Heat involuntarily flooded my cheeks, my most loathed bodily response. My internal struggle weakened as I averted my eyes down.
Lochlainn scowled, slamming his fist down on the table, rattling it.
“Pogue, that’s enough!”
Pogue.
So he did have a name. Didn’t have as good as a ring to it asassholedid, though.
I desperately clutched onto the sliver of dignity I felt slipping away.
Looking up, I caught a glimpse of Keeffe and two other men, thoroughly entertained.
My gaze drifted to Finley. There was a hint of hurt as he peered at Lochlainn then back to me.
Damn it.
His feelings weren’t my responsibility, but I still felt horrible about it. Since arriving to Luckland, Finley was one of the first to befriend me. Technically, it’d be more appropriate to say we werefriendly,rather than friends. You know—thewhole professor-student, conflict-of-interests dilemma. But Finley didn’t seem to share my same worries, as he’d insist on walking me home most nights after class. The first time he asked me out, I made it very clear that it wasn’t going to happen. Finley kept explaining that although students dating their professors might be taboo in the Human Realm, it wasn’t taboo in the Ferie Realm. He also explained how he wasn’t going to give up. He proceeded to ask me out two additional times after that. I said no, repeatedly.
But now here he was, finding out I hooked up with his cousin/wannabe mobster boss.
Why did I now start to feel like the asshole.
I combed a hand through my hair, trying not to focus on my flaring nerves.
Lochlainn began, “I’ve called you all here tonight because there’s been an incident. One of the runners was found dead on the outskirts of the city. No products were stolen, so I’m guessing it was a targeted attack to—” He paused thoughtfully. “Send a message? To take us out? I don’t know. But that’s what we’re going to figure out.”
Products?
I knew there was a drug presence in Luckland but didn’t fully believe David when he suspected Lochlainn was behind it. He already had wildly successful pubs, casinos, and a hoard of men at his disposal. Wouldn’t that be enough?
David once said, “When it comes to coin and things that glitter, enough is never enough for those with Luckland blood.”Guess he was right.
Shit. What was I getting myself into?
I’d noticed the drug presence at parties and bars. There’d be a similar glazed-over look, as if they were stuck in some euphoric trance.Arcadia Leaf,the city’s new trending plague of a drug.
“It’d give you a heightened state of consciousness. Pure delight!” Breena had stated in her positive, fairy-like way.
Translation: they’d get really fucking high.
Lochlainn suddenly looked grim.
“Pogue. We found out the runner’s name was Quinley. One of yours.”
Of course he’d be in the drug business too. No surprises there.
Pogue tensed, shifting in his chair.
“Well, that is unfortunate.” He cleared his throat. “Were there any witnesses?”
Lochlainn’s thick arms slid over the table.
“No. A young woman stumbled upon the body. Had quite a scare. He was—” Lochlainn hesitated, grimacing. “He was decapitated—a butchered job, mind ya.”
Cool, cool. So there’s a murderer on the loose, last seen on the outskirts of town. No reason to panic.
The first time I worked for Lochlainn, it was a simple task. He wanted me to track a family heirloom that’d been lost after his grandmother passed. Being new to this place, I needed connections, and he was my ticket in. I’d been trying to dig deeper identifying the relics in my dreams, and as the Kingpin-equivalent of Luckland, Lochlainn was the quickest way to get my foot in the door to the archives. The collections weren’t easily accessible to the public like they’d been in the Human Realm. It was like I’d traded in my library card for padlocks and cryptic puzzle solving.
