by Gina LaManna
Dani doesn’t know who to trust. The medical examiner is lying. A detective is reverting to dangerous habits. A rich lawyer is wrapped up in a gruesome murder-suicide. In addition to the job, Dani’s forced to balance a potential new suitor with her complicated feelings for Matthew, while demons from her past threaten to destroy the future.
When the case begins to crumble from the inside out, Dani must re-examine those she loves most...and risk losing everything in the name of justice.
Chapter 1
“No offense, Detective,” Willa said with a happy sigh. “But man, is it a relief not to be eating pizza.”
I cracked a grin and sat back, resting a hand over my full stomach. “Nobody agrees with you more than I do.”
Willa Bloomer, part-time help at the pizzeria I’d opened recently, had invited herself right into DeMarco family life from the day we’d met. After I’d accidentally gotten her fired from her receptionist job for Councilman Blott, she’d accepted work at the pizza shop, and the rest had been history.
Even my mother loved her, going so far as to call Willa the daughter she’d never had. (Never mind me, her actual daughter.)
See, I’m Dani DeMarco—retired Reserve, sarcastic witch, and the only girl in a family of five children. After a case went sour nearly a year ago, I decided to call it quits from the department in favor of melting mozzarella and deep-dish crust.
Until my ex-boyfriend dragged me back to help on a case a few weeks ago. In my defense, I didn’t have just any ex-boyfriend. Captain Matthew King was the sort of man—or rather, vampire—who most women found hard to refuse. When Matthew King said jump, witches looked around for a broomstick to fly.
But dinner was not the time for business talk, seeing as my mother had done the difficult job of wrangling four of her five children together, along with my father and Willa, for a sit down, home-cooked meal. The only viable excuses to get out of our newly reinstated Sunday night DeMarco Dinners were business travel and/or death. Except for my oldest brother, Rob.
Rob was excused from everything...for a very long time.
“Dani, what’s the news on that missing chick?” Jack, my youngest brother, tore into a chicken leg and glanced my way. “The one who nobody thought was missing. Is she actually gone?”
Nash, my second-oldest brother, frowned. “She’s not supposed to be talking about cases with civilians.”
“I’m right here,” I said, waving. “I didn’t talk about any case—Jack just asked. Also, it’s not news that Lucia has been gone for over a month now.”
“She retired,” Nash said. “You saw the note she sent the captain.”
Lieutenant Nash DeMarco, like my father and myself, had been drawn to law enforcement. Nash, Matthew, and I had all been one big happy family working at the Sixth Precinct—the branch of the NYPD that kept the paranormal Sixth Borough of New York safe from crime. Or attempted to. I’d left the precinct recently, but I hadn’t gotten rid of Nash.
“You saw the code in her note,” I said. “It was a cry for help—not a letter of resignation.”
“If it was a cry for help,” he retorted, “then why hasn’t Matthew asked you to consult on the case yet?”
My father stared into a pile of sweet corn as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He knew better than to join in work conversations at the dinner table, but as a former detective himself, I could see his ears perking up with the familiar tug of a mysterious thread.
“I will hack all your ears off if you don’t pipe down and eat your food,” my mother said. “I didn’t slave over the stove all day to listen to my family talk about murder at the dinner table.”
“Slave over the stove,” Jack snorted. “So that Meal Prep Hex is just an illusion?”
“It’s not a murder,” I clarified, before my mom could lose her cool. “It’s a kidnapping. Relax.”
“Why are you so concerned, anyway?” Nash asked. “You don’t work for the precinct anymore. Frankly, I think you should stay out of it.”
“Shove it, Nash. She was a friend. I trained her for months,” I said vehemently. “I know she needs help, and I’m not going to sit around while a bunch of you men fiddle yourselves when a woman’s gone missing.”
“Nobody’s fiddling anything!” My mother roared. “Eat for crying out loud!”
