by Gina LaManna
“The hell I don’t understand,” Matthew said. “I’ve just moved past it. Do your job, and people will respect you in time. If they don’t, that’s their problem. The chief is an honorable man, and he rewards those who work hard.”
“But I’m a Reserve. I get the feeling people think I’m cheating my way up the ranks because I have an advantage.”
“And I’m a vampire,” Matthew said easily. “I can move faster than anyone, sniff a crime scene a mile away, and hear whispered words from three floors down. So what?”
“You’re making it very difficult for me to complain,” I said, feeling grumpy all over again. “Stop being logical.”
Matthew finally cracked a smile. “My apologies.”
We rode the rest of the way in a more contented silence, and I took the time to study Matthew. He was busy watching the Sixth Borough as it passed us by—the bustling of the marketplace and the colorful cloaks, broom adornments, and hair diddly-bops that were all the latest fashions.
After the marketplace blew by, we passed the tall, looming circular building that stretched toward the heavens and marked the center of Sorcerer’s Square, and behind it, the mayor’s mansion and City Hall.
Wicked itself was bursting with life, but even the beauty of blooming trees and precious blue skies was nothing compared to the impressiveness of Matthew himself. The captain stood tall and broad, much taller than my quite-average height. His skin shone like marble, and he had the strength of a giant.
There was a delicately dangerous hint to him even at peace, in the thin curve of his lips and the dark, side-sweeping locks that curled just over his forehead. He wore the finest of suits as always, claiming that anything less than the best made him uncomfortable. Then, there were his eyes—his most mysterious feature of all. They were inky pools of dark laced with poison, jagged with intelligence.
A thought must have crossed his mind because a hint of his fangs protruded from his upper lip. My heart lurched at the sight of them, and a wave of desire flooded my stomach. I looked away, but my physical reaction wasn’t lost on Matthew.
He moved closer, brushing against me, and my body trembled with the anticipation. At once, I knew everything he meant to me. Everything we’d been, everything we could be... everything we might never become.
Finally, we reached the entrance to the Golden District. I felt shaky and off-kilter as we descended from the trolley and stood before the golden gates.
“Are you done?” Matthew asked with a hint of a smile.
“Done?”
He turned in a slow circle.
“What are you doing?” I snapped. “You look like a lunatic.”
He laughed, grinning as he came to a stop. “You couldn’t seem to take your eyes off me on the ride over. Figured I’d make it easy on you.”
“You had food in your teeth,” I snarled, and then brushed past him and through the gates. My face heated in embarrassment.
“DeMarco,” he called after me. “Stop.”
I spun on my heel and faced him. My cheeks were probably still pink, judging by the way Matthew’s eyes flicked to them, and the way he carefully licked his lower lip. He composed himself before speaking.
“If this arrangement doesn’t work for you,” he said, carefully weighing each word. “We can figure out an alternative.”
His face might have been calm, but I could feel the tension radiating between us. Electric, flammable, ready to combust. I took a step closer, confident that I had as much of an effect on him as he had on me.
He could smell my desire, hear the race of my heart, taste the anticipation that hovered between us. It was a little game we played, something along the lines of look, but don’t touch.
“I’m fine.” I leaned as close to him as physically possible as my whisper brushed across his cheek. “Are you?”
His lips gritted together. “Stop.”
“What am I doing?”
He closed his eyes. “I knew this was a stupid idea.”
“Well, you’re the one who gave it the green light.”
“Before!” He roared. “If I’d known there was a chance of something happening between us, I never would have agreed to the chief’s plan.”
“Well, you did, and so did I,” I said. “So now you’re my boss, and we’re just going to have to make this work—because I’m not walking away again. Not for a man. Any man. Am I clear?”
“Then it’s a good thing...” Matthew leaned in close, his lips almost touching my ear. “I’m a vampire.”
A shiver rocked my body as Matthew’s hand came to rest on my shoulder. My skin flared at his touch, my body twitching with anticipation. I closed my eyes, pretending things were different. Pretending we had the simplicity of other relationships: Meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after.
That would never be the case for us.
“Come on,” I said, pulling away from him. “We’ve got two dead elves and one who’s missing.”
“After you, Detective.” Matthew straightened, his eyes watching me carefully. “Remember, if it gets to be too much—”
“It won’t, Captain,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I promise.”
Chapter 2
“Welcome to Gilded Row,” a chirpy female voice said from inside a tall, spiraling guard tower. “Please state your name and business.”
“Captain King and Detective DeMarco,” Matthew said. “Our business is official and private.”
“Nothing is private here in Gilded Row,” the elf said happily. “What is the nature of your business?”
“We’re with the Sixth Precinct,” I said. “Here on police business. Let us through, or Leonard Luca won’t be happy.”
“Ma’am, security is of utmost importance for Gilded Row. Please have your badges at the ready so I can come by and check them.”
I watched the tall, narrow guard tower, seeing a flicker in a window three stories up. Flashes of movements brushed past windows the rest of the way down, and eventually, a head of shiny blond hair appeared in the doorway. The lookout tower appeared almost medieval in nature, a circular setting inlaid with stone that twisted upward into spires, presumably looking out over Gilded Row.
