House of the Rising Sun

by Kristen Painter

  “Magic? What kind? Witchcraft?”

  “I don’t know. Could be fae. Could be witch.”

  “So the bulk of his bloodlines are raptor fae and raptors feed off emotion. And they read metal, right?”

  She nodded. “They can touch or taste it or sometimes even sniff it and know where it’s been, what it’s for, how to manipulate it.” She took a long breath. “I’ve always figured that’s where Harlow got her skill with computers. All those little metal bits in there…” She shrugged.

  Augustine’s hand burned hot in hers. “A raptor. Damn. I can’t believe it. That’s why he was such a good listener. He was feeding off you.” He sat back like he’d just realized something. “No wonder Harlow picks up on emotion the way she does. With your haerbinger senses and his raptor blood…” He whistled low. “I would have locked myself away from the world, too. Sturka.”

  “Sturka, indeed.” She swallowed and clung to the easy lie. “He tried to take her from me when she was born. Claimed he could raise her better than I could. We finally came to an understanding and he agreed to leave her alone—”

  “Livie, I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re not telling me the whole truth. You can’t make me believe you came to any kind of understanding with a man like that. If you got him to leave her alone, it was because you had leverage. What was it?”

  Olivia’s heart sank into her stomach. She dropped Augustine’s hand and twined her fingers together. “I can’t,” she whispered. She had no desire to relive the horrors of the past.

  “Livie…” Pain etched his face so deeply she realized it must be a reflection of her own. He spoke softly but with firm intent. “I might need to know this information to keep Harlow safe.”

  She nodded, her eyes looking forward but seeing only the past. “Harlow… was a twin.”

  Augustine stilled. “What? Was? Where is—”

  The swell of emotion threatened to choke her. “Branzino is evil, Augie. He’s probably sold himself as some businessman, but he’s more than that. He’s a crime lord, a kingpin. They used to call him the Shark, but he killed the last man who said it to his face. You’ve got to protect Harlow from him.”

  He interrupted her. “Nothing is going to happen to her, but you can’t just tell me she was a twin and move on.”

  She nodded. “Early on in our courtship, such as it was, I jokingly read Branzino’s palm. I did a stupid, stupid thing.” Her breath came out in a ragged sigh, shredded like her insides. “It showed that his firstborn child was going to be the death of him and I told him.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “I didn’t know how dangerous he was then and he already had a son. And obviously, that child’s birth hadn’t caused anything to happen to him.” She covered her face with her hands, wishing she could change time.

  “Okay, so if he had a kid already…”

  She dropped her hands. There was no turning back now. “That child was his nephew. He’d adopted the boy when Branzino’s brother was killed in a car accident.” She wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock slowly. The powdery soft scent of their little heads filled her senses with memories both beautiful and heart-wrenching.

  Augustine pressed her gently. “And when Harlow was born? What happened?”

  “Harlow was second. Ava Mae was first.” She closed her eyes, trying not to see those sweet innocent faces and failing. “I did everything I could to keep him away. To protect my girls.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “None of it mattered. I was away on a night shoot. He killed one of my security guards and broke into the house, killed the nanny I’d hired.” She sobbed. The black-and-white video played in her head like a nightmare. “He smothered her in her crib.”

  Augustine’s face froze in a mask of repulsed shock. “Are you saying he killed Harlow’s twin because you predicted she would be the death of him?”

  She nodded, her throat too thick with sorrow to speak.

  “How do you know all this?”

  She swallowed down enough of the pain to let the words out. “Security footage. He even looked up at the camera at one point, to make a point of how much he didn’t care that he was being filmed.” Another, smaller sob. Then her sorrow turned to anger. “He thought he was protecting himself from the police. But I knew a human prison meant nothing to him. So I told him if he ever came near Harlow, ever touched her, ever let her know he was her father, I would send that footage to every Prime in every Haven city I knew of.”

  She turned to look at Augustine. “I threatened him with the Claustrum, because that’s exactly where he’d be sent for killing his own child.”

  “I should kill him right now.” Augustine’s anger was almost palpable. “Why didn’t you send the footage anyway?”

  “I was afraid. I thought he’d send his thugs to kill Harlow if I did that.” Her voice came out thin and pathetic. “I wanted to. I should have.”

  Augustine nodded. “I understand regrets.”

  “Thank you.” She breathed out. There was some solace in revealing the great burdens of your life. “There’s nothing he won’t do for money or power. If you can’t kill him, you’ve got to keep Harlow away from him. You’ve got to protect Harlow from him.”

  “I will. I promise.” He nodded. “Does Harlow know any of this?”

  “No, and I don’t want her to.”

  “Maybe she should.”

  “She already hates me. Imagine if she knew I let her sister be murdered?” Olivia put her head in her hands. “I only did what I thought was best.”

  “She doesn’t hate you. And you didn’t let Ava Mae get murdered. That’s all on Branzino.” Augie’s arm wrapped her shoulders and his head came in to touch hers. “This can all be worked out. You’re here and I can teach her how to access this plane and then—”

  “No.” Olivia sat up abruptly. “Harlow hates being fae. Can you imagine what seeing this place would do to her? I don’t want her here. Give me some time to figure this out, see what I’m capable of. Maybe I’ll be able to cross back over with some practice.”

