“You’re sure?”
“Gage just called from the neighbor’s roof. Said she’s in the lane behind her house loading boxes.”
Vale swore. “So much for a lead on the Coranians.”
“We can’t let her leave town,” I said. “She’ll still have her hold on Ronald.”
“Don’t worry. We’re not letting her go anywhere.”
“Truck’s out front with the engine running,” Cowboy said.
As disappointed as I was by the development, I was grateful for the interruption. I couldn’t lose my head around Vale. It wasn’t professional.
And it certainly wasn’t safe—for either of us.
We parked on Lincoln Street.Cowboy headed up Jones Street on foot to keep eyes on the front door in case she tried to flee. Gage was still positioned on the neighbor’s roof. Vale and I approached the lane behind Leanne’s house. Sure enough, the garage door was up to reveal an SUV with its trunk open and jammed full of antiques. The faerie was about to embark on her next murderous adventure.
Vale leaned against the back of the garden wall. “Going somewhere, Leanne?”
The faerie turned to face us, her porcelain cheeks stained pink. “Well, hello again. What brings you back so soon, Protector?”
Vale didn’t move. “I asked if you were going somewhere.”
She gestured toward the open trunk of the car. “I need to run a few items to the warehouse. That isn’t a crime, is it?”
“I suppose that depends on where the items came from. Mind if I take a look?”
Leanne’s gaze darted to the house and back to Vale. Oh, she definitely minded, but she wasn’t about to let him know it.
“We know about your criminal activities, Leanne,” Vale said, poking through the odds and ends in the trunk. “And I’m willing to bet we can match some of these valuables to missing heirlooms from estates in Savannah, Asheville, and all those other places you mentioned.”
“And I’m willing to bet all those estate owners were men who died under mysterious circumstances,” I added. “Hope you look as pretty in solid orange as you do in a floral.”
Leanne bolted. I’d expected her to retreat inside the house or maybe lock herself in the SUV, but nope. She booked it toward Lafayette Square.
“I’m on it,” I said, already in motion.
The faerie was shockingly fast in a pair of kitten heels. I didn’t get close enough to grab her until we reached the curb of the square. I yanked the skirt of her dress, which caused her to trip over the curb. Wood chips scattered as she went sprawling across the ground. I straddled her back and pinned her in place.
“Turning me to stone won’t release the elf,” she said, struggling beneath my weight.
“I’m aware. Release him now, of your own free will, and I’ll push for a lighter sentence,” I said.
“The only way to break our bond is to kill me,” Leanne spat, “and I don’t think you have what it takes.”
“Don’t mistake my compassion for weakness,” I warned.
Leanne thrashed beneath me, the right side of her face scraping against the wood chips. “Give up this effort to save one insignificant elf. He is not long for this world. To be perfectly frank, I don’t know how he’s managed to resist me this long. It’s unprecedented.”
“I guess you’re not as charming as you think you are.” I refused to give her the satisfaction of telling her about Ronald’s special cane. Let her believe he was stronger than her. “Why do you think he won’t give you his address? He doesn’t trust you, Leanne. Hell, I’m not convinced he really likes you.”
“Where is he?” she snarled. “Ineedto know.”
“Somewhere you’ll never, ever find him. Cut the cord, Leanne. He’s a lost cause.”
“He ismine. I claimed him.”
“Can you even tell me a single thing about him, other than he’s an elf?” Ronald was nothing to her, an object to use and discard.
