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‘Yeah?’
‘Erm…’ I felt awkward but I grabbed the bull by the horns. ‘You’re excited to marry Emory, right? This isn’t political manoeuvring to cover up the gargoyle thing and buy you time?’
When she replied, Jess’s voice was warm and dreamy. ‘I’m so excited to marry Emory. Nothing has ever felt more right.’
‘Great. So we’re good?’
‘We’re good,’ she agreed firmly. ‘I love you, Luce.’
‘I love you too, Jess. Speak soon.’ I made kissy noises and hung up.
It was only when I set down the phone that I realised I hadn’t said anything about Larsden. The last time there’d been a murder, I’d rung Jess for advice and for her to calm me down. This time, I hadn’t even mentioned the body.
Dead bodies were becoming par for the course – and that didn’t feel like a good thing.
Chapter 4
‘How did it go?’ I asked Greg as he held my body flush against his. Contentment filled me as his arms slipped around me; this, right here, was my happy place. In his arms I could forget everything the world was throwing at us. In a moment I’d make a concerted effort to do just that, but first I needed to hear what leads he’d run down. ‘Any suspects?’
Greg pulled the duvet a little higher around us. ‘Harden and Ramsay both apparently stepped out earlier, but so did David, Archie, Elena and Thea.’
‘Well, we know what Archie and Thea were doing. David was probably tending to his roses. That man is rose obsessed.’
Elena, though… I grimaced. I really didn’t want the killer to be from my pack because that complicated everything. Still, the odds weren’t in my favour: someone at the mansion had killed Larsden and most of the residents were from my pack.
‘You’re tense,’ Gregg murmured as he stroked his hands down my body. ‘I think you need a recharge.’
‘I went to Rosie’s yesterday,’ I pointed out. After the Council had arrived on my doorstop the urge to flee had been pretty overwhelming, plus we’d been through a lot of shit. I’d retreated to Maxwell’s hall and some much-needed downtime with my family whilst we all tried to process what we’d been through and find a new way to be together.
My birth family seemed to have assimilated the knowledge that I was their long-deceased relative with some ease, but I was still coming to terms with it. Helena visibly itched for me to call her Nonna, but I just wasn’t there yet; grateful as I was to have found them, it had left me with a harsh ache in my heart where my mum and dad should have been.
‘I don’t mean that kind of a recharge, I meant an emotional one.’ Greg hesitated. ‘I was thinking… It’s Sunday tomorrow and your mum – your other mum – keeps inviting you to Sunday lunch. We should go. You don’t need to tell your parents about us. I could sit outside and guard you from the car.’ He hesitated. ‘Though truthfully, with all that’s going on I’d much rather be by your side. I don’t mind if you introduce me as a friend though.’
I stared at him. ‘Hey! I’m not ashamed of you! I’d love to introduce you to my family, there just hasn’t been the right moment.’
He grinned ruefully. ‘I don’t think such a moment exists. The Other is chaotic.’
‘You’re not wrong.’ His idea had real merit. The last few days had been turbulent; I needed some grounding, and a cuddle with the mum and dad who’d adopted me seemed like a really good idea. I reached for my phone on my bedside table and texted: Can I come to lunch tomorrow? I’ll bring my boyfriend, Greg. Can Ben come too? I’d love to see you all. xxx
I turned back to Greg. ‘Hey, so guess what?’
‘What?’
‘Emory and Jess are getting married in two months!’
‘Shotgun wedding?’ he asked, eyebrows raised.
I snorted. ‘No, she’s not ready for kids. I think they’re using it to distract everyone from the gargoyle thing. I get to organise her hen-do!’ I pulled up the spreadsheet that I’d started on my phone and showed him the screen. ‘Look at all those colours. God, I love a colour co-ordinated spreadsheet.’
He grinned. ‘Your pupils are dilated. I think I’ve been trying to turn you on all wrong.’ He kissed my neck. ‘Time for some new tactics. How do you feel about me making you a PowerPoint presentation?’
I pictured him in a suit using a line graph whilst talking about the pack’s investments, and I let out a low moan. His grin widened and the bed shook with his silent laughter. I rolled over so that I was straddling him and rocked my hips against his. His smile vanished, his laughter stopped and his eyes darkened. Heh, heh, heh.
‘Now you’re talking,’ I purred. As I leaned down and kissed him, I felt his lips curve up against mine. Okay, so I have an extreme love of spreadsheets but my heart is big; I can find some space for Greg.
‘I’ll do some statistics to go with the presentation,’ he murmured.
I groaned. ‘Keep talking.’