  He gave her a curious look. “As what? A ghost?”

  “It would still be better than her seeing me here.” She grabbed his hand again. “Promise me you won’t say a word about what I told you. And not a word about me being here, either. Not until I can better control whatever this new form is.”

  “Livie—”

  “Promise me. I have to do this when I’m strong enough.”

  He sighed. “I promise, but only for a little while longer. You have to tell her soon.”

  She stared deep into his eyes. “I will. Now go home and make sure Cuthridge takes care of Harlow’s fine, but if Branzino comes around, you use the information I gave you. Cuthridge can give you access to my safety-deposit box. You’ll find copies of the footage there. Understand?”

  “Understand.” Augustine flipped his mirror open, the move keeping him from looking her in the eyes when he answered her. “I am going to tell Fenton about Branzino being a raptor. That could be vital in our investigation.” He sighed. “You should know we think—Harlow and I—that he might be involved in letting the vampires into the city. And until I have reason to believe differently, I’m pursuing that angle.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if he was.” She forced herself not to read anything into his lack of eye contact, because as long as she was trapped in the fae plane, there was nothing she could do about it.

  Unless she found a way to bring Branzino here and kill him herself.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Harlow saw the bedroom door swing open and a familiar horned fae walk in. She ignored him, preferring the fantasy of Zauron to the reality of Augustine. He liked her. What was she supposed to do with that? How was she supposed to feel? Liking him back meant… what? That he was her boyfriend? Did people even do that anymore? Her head was a mess. Just like her heart.

  He waved his hands to get her attention.

  She held up a finger to indicate h
e should wait, then finished killing the basilisk on her screen and signed off. She pulled the earpiece out and sighed. “If you’re here to yell at me about following you again, I get it. It’s dangerous. Don’t do it. Message received.”

  The way he looked at her made her feel like he was taking inventory of a very sad store. “That’s not why I’m here, but before I say anything else, you need to know that what happened between Dulcinea and I was a one-time thing and it happened when we were teenagers. Years ago.”

  Interesting that her knowing that was so important to him. “Over and done with. Got it.”

  He seemed a little miffed that was the extent of her reaction. “Also, I wanted to make sure we’re set for tomorrow, because I’m going with you. I got the money out of the house, too.”

  “Good. I called before I followed—anyway, I left a message on Cuthridge’s voice mail that we need to meet and he called back to confirm for first thing.” She slipped her gloves back on out of habit. “What did you do with the money if it’s not here?”

  “Probably better you don’t know.”

  She nodded. “I’m okay with that. Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Slow down, speedy. You think we’re not going to talk about what happened tonight?”

  She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t. “I get it. You like me. I might… like you, too. A little. But I really don’t want to talk about feelings and—”

  “I meant about you following me. You never promised not to do it again.”

  “Oh.” Heat flooded her face so fast, she knew she must be a wicked shade of embarrassed. She studied something on the opposite side of the room.

  “It’s nice to know you might like me, too.” She could tell he was grinning without even looking at his stupid, handsome face. “Especially since we’re living together.”

  She spun back around. “We’re not living together. We’re living in the same house. Those are two very different things.”

  He nodded. “Okay. Got it. Different things.”

  “You are so infuriating.”

  “So I’ve heard.” He hesitated, leaning his hip against the footboard of the bed. “Was your case public knowledge?”

  She almost wept with joy at the change of subject. “Sure, if you did the research.”

  “So the amount of your fine, that would be public record, too?”

  “I guess. Why?”

  He heaved out a long sigh and scratched his head. “I’m probably reading something into nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  She hopped off the bed to stand in front of him. “Tell me. If I’m going to stay here, if we’re going to co-own this house together, I don’t want there to be secrets between us. I’ve told you a lot about me. You can at least tell me whatever’s rolling around in your head.” She stripped off one glove and wiggled her fingers at him. “Or I can find out myself.”

  He looked taken aback. “You’d do that?”

  She sighed and yanked the glove back on. “Actually, I wouldn’t. And I suck at bluffing. Just tell me, okay?”

  He straightened. “The box contained exactly eight hundred and fifty thousand.”

  She shrugged. “That proves that Branzino’s been watching me for a while. He must have thought I’d be an easy mark with that kind of debt hanging over my head.”

  “Maybe.” Augustine looked unconvinced. “I believe he deliberately set you up so he could swoop in and save you. Your mother’s death was just—for him—a happy coincidence. The house was an unexpected bonus.”

  She gave that a moment to sink in, then shook her head. “But if my mother had something on him, enough to keep him away from me all these years, why set this all up while she’s still alive?” The realization of her own words struck her as they left her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She grabbed for the bedpost and sat down, her stomach on the verge of rebelling. It was all she could do to whisper, “He killed her.”

  “No, vampires killed her. I was there.”

  She lifted her head enough to look at him. “But you still don’t know who let those vampires in, do you?”

