“No,” she said. “The disks are proving to be too dangerous when not in the right hands, which is such a shame considering how much good they can do in the right hands. I’m working on ways to limit how much magic a disk can hold, and how many times it can be recharged. There are pros and cons as to creating fail-safes for compatibility between disks. We designed them to be compatible. But ever since the robbery at the lab, and then Daniel’s death . . .” She paused.
In my head, my dad stirred and pressed outward, like he was leaning against a wall of glass. He scratched at the backs of my eyes, and a melancholy need that was not my own filled me.
“Since his death,” she continued, “I haven’t been pushing forward on that project as hard.”
Which made sense. James Hoskil, one of the people involved in my dad’s murder, had admitted using disks with Blood magic. Violet didn’t know it, but Greyson had a disk implanted in his neck, holding him permanently between life and death, neither man nor beast.
As far as I could tell, the disks had only ever been used to harm.
“What happens if you don’t release the documents to the shareholders?” I asked.
“There are legal actions they could take.” She picked up her cup, the steam giving up the sweet perfume of licorice. “They’ve threatened locking me out of the lab, seizing my files, closing down the facility . . . and . . . other actions. We’ve had some interesting mail. Threats.” She gave me a small smile and I saw a flash of anger in her eyes before she took a sip of her tea. Violet was no fainting flower. I’d come to believe she had matched my moody father’s intellect and stubbornness point for point.
“The attorneys are involved, but these kinds of people don’t always go through legal channels. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. I’m going to move in with Kevin for a little while. Just while the condo is being remodeled for the baby, and retrofitted for security measures.”
I couldn’t help it. I stared at Kevin.
Kevin didn’t show a scrap of concern. Didn’t give off a single vibe that he was happy or sad about the arrangement. I’d seen the two of them together enough to know he was in love with Violet, even though she had no clue, and as far as I could tell, he was not willing to admit it to her.
But living together. Seriously?
“Seriously?” I said, because I am clever like that.
Violet nodded. “I could have rented a second condominium for a while, but the security may have been a problem. Kevin suggested I stay at his house, which is well guarded, magically and technologically, and since he has a guest room, I agreed.”
Kevin picked up his nearly empty coffee cup, took a drink, his gaze meeting mine over the top of his cup.
The man was hard to read, even for me, and I make a living off reading people. The only page I could read in the book of Kevin was that this was none of my damn business.
Maybe he was right. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
“You don’t care what the tabloids will say when they catch wind of this?” I asked.
“I’ve put some people in place to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Well, well. Look at who knew whom to bribe and how. Violet was good at playing this game. “All right, then. So don’t try to reach you at home, is what you’re saying?”
Violet twisted, as much as she was able, and dug into the purse hanging on the chair beside her. “Yes. Here’s the address, and the number at Kevin’s. My cell phone remains unchanged. If you need me, just call. And if they do tap my phone, I’ll find a way to let you know.”
She produced a piece of paper and handed it to me.
I tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans.
“Thanks,” I said. “How are you feeling?”
“Other than being as big as a house?” She laughed.
“You are not,” I said. “You look beautiful. Doesn’t she, Kevin?”
The man could set a stone on fire with that look. I just smiled innocently. Yes, I am cruel like that.
But as soon as Violet looked over at him, Kevin turned down the inferno and went back to Mr. Plain and Mild. I had no idea how he kept