The room went silent. I began shoveling the food away just as fast as my brothers, while Willa watched with her eyes peeled wide open. Our big, loud, obnoxious family was still a novelty to Willa, who had been an only child. I gave her two months before she lost interest.
The room was still silent when Nash’s Comm beeped.
“Don’t you dare answer that,” my mother warned, her eyes flicking to the communication device around my brother’s wrist. “The call can wait.”
Nash’s face went a painful shade of white, and I guessed it was an urgent call from the department. If I hadn’t been annoyed, I’d have felt sorry for him. I might even have extended a helping hand in the form of a distraction. But he’d picked a fight with the wrong sibling.
“I’m sorry, Ma,” Nash said, backing away from the table. “I really have to take this.”
“Oh snap,” Doug said.
Douglas DeMarco is my twin brother. He’s a nerd of few words. We don’t have much in common, actually, except for a slight similarity in our looks. And the same birthday. He’s older, but not by much.
My mother’s hand shook, sending a flood of gravy from her spoon onto her salad. “What did I say about leaving the dinner table before we’ve all finished?!”
“Rose,” my father said, finally intervening as he reached a soothing hand over and squeezed her shoulder. “He’s an adult. Let him take the Comm—we should be proud he’s working and not sleeping on our couch.”
“Hey,” Jack said. “What’s wrong with sleeping on your couch?”
“Nothing, dear,” my mother said, patting my baby brother’s hand. “We like having you here.”
The sigh that came out of my father’s nostrils said differently, but he smartly didn’t argue. In the background, Nash spoke softly into his Comm as we all strove to eavesdrop—my mother included. She might not be happy about his accepting the call, but that didn’t stop her from being nosy.
“Dinner’s great, Mrs. DeMarco,” Willa said. “Thank you for this incredible meal!”
“Anytime,” my mother said quickly, then returned to her struggle to listen in on her son’s conversation. “Did Nash say Dani’s name? He should not be dragging her back into a case. That poor girl—”
“Mom.” I waved at her. “Me. That’s me, and I’m right here.”
The room went silent as the Comm ended and Nash returned to the room. He froze as he passed through the kitchen into the separate dining area.
“I see this family understands the definition of privacy,” he said wryly. “For anyone who didn’t hear, Matthew will be stopping over briefly.”
“When?” Rose DeMarco asked, fury building behind the clenched spoon in her hand.
“Well, Ma, being that he’s a vampire and he said he’s on his way, I’d guess...” Nash paused, cocked his head to listen. A knock sounded on the door. “There he is.”
“Don’t anyone move.” My mother stood and stomped across the dining room, through the living room, and opened the door. “To what do we owe the pleasure, Captain?”
Matthew wasn’t fooled by the false sweetness in her voice. “My apologies, Mrs. DeMarco. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t an emergency.”
“Will someone die, Mr. King, if you had waited to show up here until after dinner?” Rose asked, a clip to her tone.
“Oh, Jesus,” my father groaned. “Rose, please.”
“Don’t you work in Homicide?” My mother pressed as my ears started to burn with embarrassment. “Doesn’t that mean the body is already dead when you’re called to the case, Mr. King?”
“Yes, Mrs. DeMarco, but—”
“And don’t you have an entire pleth
ora of witches and sorcerers and orcs and pixies and elves and gnomes and God only knows who else on staff?”
“That’s true, Mrs. DeMarco, but—”
“So, it’s essential that we do this during my family’s dinner hour?” She put a hand on her hip and leaned against the doorframe. Rose DeMarco was a short, spritely woman with a curvy figure and a mane of frizzing hair. “I was just about to serve the Bundt cake, Mr. King. I’d offer you a slice if you wanted to stay and dine, but...”
I stood up. “Enough, Mom. Stop terrorizing Matthew.”
“She’s not—” Matthew started, but I held up a finger to stop him.
Despite the situation, I couldn’t help the amused grin from quirking up the corners of my lips. Matthew King, captain of the Homicide Unit for the Sixth Precinct, was not only an unstoppable force of his own right, but a terrifying specimen of vampire. His body looked made of stone—and felt that way. I knew from experience. He could duel with a werewolf and take down a troll with his bare hands. The man was scared of nothing. Except, apparently, my mother.
