The Hexorcist

by Lily Harper Hart

  She was unnerved by the entire thing. “Listen, while I appreciate the gallantry, I’m capable of walking myself to work. I’ve lived in the Quarter my entire life and no one would dare touch me.”

  He slid her a sidelong look, taking a moment to absorb the emotions on her face. “I’m not trying to assert anything to the contrary,” he said finally. “I’m sure you’re a total badass. Still, my mother would have my hide if I didn’t walk you to your door. That’s how I was raised. I’m not being sexist, I’m being polite.”

  She snorted. “Whatever. You think I can’t take care of myself. Just admit it.”

  “On the contrary, I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself.” Frustration bubbled up as Sully stepped up onto the curb next to her. “Wanting to do the right thing and walk you back to where I know you’re safe is not an insult. In most parts of the state, it’s considered good manners ... something you’re obviously not familiar with.”

  Ofelia opened her mouth to argue, but she didn’t get a chance because that’s when a third party joined their verbal sparring session, and she knew from one look at his face that Felix was going to make things worse.

  “She’s really not great with gentlemanly manners,” Felix agreed as he poked his head out from the tunnel to look the duo up and down. “She thinks that if a man opens a door for her that she’s going to be beholden to him. That’s essentially what she was taught growing up.”

  Ofelia glowered at him. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you.”

  Sully found the sight of the man who took off with Ofelia the previous day was not a welcome one. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he had to rein in his emotions, which was a ridiculous reaction because he had no claim to her and he wasn’t even certain who Felix was.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Sully prodded, hoping he sounded casual rather than jealous or insistent. That was the last thing he wanted.

  “No,” Ofelia replied without hesitation. “I think I’m done with all men for the day. I’m certainly not introducing the two of you so you can team up on me.”

  Felix let loose a low chuckle and shook his head. “See. I told you her manners were suspect.” He poked his sister’s midriff and then held out his hand to a suspicious Sully. Even though he fancied himself a fairly perceptive individual, Felix was having trouble wrapping his head around exactly what was going on with Ofelia and her friend. “Felix Archer, at your service.”

  Sully pulled up short, heat flooding his neck when he realized exactly how big of an idiot he was. “Archer. You’re her brother.”

  Felix nodded without hesitation, seemingly oblivious to Sully’s embarrassment. “I am. I’m the oldest, for the record. I got all the looks and brains so there wasn’t a lot left over for her. I apologize. I got all the manners, too.”

  Felix’s smile was too engaging for Sully not to relax. He shook Felix’s hand, internally cursing himself for being an absolute idiot, and then forced himself to banter with the obviously curious man. “That must’ve been a rough upbringing for her, what with you being so perfect and everything. No wonder she’s so surly.”

  “She is definitely surly,” Felix agreed, his gaze speculative as he looked Sully up and down. “What did you say your name was again?”

  “Detective Sully,” Ofelia answered for him. “And he’s not here to be your playmate.” She fixed Sully with a pointed stare. “Thank you so much for walking me back. I’m sure I would’ve died without you. I have to get to work, though. You’ll keep me updated, right?”

  It was a dismissal, pure and simple, and Sully found he was annoyed by the entire thing. “I will keep you updated,” he promised without hesitation. “I’ll be in contact tomorrow morning.”

  “Great.” She flashed a tight smile for Felix’s benefit and then disappeared inside the building. She didn’t as much as give Sully a goodbye wave.

  “You’ll have to forgive my sister,” Felix offered awkwardly when it was just the two of them. “She has a few personality quirks.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Sully said dryly.

  Felix fixed his full attention on Sully, as if seeing him for the first time. “I’m curious what you’re doing with my sister. She hasn’t dated in ... well ... longer than I would like. I don’t want her wasting her time on some random dude or anything, but I also don’t want her being alone. You’re something of a surprise.”

  “We’re not dating,” Sully reassured him quickly. “We’re just ... working together.” It was only after the statement escaped that he realized how lame it sounded.

