“And no one saw you?”
“No, it all happened in the back alley of the club.” I swallow. “There’s more. I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about the women being murdered over the years in Ashville. The ones who had the words ‘demon whore’ carved into their bodies. I believe Erik was the serial killer because he said some implicating shit while he was attacking me. So that’s why I’m here—to search his apartment for evidence.” I don’t think Noah would approve of me getting the human police involved, so I serve him another half-lie, “To have something to sway the Council in my favor if they ever find out I had something to do with Erik’s death.”
Noah takes a few moments to absorb my words. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“Um, where?”
“To search his apartment. I’ll help you.”
“Are you sure? You would become an accomplice.”
“I don’t give a fuck. C’mon. I’ll drop you off when we finish.”
“Okay,” I mumble as he pulls me toward the entrance. “I think we should wait for a tenant to come in or out, though.” I tilt my chin to the front door of the building. It’s locked, and we could pick it, but there’s a security camera.
As soon as I finish saying that, someone strides toward us,holding a ridiculous number of designer shopping bags. It’s a woman who looks to be in her late fifties. I can’t help but wonder what store is still open at eleven at night. Well, I guess if you have enough money, the schedule doesn’t apply to you. And by the looks of it, she bought half the store. She huffs as she unsuccessfully tries to fish something out of her designer bag. Her keys, I presume.
Noah throws her a smile that could blind the sun. “Do you need any help with the bags, ma’am?”
“Oh—um—I, um,” she stammers, and I bite my lower lip to stifle a laugh. I think I had the same dazed expression when I first saw Noah. Actually, I vividly remember tripping over my own legs like an idiot. It’s refreshing not to be the one bearing the brunt of his charm.
She shakes her head, then smiles back at Noah after she schools her features. However, the reddish tint in her cheeks betrays she is still flustered. “Sure. If it’s not too much trouble. My shopping spree got a little out of hand, and my driver had to go pick up my husband from a late meeting, so I thought I should walk,” she prattles on as Noah bends to take the bags from her. “I haven’t seen you before. Did you just move in or…?”
“No, we’re waiting for a friend,” I chime in before following them into the foyer. I stop near the plush emerald couch, plopping down with what I hope is the air of someone who’s been here before. “Noah, I’ll wait for you here. Melissa should be down any minute now.”
He nods.
“Noah. That’s a lovely name. I’m Charlotte. Oh my, look at those bulging muscles. You work out, don’t you?” the woman gushes all over Noah while they enter the elevator.
He throws me a panicked look when Charlotte starts feeling him up. This time, I can’t stop the chuckle from springing free when the elevator doors slide closed.
Thirty minutes pass before Noah finally makes a reappearance.
“Did that lady try to kidnap you or what? I was about to call the police,” I say, tone full of mirth while I stride toward the elevator, where he’s waiting.
Noah lifts his hand to show me the white card tucked between his fingers. “Apparently, you weren’t prepared enough. We also needed one of these.” He swipes it over the access reader when I step next to him, pushes the button for the twenty-fifth floor, then visibly shudders. “That woman is batshit crazy. I only accepted a drink from her because I was trying to get this damn card out of her purse. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, and when she came back to the living room, she was fucking naked.”
I whistle. “Whoa. You really unleashed the Kraken with that smile, didn’t you? Jeez. I bet my neighbor, Ms. Robbins, would be so jealous if she knew she didn’t get to pull that move on you first. If you ever want to change jobs, I think you would make a good living as a sugar baby. Not like you need the money, but you know.”
He shakes his head at my antics but still smiles.
The elevator dings. “C’mon, Casanova. Let’s get you inside before Charlotte comes looking.” When we reach the apartment’s front door, I unlock it with Britney’s extra key—which I swiped from her locker at the compound earlier today. What’s a minor break-in next to killing someone? Am I right?
Looking at the spacious living room with its walls full of cute pictures of Britney and Erik from their vacations all over the world, you wouldn’t think he was a psychopath and, most likely, a serial killer. I was afraid that entering the place where Erik used to live would bring forth that blistering guilt. However, it doesn’t come. It seems to be attached only to the people close to him, those who suffer from his absence.
I don’t get the chance to take anything else in because themoment Noah closes the door at our back, a high-pitched shrill reverberates in my eardrums as something sharp latches onto my right ankle.
I shriek back and try to shake the…rat? off.
Nope, not a rat—a dog.
Of course Britney has a Chihuahua.
“Do something!” I fire at Noah, who, instead of helping me, is shaking with laughter while recording everything on his phone. “Do you really think you should film this? It’s evidence we broke in,” I mutter as I bend to dislodge the vicious creature from my leg. The little fucker is stronger than one would think. Luckily, I’m wearing hellseeker gear; otherwise, it would have done some real damage to my ankle.
I grab the dog from the back of its head to immobilize it, careful not to hurt him because I would never injure an animal on purpose—even one that looks like a rat. Letting Styx, Sam’s Sphynx, sleep next to me every night is a testament to that. He’s shaking as though he’s rabid and practically foams at the mouth as I push his small body into the bathroom at my left, then shut the door. Muffled, high-pitched barks travel through the wood.
Facing Noah, I shoot daggers at him with my eyes. “Seriously? I can’t believe you just stood there. And filmed everything no less.” I extend my hand toward him. “Give me your phone.”