“Let Nash go with Matthew for a few minutes,” I said. “He made it through the main course. That’s more than dad can say for his entire career.”
“Don’t bring me into this, Danielle DeMarco,” my father grumbled. “I’m retired.”
“Me too,” I said. “But mom’s scaring the vampire.”
Willa held up a hand to cover her mouth, but the giggle let loose anyway. “Sorry,” she whispered, “but this family is a train wreck. A loveable one,” she added quickly. “But a train wreck all the same. I wish my family had been this exciting when I was growing up.”
“I still haven’t figured out how I’m related,” Dougie said, sounding melancholy. “I still think there’s a chance of adoption.”
“I watched you come out of your mother,” my dad said. “Two seconds before Dani. Believe me, son, you’re not adopted.”
Dougie looked ready to be sick. He stood and excused himself from the table.
“Great!” My mother threw her hands up. “Look what you’ve done, Richard. You scared your son away.”
“I didn’t—” My dad heaved a sigh and stood, accompanied by the shrill scratch of the chair. “Why don’t I handle clean up tonight? Dear, you take a nice warm bath. We’ll do dessert later.”
“I suppose that’s fine since everything else is ruined,” Rose said, holding a hand to her forehead in exasperation. “Jack, get your eyes off Willa, will you? Your mother is watching.”
Sure enough, Jack had taken advantage of the chaos to visually appreciate my new best friend, so I brought a hand around and gave him a light smack to the side of the head. “She’s not interested in you! Leave her alone.”
Willa, however, was looking tickled pink at the attention. “I don’t mind. Don’t worry, Dani, I can handle myself.”
At the warning in her voice, I did a double take and stared Willa down. The way she was eyeing my brother, it was as if their feelings were mutual. Gross.
“Okay, Captain,” I said. “You’ve ruined dinner. Take Nash so I can have my cake, please.”
“Actually,” Matthew said, his eyes flashing an interesting shade of slate. “I came to talk to you.”
My mother, who had given up and opted for the bath my father suggested, stopped her exit from the room with a halt and swiveled around with a pointed finger. “Business or pleasure, Captain?”
Matthew gave the softest of chuckles. “I assure you it’s business only, Mrs. DeMarco. Dani wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Ah, well.” Rose waved a hand. “Figures. I can’t get Dani to date again if I put a gun to her head.”
“Come on.” I grabbed Matthew’s hand and pulled him through the front door and shut the chaos behind me with a slam. “There. What is it you needed?”
Matthew studied me under the glow of early moonlight. His features appeared chiseled in granite, sturdy and unmovable, comforting in their never-changing way. The captain was taller than me by a long shot and much, much broader. When we’d dated, he’d held my hand like the petal of a daisy—so gentle it felt like silk, for he was afraid the slightest pressure would crush my bones.
“You’re welcome,” he said in that dark, velvety tone.
“For what?”
“Rescuing you from that madhouse.”
“That?” I thumbed behind me and gave him a reluctant grin. “That’s just Sunday dinner.” I grinned at him. “Family. You know how it goes.”
As soon as I spoke, I regretted the words. Matthew was who knew how old—decades, centuries—timeless. His family, I assumed, was long gone.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “That was insensitive of me.”
“Danielle.” Matthew wound his fingers through mine as if he’d read my thoughts. His eyes left mine to study the back of my hand for a long minute before he flipped it over and traced thin lines on my palm. Just as abruptly, he dropped it. “Let’s walk for a moment, shall we?”
“You didn’t tell me what you’re doing here.”
“I’ve come to request help.”
“Sure, let’s walk,” I said, my eyes flicking up toward the window where a curtain flickered. Without a doubt, my mother would be spying on us.
“When did she acquire binoculars?” Matthew asked, taking my hand again as we paced easily away from my parents’ house. “That’s an interesting choice.”