I’d never actually stepped foot inside Gilded Row. I had, however, been inside the Golden District—many times. While the Golden District was wealthy in its own right, Gilded Row took opulence to the next level.
Gilded Row was a gated section of the Golden District reserved solely for the richest of rich, the powerful, the few. The only way inside was to pass through heavy security at one of the entry points. Elves were some of the most secretive creatures in the borough, and they kept their wealthiest residents under careful lock and key.
The chirpy security elf was dressed like a female James Bond. She was exquisitely gorgeous, slender and tall with the slight pointed ears that gave away her purebred status. She had on black pants, a leather jacket, and a travel belt. Matthew cast a glance first at her, then at me.
I wore distinctly similar attire, yet next to her I looked like a slouch. So unfair. While I wore black all around, I did it for a reason. So I didn’t have to spend my time matching things. It was hard to go wrong with black on black on black. Especially as a cop.
But this elf wasn’t only dressed in the finest of clothes, she had on dainty hoop earrings and a sparkling diamond at her throat that was surely real. Her nails were lacquered pink, and her smile was tinged with a ruby shade of gloss.
“Badges,” she requested, collecting Matthew’s first. “Ma’am?”
I glared at her, then at Matthew, before handing it over. I was surprised Matthew was playing so nice with this rent-a-cop, but then I took another look at her and my surprise vanished. No wonder the elves had stationed this woman at the gates—she could enchant every male trying to pass through town with a simple pop of her bubblegum.
“Who are you here to see?” she asked.
“Leonard Luca,” I said. “Can we move things along? It’s sort of u
rgent.”
The woman looked us up and down, gave a satisfied little grunt of approval, and stepped back to her tower. “Enjoy your stay in Gilded Row!”
“Enjoy yourself,” I muttered as the guard pressed a button and two huge plates of gold separated on the road before us, allowing us entry. “I don’t think...oh, my word.”
Matthew watched me with a smile. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t seem to restrain my reaction. While this was all new to me, Matthew had obviously been to Gilded Row before. His incredible disinterest in the view before us was almost a sin.
A whole new level of riches and prestige sprawled before us. Gilded Row lived up to its name. Every building had been formed into ornate golden structures, all of them glittering and shimmering so desperately against the sunlight that I was forced to avert my eyes to the ground for a break. Until I realized even the ground was paved with golden brick.
All the brightness gave me a headache; it was like staring directly into an eclipse, or straight at an expanse of dazzling snow. I blinked and glanced over at Matthew.
“Thanks for the warning,” I muttered. “I take it you’ve been here a time or two?”
He shrugged, still smiling. “I preferred for you to go in blind.”
“Yeah, now I am blind,” I said, raising a hand to shield my eyes. “This is nuts. How do we find Leonard when everything looks the same?”
“Nothing looks the same,” Matthew said, his eyes roving over the gold-plated miniature city imprinted against the skyline. “Everything here is unique.”
“Well, one windowsill around here is worth more than my entire apartment,” I said. “So where to?”
Matthew gestured toward a cathedral-like building at the end of the street. On it was a badge across the front that read Luca. The name was surrounded with intense swirling curls and images I couldn’t make out from this distance. A family crest.
“I see now why the chief wants you on this case,” I said dryly. “It would be an expensive one to screw up.”
“To put it lightly,” Matthew said. “Which is why I put my best man on the job. And by man, I mean woman.”
“What’s your theory on the case?”
“I don’t have one,” Matthew said. “I have facts so far, and nothing more. Two elves were found dead this week. Another one is missing. That’s it. I will reiterate, however, that the elves are very secretive. When questioned about the initial disappearances, the elves were not helpful.”
“But now we’re dealing with Linsey Luca,” I said, nodding toward the golden cathedral ahead. “I’m willing to bet the other girls didn’t have the same political pull that she does. And why would the elves hide information? It’s not like they have an incentive... unless it’s an inside job.”
“That’s what we need to find out,” Matthew said. “Let me ask the questions. I’d like you to scan for Residuals and see if you can pick up on anything strange.”
“Strange?”
Matthew didn’t have time to clarify because a short, slender elf with jet black hair and a thin mustache appeared on the front steps of the Luca manor. Though he would only come up to my waist standing next to me, he towered over us at the top of the staircase.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a grandiose, trumpeting declaration. “Welcome to the house of Leonard Luca and family.”
“This is a house?” I gaped, forgetting I was supposed to let Matthew ask the questions. “Holy smokes. I thought it was a church.”
“I am Edward, and I am the butler for the Luca family. Let me show you inside, Captain King. I assume your help will be waiting outside?”
“Hey, buddy,” I said. “I’m not—”
“Detective DeMarco will be coming with me,” Matthew said. “At Chief Newton’s request. You have your orders, now let us in.”
Edward’s gaze hadn’t left Matthew’s during the entire conversation, but at last, he spared me a very quick glance. His once-over must have proved disappointing because he gave a disgruntled sort of sniff. “Very well.”
Edward stroked his finger over one of two large, gold-plated doors, and they opened beneath his touch. He marched inside.