  “Sure. You’re working together.” Felix rolled his eyes and then clapped his hand to Sully’s shoulder to prod him toward the door. “Come on. I’ll buy you a drink and we’ll have a talk. I have a feeling you’re going to need help taming the wild beast ... and there’s something we should discuss.”

  Despite himself, Sully found his interest piqued by the last part. “I don’t think your sister wants me in her bar.”

  “She’ll be fine.” Honestly, that was the least of Felix’s worries. “We’ll grab drinks and head up to the rooftop patio. We can have some privacy there.”

  Sully furrowed his brow. “I didn’t realize there was a rooftop section to Krewe.”

  “There’s not. It’s my sister’s apartment patio. We need a place to talk, though.”

  SULLY WAS UNCOMFORTABLE INVADING Ofelia’s private space, but the view from the patio was so spectacular he managed to tamp down his reservations in five seconds flat.

  “Wow. This is fantastic.” He sank into one of the Adirondack chairs around a small fire barrel and exhaled heavily. “This is why I love the city. This right here. Look at that view.”

  Felix smirked as he sat in another chair and cracked the top on a beer. “It’s an amazing view,” he agreed. “When Fe and I were kids and Dad was working, too busy to deal with us, we used to come up here and pretend we were being invaded by aliens. We spent a lot of time up here even before the apartment was renovated and belonged to the hotel.”

  “You and your sister seem close,” Sully noted. “That’s nice. I’m not all that close with my sisters. I forgot that not all siblings hate each other.”

  Felix’s chuckle was low and hoarse. “I love my sister, maybe a little more than is healthy. We needed each other growing up, though. We ... had issues.” He wasn’t sure how much he should say to Sully. Finally, he decided to go for it. “What do you know about our father?”

  Sully was taken aback by the question. “I interviewed him yesterday morning ... and again this morning. He seems okay. Maybe a little intense but largely okay. Why?”

  “Because I don’t want my sister getting attached to you — like I said, it’s been a long drought — only to have you walk away because of our father. And, before you deny that would happen, I’ve witnessed it more times than I’m comfortable with.

  “Here’s the thing: I don’t like sticking my nose in my sister’s business,” he continued, his eyes never leaving the New Orleans skyline. “She’s my best friend. She listens when no one else does. She stands up for me. She even offers to loan me money because she assumes I need it. She does it without judgment, too.”

  Sully had no idea where the conversation was going, but he was legitimately fascinated. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  “Do you like my sister?” Felix’s gaze was heavy when it connected with his. “I think you do. I was listening at the door for a little bit before I made my presence known. You guys have some crackling chemistry going.”

  Sully wasn’t sure how he was supposed to answer the question. “Our relationship is strictly professional right now,” he hedged. “We’re sharing information on a case.”

  “Henrietta,” Felix surmised, bobbing his head. “I figured as much. The thing is, you’re not a very good actor. The way you look at her ... well, it’s obvious that you want to be more than professional comrades.”

  “
I think it’s a bit early to discuss that,” Sully admitted, opting for honesty. “I haven’t even known your sister forty-eight hours yet.”

  “Except you know when you know,” Felix argued. “Attraction isn’t something you can always quantify. It’s not something that can be measured or predicted. You’re attracted to my sister, and unless I’ve somehow completely lost my ability to read her, she’s attracted to you, too. That’s why she was so rude when you walked her to the door. She would prefer you be cold and dismissive to her.”

  Sully leaned back in his chair, tracing his tongue over the back of his teeth as he considered how to respond. “She wouldn’t like that you’re giving me this advice,” he noted finally. “She would consider that you’re overstepping your bounds.”

  “She would,” Felix agreed without hesitation. “I’m her big brother, though. There’s very little I can do to protect her, even though that’s my job. I can do this, though.” He leaned forward, his gaze never moving from Sully’s face. “Our family is messed up. Like ... really messed up. If you’re just in this for a good time, it would be better if you leave now. You’re going to expend a lot of energy dealing with us, and I don’t want my sister to be hurt because you can’t take it over the long haul.”

  Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. Sully was legitimately caught off guard. “I don’t understand,” he said finally, taking a swig from his beer to combat his dry mouth. “I’ve now met three members of your family and you all seem fine. Is there something wrong with your mother?”

  “All manner of things,” Felix replied. “She’s not exactly the easiest woman to get along with, and her relationship with Fe is strained. My sister blames herself for it. Part of it is her fault, but my mother had unrealistic expectations regarding what my sister was capable of. It wasn’t fair to her ... and now it’s not fair to either of them.”

  Sully found he was completely and totally lost. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s my father,” Felix volunteered, going for it. “He’s sick. He’s bi-polar, maybe even manic depressive, which is mostly the same thing, and my sister is the one who watches him. He’s fine most of the time. Then he flies off the handle for no reason. He throws things ... kicks things ... says absolutely terrible things to her.”

  The forlorn expression on Felix’s face was enough to tug at Sully’s heartstrings. “Has he ever hurt her?”

  “No. Not physically.”

  “What about you?”

  Felix managed a watery smile. “No. He didn’t hurt us that way. He was just a screamer, and he preyed on my sister’s emotions. My mother wanted to force him into treatment when they divorced. She dangled Krewe over his head. He found a way to bamboozle her and hang onto the bar. Then my mother wanted us to stand as a united front and force him to do something about his meltdowns, but Ofelia was feeling soft that day and agreed to stand with him because he begged her.

  “She realized after the fact that it was a mistake and wanted to take it back but there was nothing she could do,” he continued. “Now she considers him her cross to bear. He’s going to wreak havoc on your relationship a time or two. There’s no getting around that. My sister is worth looking past that, though.”

  There were so many emotions flowing through Sully he didn’t even know where to start. He was so touched about Felix’s concern for his sister, though, that he couldn’t completely shut down the man. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s way too soon to get into that. Purely on a hypothetical level, though, I wouldn’t turn your sister away because of something your father did. That’s not who I am.”

  Felix stared into Sully’s eyes for a long beat and then nodded, seemingly content with what he found there. “Thank you.”

  “I’m not guaranteeing something is going to happen with your sister,” Sully warned. “We’re nowhere near that. She drives me crazy without your father’s help.”

  Felix chuckled. “Get used to that. It won’t change. She’s a good person, though.”

  Sully had figured that out for himself and he was struggling to maintain a professional distance. “Tell me about your father. I have a little experience dealing with bi-polar disorder. I have a sister ... and a grandpa ... and this wacky aunt.”

  Felix barked out a laugh. “You’re Southern. Of course you’ve got crazy in the family. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t fit in.”

  “Good point.”

  Twelve

  Sully and Felix spent hours getting to know one another on the roof. In truth, by the time they were done, Sully felt as if he knew the brother better than the sister ... although that was something he wanted to change.

  Felix led him down a private staircase when it was time to leave — mostly because Sully thought it best to give Ofelia space before interacting with her again — but that thought went out the window when he heard angry voices from inside the bar.

  Felix viciously swore under his breath. “I didn’t realize how late it was. Ofelia has shut things down.”

  “Then who is yelling at her?” Sully’s tone was accusatory.

  “Our father.”

  The simple answer was enough to twist Sully’s stomach. Felix hadn’t held back when it came to talking about Oscar’s issues. The idea of Ofelia having to sit there and take a barrage of insults from her own father was enough to infuriate them. He was right on Felix’s heels when the older Archer sibling barged into an empty Krewe.

  “I can’t believe you would ask me something like that,” Oscar raged. “That’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Ofelia didn’t back down. “Well, that’s neither here nor there. I want to know about your relationship with Henrietta. I had no idea you guys were so close. I’m sure you thought I was going to forget about it but, the truth is, I was simply waiting until everybody left.

