like that sometimes. A weird trait, a personality quirk, a bizarre affectation ballooned until it overtook them.
“Does that mean you wouldn’t grieve for me if I got my throat ripped out on the job?”
“No.” A low rumble laced her voice. “It means I would rip the flesh from anyone who dared, strip by strip, and feed it to them. I would then hang them from their pinky toes, slash their throats, and let them exsanguinate. Once that was done, I would coffin them in cement and have the block dropped in the ocean.”
Touched by her twisted affection, I had to swallow back tears. “But would you look good doing it?”
“Dearest, darling one.” She plumped her cleavage. “I would look amazing.”
A familiar ringtone had me reaching for my phone. With Dad upstairs and Cass beside me, I had few guesses as to the culprit. “Hello?”
“I’m going to be late,” Boaz said grimly. “Are you sure you want me to come back to your place? I can crash in the barracks. I don’t want to be an imposition.”
The slight pulling sensation in my chest drew me upright, and Cass too. “What happened?”
“There’s been another murder.” A siren muffled him. “I can’t get into the details, but I need to go.”
“Another murder,” I echoed, hearing the dots connect. “Linked to your other cases?”
“Yeah.” He exhaled hard. “I wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry.”
Beside me Cass mashed her index fingers together and twisted them back and forth while making kissing noises.
Annoyance with her bled over onto him. “How presumptuous of you.”
“Just a turn of phrase.” His voice came out tired, defeated even. “I didn’t mean to imply, well, anything.”
A frustrated scream rose up my throat, but I couldn’t let it out. Once I started, I might not stop.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Palming Cass’s forehead, I shoved her out of my face then hopped off the couch to begin pacing. “I appreciate the call. I would have worried if I woke and you weren’t here.”
Turning, I bumped into Cass, who had moved on to dry humping the doorframe while pointing at the phone and mouthing Boaz’s name. I wished for bleach or a time machine to undo the last ten minutes of my life. Or the last ten years. I would take what I could get. But, as usual, the goddess left me on read.
“You don’t have to patronize me.”
“I’m not.” I made a fist and hit myself in the forehead. “I’m having a bad night, and it’s wrong for me to take it out on you.”
“The offer stands. I can go to the barracks.” He lightened his tone. “Hell, I can stay there all week if it’s easier.”
Two vampires dead. One a bounty of ours, the other…I would have to butter up Gustav for those details.
The killings, so close to home, bothered me. Having Boaz this close, in my space, bothered me too, but he was a handy conduit to information. He was also the man I’d agreed to spend the rest of my life with, so I had to play nice. I had to smooth this over. I had to make this work.
Goddess, I was tired all of a sudden. Even the comforting weight of cash doused with Cass’s perfume did nothing to alleviate the dread coiling around my throat, tight as a noose.
“Come home,” I said, hating the waver in my voice. “I’ll be waiting.”
“All right.” He hesitated. “You’re good people, Addie.”
Good people didn’t invite their future husbands into their homes to spy on them.
Good people didn’t consider how far they were willing to go to keep their secrets.
Good people didn’t wish, even a little, that the label would stick, that the epithet was true.
I couldn’t afford to be good, and what’s worse, I couldn’t afford to let him catch me being bad.
Six
“Well?” Cass prowled over wearing a toothy grin. “Are we going hunting?”
“For Angelo?”
“The payout isn’t as large since he’s not a criminal, but we can both guess where he’ll go.”
To the scene of the crime. To make whatever peace was left to him.
A quick check of the time left me conflicted. “We only have two hours until dawn.”
“I enjoy living dangerously.”
“Clearly.”
“Your love muffin won’t be home for hours yet. He won’t catch us, if that’s what worries you.”
“He’s not my love muffin.”
“Did you notice his hands?” Cass flexed her delicate fingers. “That man knows how to knead dough.”
“My bakery is not open for business.” I made a slashing gesture when her gaze dipped to