I waited a beat, following close behind Matthew. I sensed I was already edging toward the captain’s bad side, and I was intrigued enough that I figured I’d better shape up. I didn’t want to give him any reason to throw me off the case and replace me with Marcus.
“This has been the Luca estate since the 1600’s,” Edward said as we entered through a magnificent hallway. “Generations of Lucas have passed through here.”
“What do they do?” I asked, and Matthew gave me a sharp glance. “You know, for work.”
“Work.” Edward tittered with a sharp laugh at my curious expression. “Funny. You must be the Reserve.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. “I must be the Reserve?”
“Clearly you didn’t become a detective based on your intelligence and charisma.”
I almost gave him a good shot of charisma right to the face, but Matthew’s glare had deepened to an impatient sort of warning. I kept my mouth shut.
“Wait here, and Leonard will be right with you,” Edward said, leading us into a grandiose office. “Would you like something to drink, Captain King?”
“No, thank you,” Matthew said dryly.
“Don’t worry,” I added. “I’m good, too.”
Edward left the room, and the door closed silently behind him.
“What a tool,” I said. “Man, people are getting on my nerves today.”
“Would it kill you to try and be friendly?”
“You try being a woman in this business!” I said. “First, I have Marcus hitting on me over the sludge machine, then I have Edward over here pretending I don’t exist. I’d like to see your reaction!”
Matthew didn’t have time for a reaction because a second set of side doors opened. In walked a platinum blond male, a tall and slender elf, but not as wiry thin as Edward. He had the palest blue eyes and creamy complexioned skin, and when he looked at me, I had the distinct impression he saw right through my skin.
“Captain King,” the elf said, giving him a nod. He gave me a quick nod as well, though he didn’t make eye contact. “Thank you for joining me today. Please sit.”
When the elf sat behind the expansive mahogany desk, looking relaxed at his place as head of the room, I took him to be Leonard Luca. He looked important, dressed important, and even the sandalwood and jasmine scented room smelled important.
Opulence burst from every corner of the room, every shelf on the wall. I was beginning to understand that nothing was simple in Gilded Row, and I suspected our case would follow suit.
“You Commed the Sixth Precinct this morning.” Matthew dove in quickly, holding eye contact with the peculiar elf. “And reported your daughter missing.”
“Linsey didn’t come home last night,” Leonard Luca confirmed. “She was participating in an etiquette event at her school—”
“Sorry,” I interrupted. “An etiquette event?”
“Yes,” Leonard said, his gaze flicking toward me before returning to Matthew. “Etiquette: manners, such as not interrupting while someone else is speaking.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand what happened. Where was the event held?”
Matthew’s foot slid over to mine and began to press down on the toe of my boot, hard, and then harder, until I winced and glared at him.
“The event was held at Margaret’s Finishing School for Young Elves, where my daughter attends weekly classes,” Leonard said. “It’s an exquisite school for young women to impress upon them the importance of manners, etiquette, and other life skills. Once a month, the class has a sort of gala—a dinner and a ball. The children learn to dance, to properly eat and serve meals, to respectfully court the opposite gender. As I said, it teaches them the ropes of civilized society. The ropes we follow here in Gilded Row.”
I raised my eyebrows, b
ut I figured Matthew was about ready to sink his fangs into me, so I merely gave a nod of thanks and remained silent.
“What time did she leave the house?” Matthew asked. “And who was the last person to speak with her?”
“Her mother and I inspected her before she left,” Leonard said. “As is tradition. She was wearing a beautiful white gown, a silver tiara, and jewels with the family crest on them. I suspect someone wanted her things.”
“It’s hard to say for certain what exactly happened, or exactly why she was taken,” Matthew said. “I assure you I will make no assumptions. The first thing we must do is determine she is actually missing.”
“Of course she’s missing. My daughter is hardly a child,” Leonard said. “She wouldn’t have just wandered off. She is seventeen, and she will be available for marriage in six months. She’s lined up to be wed to the prince of our people, Henry Thermont, and she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
“You sure about that?” I asked. “Being forced to marry when you’re eighteen might be a tough pill to swallow. I wouldn’t have been ready for marriage at eighteen. Hell, I’m almost thirty, and I’m still not sure if it’s for me.”
“That may be fine for you,” Leonard snapped, finally turning to look at me. “But my daughter is different. She is a Luca of Gilded Row, and she has a destiny to fulfill. You...”
He trailed off, as if remembering his shiny little etiquette rules at the last second. I felt a pinch of satisfaction at rattling his perfectly golden cage.
“Traditions aside,” Matthew said, “we are pulling out all the stops to find your daughter. Please walk us through last night.”
“We saw her off to the ball,” Leonard said. “A carriage picked her up at our front steps. She was to meet Henry Thermont and the others at school. We didn’t think much of anything until the ten o’clock hour came and went. She participates once a month, and has ever since her fifteenth birthday, and there have never been issues at a school function. Margaret runs a safe and very prestigious academy.”
“I’ve no doubt,” Matthew said. “What happened when she didn’t come home at the scheduled hour?”
