“Maybe you should talk to her about it.”
“I plan to.” He swallows hard. “While I’m processing that bombshell, did either of them have any clue about who actually murdered Adam Barker?”
“Not exactly, but Eva said she felt someone’s power, probably a leprechaun. Their luck signature was a massive dark spider. She sensed them standing behind the wall of the bank. Do you know anyone who fits that description?”
Threading his fingers, he tenses, leaning forward in his chair. “Maybe. There are a few people who have dark insect-like energy.”
“You were there before I was. Did the blood from the victim spray away from that direction?”
He thinks for a minute, then rubs the back of his neck. “You know, the only blood I remember was all over River.”
“But the man was shot.”
“Godmother cleaned up that crime scene so quickly. It’s possible she hid the blood. Equally possible the bullet didn’t go all the way though him.”
“If that’s true, it means we have further proof that River is innocent. The gun was found next to him, but a shot at close range would have gone through the victim.”
“Maybe he shot Adam from a distance and then ran to his side with the gun.”
“Why would anyone do that?”
“I don’t know. I’m just preparing you for what Godmother might say. She’s going to use any excuse not to free River.”
“If the shot was taken at a distance, it’s highly likely the murderer is the fae whose luck manifests as a spider. I don’t know how the gun got to River’s side, but I do know there’s something here. We’re close. Can you look at Godmother’s records and see what the coroner found out? If the bullet entered at an angle that supports it being fired from behind the bank, we’ll have even more evidence to free him.”
“I’ll do one better. I’ll check the surveillance video for that side of the bank. Maybe we’ll get lucky and whoever tampered with the security system was so focused on the body they forgot the cameras around the bank.”
I inhale sharply. “No. Even if they did remember to wipe those cameras too, that proves they were covering something that happened there, which also proves River’s innocence.”
Seven nods, then leans his head back on the chair and stares at the ceiling. “We should go down to the security office now and review the video.”
He’s dressed in slacks and a work shirt, although his suit jacket and tie are strewn across the back of the sofa. The neck of his shirt is open, and I can see the scar where the doctor stitched him up following Rayrcore’s torture. He’s barely healed, and it’s clear the events of the day have wrung him out. “You look exhausted, Seven. We have time.”
He sighs. “We don’t. There’s a murderer on the loose. We should check on Saul. See if he’s awake. Maybe he heard something about Rayrcore’s motives while he was being held captive. And we haven’t even touched on what we should tell Godmother about this mess. She’s going to want a status update soon.”
I stand. “All of that will still be there in an hour.”
Seven closes his eyes. When he speaks, his voice is strained. “I know you don’t want to hear this, Sophia, but you should really think twice about this weekend. All this shit, it isn’t going away once we go public. Godmother stillownsme. People are going to harass us. If they find out about Eva, the entire Delaney family name is going to be smeared across the gossip columns.” His throat bobs on a hard swallow, and a muscle in his jaw twitches. “You should get out now. What if you change your mind about me? What if your feelings change but it’s too late because you’ve already been caught up in this gilded machine I was born into?”
“What if I leave you when you’re at your most vulnerable?”
His body clenches like I’ve hit him in the gut, and his eyes pop open. I’ve poked a sore spot that needs to be poked. His mother abandoned him to his abusive father, but I’m not them.
“I’d forgive you, Sophia. I couldn’t blame you. I really couldn’t.” A dark cloud passes over his expression, his fingers digging into the arm of the chair. I’ve never seen a man drawn limb from limb, but he’s doing a fantastic impression. He might come apart at any moment. “My family is a fucking mess. This thing with Godmother is a curse. Leprechaun society is a scourge. I love you too much to see your life ruined because of me. I love you enough to let you go.”
My heart gives an anguished thump at the thought, and I cross the living room to stand between his knees. Nothing is going to tear me from this man, not even him.
I lean over and place my hands on his thighs. “There’s a problem with that plan.”
He looks at me with an intensity that seems to cut straight to my soul. “What’s that?”
“I love you. And see, I know what it’s like to live with you and without you, and I choose with you even if that means we have to build a castle with a moat and we only lower the drawbridge for nice people who are supportive of our relationship.”
“A castle?” He gives a breathy laugh.
“Yes, a castle is what we need. I’ll be like Cinderella with her prince at the ball every night for the rest of my life.”
“You know what they never tell you about Cinderella?”