I laughed. Matthew’s eyesight was ridiculously efficient—he could see for miles. Sometimes, like now, I wondered if he could see right through walls. In addition, his reflexes were lightning fast. Matthew could pick flies out of thin air and hear a pixie sneeze three towns over.
“Her window was open,” he explained. “It was obvious.”
“Ah. Well, that’s Rose for you.”
“Your mother loves you,” he said. “She never did think I was good enough for you.”
“She’s very old fashioned. And she never thinks anyone is good enough. Except Willa—she’d marry that poor girl herself if she got the chance.”
“I have something for you.”
And just like that, small talk was over. “Am I going to like it?”
“I’m curious to know that myself.” Matthew pulled a small, wallet-like folder from his pocket and extended it to me. It was an upgrade from the temporary badge they’d supplied for the last case. “It’s yours until you choose to deactivate it.”
As I accepted the weighty leather pouch, my heart rate picked up. I knew what was inside before I opened it. “Matthew—”
“Go on.”
I flipped open the compartment and found a gleaming golden badge that read Special Consultant Danielle DeMarco.
Matthew watched me carefully. “You’re pleased?”
I gave the badge a grateful little wave before I tucked it into my pocket. “This means I’m on the case?”
“We can’t be sure Miss Livingston is actually missing, except of her own free will,” Matthew said. “There’s the note that you might have decoded—”
“I didn’t maybe decode anything, Captain.” I spun on a heel and faced the vampire. “She outlined the letters HELP ME twice. It was a sign. I trained Lucia myself, and I know how she thinks. She’s in trouble somewhere, and we need to help her.”
“Hence the badge.” While I got all worked up, Matthew remained calm and collected. “With that, you have regular access to the department. There’s a light Spell Splash on it as basic protection—standard procedure, obviously. You don’t have access to any secure areas. Chief’s orders.”
“I’ll take it.”
“You’ll report to me.” Matthew raised an eyebrow, and though he’d let go of my hand when he’d given me the badge, his meaning was clear. “Will that be a problem?”
“Nope,” I said. “Fine by me.”
“Fine by me.”
“Great.”
“Perfect,” he said, though there was a dryness to his voice.
“That means no kissing me,
” I told him. “Understood?”
“Have a little faith in me.” Matthew’s eyes glittered a dangerous black. “I came over here to hire you.”
I frowned. “Is it awkward for you?”
Matthew thought about it. “No.”
“Well, it’s a little awkward for me,” I admitted. I nodded for us to walk onward, further away from my parents’ house. Who knew what sort of eavesdropping enchantment my mother had cooked up in the bathtub. “We’re good, right?”
He hesitated. “I’m good.”
“Great.” My chest constricted. I didn’t know what I’d wanted Matthew to say. I didn’t want Matthew to replace me—in work or in his personal life—but I wasn’t ready to be his yet. What does that mean for us?
“Are you and Grey...” Matthew glanced over at me. “Are you attached to someone?”
“No,” I said shortly. I didn’t feel the need to dive into my relationship with the white wolf who’d recently saved my life. “I’m single and happy about it.”
“Detective, I have one more question.” Matthew strolled forward, so lost in his thoughts he lapsed in his attention and reverted to his vampire nature. He moved so quickly that I couldn’t keep up. When that happened, I stubbornly stopped and stood still, toeing the dirt, until he returned. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, at my side again. “Distracted.”
“Apparently,” I said. “And I think I know why. You’re wondering what I thought about The Hex Files.”
He looked up, surprised by the hard edge to my voice. “Yes, as a matter of fact. You haven’t mentioned them once since you returned them.”
“Funny. I had a little question about them, too.” I studied the marble cut of his face, striving to find the truth there. “Where’s the rest of them?”
“The rest of what?”
“The files were—sparse.”
“I gave you the lockbox. I didn’t look inside,” Matthew said tersely. “I wish you hadn’t either.”