  “Now, you can get as angry as you want, but I’m not going to let you get away with this,” she continued. “I want to know about your relationship with Henrietta and you’re not leaving this bar until you tell me.”

  “I don’t have to tell you anything,” Oscar spat. “I’m the father and you’re the child ... and an ungrateful child at that.”

  Sully moved to push past a frozen Felix. The stories he’d heard over the past few hours regarding Oscar’s meltdowns were enough to have him on edge. He refused to sit around and listen to Ofelia being verbally abused. It wasn’t in his wheelhouse.

  “Wait.” Felix attempted to grab Sully’s arm as the other man swaggered into the bar, but it was already too late. There was no stopping him.

  “That will be enough of that,” Sully announced with an air of authority.

  Surprised, Ofelia snapped her eyes in his direction. “What are you still doing here?”

  He didn’t answer, instead focusing on Oscar. “You’re not going to yell at her.” Sully’s tone practically dared Oscar to put up a fight. “She doesn’t deserve it. I know you have issues — and I get it — but I will not sit back and listen to you beat her down. If you want to yell at someone, yell at me.”

  Oscar’s expression was unreadable. He stared at Sully for a long time before flicking his eyes to Felix. “What have you been telling him?”

  “The truth,” Felix replied simply.

  “I see.” Oscar, seemingly calm despite what they’d just heard, shook his head before focusing on his daughter. “Now you have two of them standing up for you. I guess that’s fair.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry about earlier. I know I don’t say that enough ... but I am.”

  In truth, he never said it. That’s why Ofelia was so surprised when the apology escaped his lips. “It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled. “I just want to know about Henrietta.”

  Legitimately confused, Sully glanced at Felix. “I thought you said ... .” He trailed off, unsure.

  “Everything I said to you earlier stands,” Felix promised him. “He’s just not having a snit right now. This is a normal argument. I realized it when we hit the bott
om of the stairs and tried to tell you.”

  Sully waved off the statement and turned back to Oscar. “Ofelia and I are working together on this. If you know something then it’s your duty to share it with us.”

  Ofelia made a face. “That’s not the way to get him to cooperate. He doesn’t care about duty.”

  “Then how do you suggest we get him to cooperate?”

  “He was going to tell me everything before you barreled in like a big ... dude who likes to barrel in places.” She was going to say “hero.” It was on the tip of her tongue. She didn’t want to further inflate his ego, though, and managed to pull back at the last second.

  “I thought he was yelling at you,” Sully countered. “Oddly enough, I don’t think it’s fair to you to have to listen to it. I was trying to help.”

  “Yes, well ... .” Ofelia’s eyes narrowed to glittery slits as she regarded her brother. Retribution was promised in the glare before she turned back to her father. “I’m not letting you leave until you spill. That’s all there is to it.”

  Oscar glowered at her for a long beat and then blew out a sigh. “Frankly, my relationship with Henrietta is none of your business. Since I feel bad for before, though, and she’s dead and you’re trying to figure out who did it, I’m willing to help.”

  “Thank you for being so magnanimous,” Ofelia said dryly.

  “I was spending time with Henrietta, but not for the reasons you think.” Oscar pinned Sully with a dark glare. “It wasn’t romantic, and I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about you spending time with my daughter if your mind automatically runs to the dirty.”

  Felix snorted in amusement as Sully’s cheeks burned.

  “Sir, right now all that’s happening between your daughter and me is that we’re trying to figure out what’s going on here. Two people are dead. That’s my primary concern.”

  “You said ‘right now.’”

  Sully stilled, confused. “I don’t understand.”

  “You said ‘right now,’” he persisted. “That means as soon as you get the chance you’re going to change things. I’m not an idiot.” Oscar wisely tapped his temple. “I might have a few issues — and I appreciate your first instinct was to protect Ofelia, but she’s going to hate it if you try to go alpha dog on her —however I’m still sharp as a tack. You have plans.