  He slowly shook his head and cursed softly. “Before your mother died, she said ‘After me’ and I didn’t understand what she meant. I tried to explain to her I was to blame. The vampires had come after me because I’d killed the leader’s girlfriend. What if she was right? What if they’d told her she was their target?” He put his hand over his eyes for a second, then dropped it and paced to the other side of the room. “If he’s behind getting those vampires access to the city, if he deliberately did this to target your mother but meant for me to take the blame… it’s one of the most complex murder plans I’ve ever encountered.”

  “What did you mean about the house being a bonus?”

  He stopped pacing. “Any fae convicted of a felony is forbidden to own property in a Haven city. I have a feeling Branzino has a record. Owning the house through you would give him a foothold here to branch out into whatever it is he really does.” He swore in a language she didn’t understand. “Of course he wanted Olivia dead. He needed you to own this house so he could use it. The chaos created by the vampires was only icing on the cake. A way to distract us from his real purpose.”

  The world seemed to narrow down around her. “He was using me from the very beginning, wasn’t he? Using me to kill my own mother.” A chill swept her as her brain went a little foggy.

  “You okay?” Augustine sat beside her on the bed. “You went dead white, like you were going to pass out. You’re not responsible for any of this.”

  She nodded, mouth dry as dust. “My mother was right about him this whole time. He’s no good. Not one tiny bit. And now I know he was my anonymous client.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “He might have hired someone, but it was still him. I feel it. As sure as I’m breathing.” Her fingers shook as she pushed hair out of her face. “No wonder I couldn’t track him down. He’s got his son in on this.” She looked up at Augustine, feeling like she might be sick. “What kind of father tries to use his daughter like that?”

  “One who doesn’t deserve the title father.”

  “If he comes back here…” The thought caused her to shudder.

  “He won’t,” Augustine said. “I’m going to make sure of that.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Cuthridge nodded as he listened to Harlow explain her situation. Augustine expected the man to balk at the amount, but he didn’t flinch one bit. Maybe years of being a lawyer had inured him to these kinds of things. When Harlow was done, she sat back, twisting her gloved fingers together.

  Augustine spoke before Cuthridge could. “By my presence here today, I hope you understand I’m completely in favor of the estate paying this fine and securing Harlow’s freedom. In fact, I believe there should be enough to cover the fine in the Cayman account.”

  “There is.” Cuthridge cut his eyes at Augustine, a sure sign that information was not widely known. “Miss Goodwin, do you have the paperwork concerning your case?”

  She dug into her purse. “I do.” She handed it over.

  Cuthridge perused the documents, a soft “Um-hmm” here and there. Finally, he put them down. “I’ll have this taken care of immediately.”

  She exhaled like she’d been holding her breath. “You will? Just like that? I thought the money was only for keeping up the estate?”

  “As the executor of the trust, the accounting of how the money is spent is up to me. The upkeep of the estate is very important, but taking care of the needs of the estate owners is even greater.” Cuthridge smiled, softening his professorial demeanor. “I work for the trust, Miss Goodwin, and so, in essence, I work for you. It is my job to protect you and Mr. Robelais from these types of things whenever I can. In fact, had this issue come to light sooner, I feel certain your mother would have provided you with counsel beyond that which the state did.”

  “You mean you?”

  He laughed. “Oh no, I’m
not that kind of lawyer. But I assure you, I know some.” He tucked the paperwork to the side. “I should add, Miss Goodwin, that the trust considers this an investment in you.”

  She went serious again. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning there should be a return on that investment. In plain language, I hope you will stay in New Orleans and look after your mother’s estate instead of returning to Boston. It is not a requirement of having the fine paid, but something for you to seriously consider.”

  She nodded. “I understand and I’m okay with that. I plan on staying here.”

  “Very good.” Cuthridge nodded, looking a bit more relaxed. “Mr. Robelais, if I could have a moment of your time before you leave?”

  Harlow stood. “I’ll give you two a minute. Thank you, Mr. Cuthridge.”

  “My pleasure, Miss Goodwin.” Cuthridge waited until the door was closed to speak to Augustine. “How did you know about the Caymans?”

  “Long story short and in all confidentiality, Olivia made it through to the fae plane. It’s taken her a while to… figure things out over there, but I spoke to her last night and she told me to tell you this thing with Harlow needs to be taken care of immediately.”

  “Of course, I’ll do it today.” He removed his glasses and used his tie to wipe the lenses. “I’m very happy to hear we are not entirely without Ms. Goodwin. I take it her daughter doesn’t know?”

  “Not yet and Olivia wants to keep it that way.”

  Cuthridge slipped his glasses back on. “I am all about confidentiality, Mr. Robelais. Tell Olivia everything will be taken care of.”

  “I will. And I appreciate it. I’m also going to need access to her safety-deposit box. She said you could provide that.”

  “I’ll take care of that, too.”

  “Thank you.” Augustine left the office, collecting Harlow as he left. On the way to the car, his com cell beeped in his head. “I have a call,” he explained to her, unlocking the vehicle. She nodded as she got in and he stepped off to the side. “Answer.”