I wait a few minutes until he gets his order in. Then I fold up the paper and head over to the counter. Maybe I can try that Jedi mind trick Julian did with Scott that forced him to tell the truth. I don’t want to accidentally flash blue eyes or anything.
I’m half angel, but I’m also half witch, and a damn good one at that.
“Excuse me,” I start and slide onto a stool next to him. “I wanted to thank you for your service to this town. Please, let me buy you lunch.”
Officer Benson, according to his name badge, looks flabbergasted. I hold out my hand, offering a handshake. I find his pulse point on his wrist as soon as he shakes my hand.
One…
Two…
Three…
“I’m Callie.”
“Henry Benson.”
I push my way further into his mind. “You want to tell me all about the recent crime in Newport.”
“Yeah.” He slowly nods. “I do.”
“Good. And order whatever else you want. I’m buying.”
I wait another beat, making sure my magic has taken hold. Then I release his hand and push my hair back over my shoulder. “Have there been any other bodies found with missing organs?”
“Yes, three.”
Shit. “What organs?” I look out of the corner of my eye and see a waitress watching us. Feeling a little bad, I flick my fingers and cause a jar of sugar to fall off the bar counter, spilling all over the floor. I can’t have her hearing any of this. There’s a reason the police haven’t gone public with this information yet.
“The first was missing a heart. The second was missing her heart and liver. The third…heart, liver, and all guts were gone.”
“Did this happen before or after Brianna Hayes went missing?”
“Before.”
“Has anyone else gone missing since?”
“Yes, two more people, though one might have run off with a boyfriend.”
Three bodies were found with organs are missing, and now three people are missing.
“Do you know about when this happened? Like, how far apart were the murders?”
“The first three victims seemed to have died within a week of each other. And the first missing person was reported about a month later.”
“Thank you,” I tell Officer Benson. “You’ve done a great job protecting Thorne Hill.”
“Yeah,” he says with a smile. “I have.”
I put money on the counter, covering much more than his meal and coffee. I hurry to my Jeep, needing to get back to my books and possibly back to the restricted section in the Academy library.
Because I think I’ve found Hell’s missing demon.
17
“Good, you’re home.” Lucas is sitting in the living room, legs stretched out on the coffee table in front of him. He has a book in his lap, another one of my steamy romance novels by one of my favorite authors TL Smith. Binx is curled up next to him, and my other familiars are lounging in the sun.
“Why, did something happen?” I ask, unzipping my boots as I walk.
“Nothing bad.” Lucas sets the book down on the coffee table, trading it for his phone. “I had Eliza do a bit of work for me. For us, I suppose.” He waits until I’m on the couch next to him to go on. I pick up Binx, who lazily stretches and snuggles into my arms. I kiss his furry head and scratch under his chin. He starts purring right away.
“What did she do?”
“She found this.” Lucas opens his text and shows me the pictures she sent through. It’s a wedding venue, and it’s breathtaking. A century-old barn has been converted into a reception hall. It’s whimsical in its decor, but not over the top. I click in the link under the photo, going to the venue’s site.
It’s only an hour and a half away in Michigan, where we can legally get married. The barn is situated on twenty acres of woods, and there is an outdoor pavilion for ceremonies. The barn itself is rather small, seating no more than fifty-five people, which is perfect since I don’t need a large space at all.
“It’s gorgeous.” I flip through the gallery of photos once more.
“They just had a cancelation for the first Saturday in September. We could get married then, and I thought if you’d like to delay our honeymoon until October, we could spend most of the month traveling. I know not being able to attend your coven’s Samhain festivities will be hard for you, so I thought getting away would help. And there is trick-or-treating in Disney World,” he adds. “It’s not too late to buy tickets. Because I already did. Just in case you want to go. I was going to surprise you,” he adds with a grin. “But you make me rather impatient.”
“Lucas,” I start, eyes getting misty. He’s so thoughtful. I put the phone down and carefully move my sleeping familiar to my side, tucking a blanket from the back of the couch around him. Then I throw my arms around Lucas. He pulls me to his lap and hugs me tight.
Stupid organ-harvesting demon. I don’t want to deal with it right now.
“Did you have Eliza book that venue too?”
“She put a temporary hold on it. We have to let them know within the hour if we want it or not.”
“I want it,” I say with no hesitation. “We only have like a month to get things lined up, but I’ll have my dress, we have a venue…and I have you.” I blink away tears and kiss Lucas. “I still need flowers, a DJ, a caterer…and this all on short notice.”
“The thing about money,” Lucas starts with a grin, “you can buy anything. You want flowers? Fancy food? A live band? I’ll pay whatever it takes to get them at our wedding.”
“You’re a bit ridiculous at times,” I laugh. “And you’re going to turn me into a trophy witch.”
“Too bad I can’t brag about being touched by an angel.”
I roll my eyes but kiss him once more. “Let’s book everything.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asks, and I know he’s not asking if I’m ready to get married—I am. He’s asking if I’m ready to officially leave the coven.
“Yes.” I suck in a breath. “Evander said I can leave of own free will and it’ll be a quieter affair than having to be publicly kicked out.”
“That’s good, I suppose.”
“Y
eah. He’s going to stop by sometime tonight or tomorrow so I can do it.” I run my fingers through Lucas’s hair. I want to be nothing but happy. Brimming with joy and love for my groom to be.
Lucas wraps me in a tight hug and then picks up his phone, texting Eliza so she’ll go ahead and call the venue and officially book our wedding date.
“I’m also not opposed to traveling or vacationing for two months after the wedding,” Lucas says. “We could see the world.”
“That would be amazing…but I kind of have the bookstore and that’s a lot of responsibility to put on her.”
“Kristy has managed just fine without you.” He starts to bunch up the hem of my dress. “And, Callie, is it practical to continue to put yourself on the schedule?” he asks gently. It’s not the first time he’s hinted that trying to hold a steady job doesn’t really work for me. Which is true. It’s hard to keep regular hours when demons are always after me.
I needed to work before.
Now I don’t.
“Everything I have will become yours too,” Lucas tells me.
“So you’re not going to make me sign a prenup?” I joke.
“I couldn’t if I wanted to. It’s not a privilege vampires are awarded.”
“Really? That’s not fair.”
“That’s the law.” Lucas buries his face against my neck. “Though I’ve never been one to live by the law.”
“Good. Because I’m totally marrying you for your money.”
“I’m marrying you for your blood.”
“As long as we have an understanding,” I say and lean back so I can look at Lucas’s face. Sunlight is streaming in through the living room windows, lighting up his face. His eyes are the darkest blue I’ve ever seen, with little flecks of green and gold mixed in and they almost sparkle in the light.
“Do you want to text your friends?” he asks. “And tell them we have a date?”
“I do.” Now I really am beaming. “And I need to make sure everyone can come. At least our guest list is small. That’ll make it easier to get last-minute services.” I think for a second, mentally counting everyone I want to invite. Eliza, of course. My sister, Phil, and Penny. Kristy, Naomi, Nicole, Evander, and Tabatha from the coven. And then Betty from work, though she’ll be the only one there who doesn’t know the truth about who I am.