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“Of course.” I pour him a glass, Rune one too, but not for me. I want my hands free.
Just in case.
As I hand Lawrence his drink, his eyes drift over to the open doorway. The lack of sound suggests Nancy has finished her cleaning. She’s out in the garage now with Hali and their pre-packed bags. In case things go south, I’ve instructed Devin to get Nancy and Hali out of here.
“You probably heard about my omega disappearing at the party,” Lawrence says in his version of casual as his eyes probe Rune and me.
This guy has the subtlety of a tiger.
“I’d heard there’d been a disturbance at your party.” I take a seat on the couch opposite his, crossing one ankle over the other as I fold my arms. “Though I wasn’t sure what it was. I was otherwise engaged.”
Rune is sitting upright, sipping from his glass, his eyes lingering on me. He knows there’s nothing the least bit casual about my pose.
I want Lawrence dead, and I intend to see it happen. Soon.
Lawrence’s lips flatten. “My servants said you’d been in the gardens at the time.”
Giving him a lazy smile, I scratch my hair. “Yeah, well. Sometimes a man has needs that just can’t wait. I’m sure you understand.”
“Right.” His gaze holds mine, and it probes.
If he thinks that’s all it’ll take to pull the truth from me, he’ll be staring at me for an infinity and the result would be the same. Nada.
“And who was this lucky lady who so captured your attention you couldn’t wait to get her home?” he prompts.
I don’t even hesitate. “A beautiful but painfully shy woman who would not thank me for revealing her name.” I tap my finger on my nose the way I’ve seen his friends do. “A gentleman never reveals such things.”
“A gentleman…” Lawrence barks out a laugh. “Right. My servants saw Everleigh in the garden before her disappearance.”
“In the garden?” Rune widens his eyes. “Was she meetin’ someone? Amanperhaps?”
As a piece of distraction, it does its job.
Lawrence swings away from me, straightening his shoulders. “Everleigh was notmeetinga man in the garden. Someonetookmy omega.”
Rune scratches his beard, frowning as if he’s doing his best to keep up with a conversation that’s beyond him. “I saw her dancin’ in the ballroom. You mean to say someone walked in andtookher?”
Lawrence pauses, hunting for a way to explain Everleigh running out on him mid-party. “Well…”
“What a thing to happen in the city.” Rune places his glass on the coffee table between us and sits back in his seat as if he’s settling in for the night. “Back in Louisiana, my mama, God bless her soul, would say to me, Rune Fontenot, you better be careful when—”
Lawrence runs out of patience at the same time he runs out of brandy. He rises, smiling as he places his empty glass on the table. “Unfortunately, that fascinating story will have to wait for another time. I have another appointment.”
“You’re sure I can’t tempt you with another brandy?” I rise much slower. Maybe if I get him drunk enough, his daddy will believe us when we say he tripped, cracked his head on the corner of the coffee table, and that’s what killed him.
Lawrence hesitates and then shakes his head. “Unfortunately not.”
He leads the way back out of the room and toward the front door. Rune moves ahead while I drop back. Which is when I spot Cian. He’s walking down the stairs. His steps are silent, and his expression makes me forget all about Lawrence.
I’ve only ever seen a killing look like that in one place in this house.
My reflection.
Rune swings the front door open, turns, spots Cian, and guesses things are about to explode because he hurries Lawrence out.
Cian hits the entryway, his eyes never leaving the back of Lawrence’s head.
His expression is blank as he clenches his hands into fists and then unclenches
