Page 116 of Hell’s Half Acre

“We don’t really change. Hellbeings, I mean. We can change small things, but he seems really different. That is usually a very bad sign. Means he’s plotting something and trying to stay off Luke’s radar. Never, ever a good sign.”

“He seems very sweet to me.”

Helly shook her head slowly, side to side. “Hellcats are never sweet. They’re notoriously devious and self-serving to the end. Don’t let him deceive you.”

Before she could say anything, Envee materialized beside Helly. “There really a werewolf here? Trinket said he just tossed one into the big house.”

Sorcha was trying not to react to how Envee described everything.

“A nasty one, too. She growled at Sorcha.”

Envee’s eyes widened. “Can I go threaten her?”

Sorcha was stunned by the question. “Why?”

Envee acted as if that was the most absurd question ever. “You don’t know a lot of werewolves, do you?”

Actually, she didn’t know the answer to that. Until the last few months, she’d never known they even existed. “I don’t think so.”

She passed a droll stare to Helly. “She don’t know any or she’d have a better answer.” Then she looked back at Sorcha. “They’re awful. They need a good tormenting. Trust me.”

Sure. Why not?

“Well…on that note, let me go check on our guest.” Sorcha could only imagine the questions Bernadette and the others would have about the werewolf that just popped into their offices.

Then again, it was Infernal Affairs. To them, just another day of the week.

Laughing at the thought, she headed to the “big house” and up to the main floor where Marcia was calling out for legal counsel.

Bernadette was in the room with Marcia. “This one of yours?” she asked Sorcha as she joined her.

“Luke’s mostly.”

“Perfect.”

Marcia snarled at them. “I am entitled to a phone call!”

Bernadette crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, honey, you’re not entitled to shit. But personally, I’d like to be entitled to some silence. Care to make that happen?”

“You can’t arrest me without my Miranda rights!”

Bernadette arched her brow at Sorcha. “Did you arrest her?”

“She’s detained. Not arrested.”

Bernadette slid her hand in front of her. “There you go. Detained means you don’t get a call. Miranda or any of the good stuff. Sucks to be you.”

“Then I’m free to go?”

Bernadette let out an aggravated breath. “No. Detained means we hold you while we investigate this and ask you questions. You are not free to go. If you leave, you can and will be criminally charged. So I suggest you sit there, quietly.”

Heading for the door, Bernadette paused beside Sorcha. “Next time, pick a quieter criminal to detain.”

“I will,” Sorcha said seriously, then burst out laughing.

Alone with Marcia, Sorcha wasn’t sure what to say. “So, you’re really a werewolf?”

Okay, that sounded dumb even to her. But she wasn’t sure what else to say.