broken. She should feel bad. He’d been wanting to go home as much as she wanted to purge Bert out of her mind and find her sister’s killer.
Now…
“What’s changed?”
Luke didn’t answer because the answer was a simple you. But how could he tell her that? It would give her as much, if not more, power over him than she had by knowing his real name.
Clenching his teeth, he cursed himself. The only thing worse than giving someone your name was giving them your heart.
And she held his. In both hands. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t.
There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.
Nothing.