Page 23 of The Quiet Witness

He turned to face her fully, no amusement lingering in his posture. This was business.

“Blood, which I know for a fact is not coming from me.”

Kate flipped the bookmark, fingers caressing the papers teasingly slowly as she placed it between. “You just cleaned up a blood-soaked car, are you sure it’s not you?” She pointed a finger at him. “Causing that tangy smell?”

Lucien smirked. “You’ve been planting your DNA.”

She clapped the book shut. Well… If he knew, he knew. She just wanted to play with him a little… longer. To have her revenge for the rose that had offered her the idea.

She moved a hand over her heart. “You wound me, dear Lucien.” Lucien. The name tasted wrong. But since they arrived on a lengthy first name basis, so be it. “I would never do anything so macabre.”

Her heart fluttered like a butterfly tasting fresh air for the first time. “That said, I did accidentally cut my finger on that present of yours. Dangerous stuff.” She sent him an accusatory glance.

His eyes… like the fire now roaring behind him.

“May or may not have lost a couple of hairs, among other things. She waved her hand around the house. “Annoying when things like that happen.” She shrugged. “But after all… I am a woman.”

Lucien slid into the chair opposite her. The small flames casting shadows across his widening grin. He crossed his legs like royalty. Not letting his eyes stray from hers.

A shiver trailed across her back, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“I bet you’ve traced your beautiful, bloody fingers across nearly all the books, am I right?”

“Each and every one of them. You have some thrilling literature in here.” Aside from Lotr.

“That would be correct. There are some unique pieces, no doubt, painted by your hands. Or should I say tainted.” Resting his chin on his hand, he leaned closer. “Nothing that cannot be replaced, of course. Do tell, where else have you been keeping busy?”

Her shoulders rose and fell. “Everywhere. Your house is one big crime scene waiting to happen… if you will.”

“Well, there is that. Burning it down is always an option. Should that eventuality have to take place.”

She glanced at the crackling fire, the shadows of which danced over the white walls. Inhaling quietly to calm the racing of her heart.

They were toying with each other, pulling on strings. The only difference was but one of them had the attributes to silence the other.

Lucien shot up from his chair and she flinched. But he merely bent down into a sweeping bow. “But color me impressed!’’

She bit out, “At least your life would be inconvenienced. Some trouble to remind you of what you did. In case that eventuality happens, y’know.”

“Ohhh, I know! Trust me, I don’t need souvenirs to remember the pounding headache you’re able to deliver.” He towered over her. “Who knew that giving a girl a rose could hold such deep consequences.”

Her nerves zapped. Yet Kate sent him the most condescending look she could muster. “Consequences. In. Fucking. Deed.”

Slowly, purposefully Lucien trailed his eyes over her lap, where her white-knuckled hands were clenching the blankets like a lifeline. He leaned in even closer. “Let us not figure out that eventuality yet, hmm?”

Neither looked away. Finally, he turned. Leaning with a hand on the alabaster stone of the fireplace.

“What about you, though?” Her voice cut through the air.

He stayed in place, probably imagining the hundred different ways he could torture the spirit out of her. “What about me?”

“Here I was thinking you’re so confident in your methods.”

“As I am.”

Kate smirked a devilish grin. “Why then, did you decide to shovel it away? The snow wasn’t safe enough after all, hmmm.” She’d been keeping a close eye on the front door window. In between leaving parts of herself sticking throughout his immaculate home. Had seen him shovel away the snow, depositing it in the forest bordering his land.

“For someone telling herself she’s not a killer, you’re awfully interested in my methods.”