his fortune. I can’t really say which.”
He tucked the LMD into his pocket. “Try harder. We have the two of you on video together.”
“Then I guess I did read his fortune, but I can’t give you more than that. I don’t ask for the names of those I read for. I prefer to let the crystals speak for themselves.” She held back the curse prying at her lips. Those damn surveillance cameras. They infested the city like a plague. How much could they have really gotten? “Let me see the picture again.”
He showed her the photo a second time.
She stared at it, buying herself some time to think. She squinted as if recalling even a few details took effort. “I can tell you from what I read off him and the way he was dressed, he comes from a family of money and influence.”
Augustine nodded. “Good read.” He lifted the LMD higher. “This is Senator Irene Pellimento’s son.”
She leaned forward, the buzz of a saw in the next room causing her to raise her voice. “Why should that mean anything to me?”
Augustine shouted over the din. “If you don’t know, maybe we should go somewhere you can think better. One of the holding cells at the Pelcrum should do nicely.”
“On what grounds? I’ve done nothing.” The saw went mercifully quiet.
“On the grounds that you’re a witch and I don’t give a fet’ka what you think. I’m so tired of dealing with the problems you create. You’re a thorn in my side and I’d like to yank you out and be done with you.”
Taking the senator’s son had created exactly the pressure and distraction she’d hoped. Augustine’s patience was thin. He could be pushed even further with a little more effort. But all she really needed to do was leak a little misinformation to the right sources and he’d have his hands too full to bother her and her sister until it was too late. Not to mention she was about to double his stress by making his little girlfriend disappear, too. “Are you threatening me?”
“Yes.” His eyes sparked with dark intent. “You witches are a boil on the ass of this town.”
“A thorn and a boil?” She clutched at an imaginary set of pearls. “You know how to cut a girl to the quick.” She dropped her hand. “Funny, I feel the same way about the fae.” The sawing started again, this time from somewhere upstairs. She narrowed her eyes at him. “So I read the kid’s fortune. That’s not a crime.”
“Maybe it should be.”
She scowled at him. “I had nothing to do with him going missing. If he’s the senator’s son, maybe you should figure out who her enemies are and start there. But that list certainly doesn’t include me.”
He shook his head, the anger in his eyes building.
She spoke before he could, trying to look as innocent as possible. “I get that you have a job to do, but do it somewhere else. Not only does this not involve the witches, but I’ve got nothing to do with it. I’m a little busy with running the coven, which is more work than I anticipated. On top of that, I’m trying to fix up my dad’s house and live my life. I’m tired of all this bad blood between the witches and the fae. If I hear anything, you’ll be the first one I contact.”
The anger in his eyes died a little, but his scowl stayed put. “You do that.” He dug out his LMD again and glanced at the screen. Something was flashing. A message. Thank the goddess someone else needed him. He looked at her. “Today’s your lucky day. I have more important places to be. But don’t think for a second I’m not watching everything you do.” With one last glance, he strode out.
He was going to have a hard time watching her when the senator was watching him. She went to the window, waiting until his car pulled out of the drive before she acted. Ian would be halfway to Zara’s by now. She’d pick him up when she passed him. She grabbed one of the construction walkie-talkies off the makeshift table and yelled into it. “Trent!” No immediate response. “Trent, where the hell are you?”
“Right behind you, Ms. Vincent.”
She turned to see the foreman she’d hired, some beefy kind of varcolai, but what kind of shifter he was exactly, she couldn’t tell. Maybe wolf? Bear? Who knew. Who cared. He was a foot taller