Page 154 of Love & Heart Braking

I clicked into the browser. “Just one thing first.”

Popping into the drafts, I ran my gaze over the email to Nepos Notice and checked the attachments. They contained Soleil’s condemning column on the Arbintos, plus a ton of evidence about how the family mistreated their models and stole designs from budding descendants in the fashion industry. The Arbintos had left a trail of destroyed careers and outright forced some of their victims from Nepos. There were two emails in the evidence attached that suggested some victims had been disposed of. Sick bastards.

“Does this mean my job will be busy on Monday?” Devereaux asked, watching over my shoulder.

“Only very.” I borrowed his line.

I clicked on the System Maintenance email, ignoring Devereaux’s snigger at the subject line.

It opened to show only a link inside. “Is it safe to open?”

“No idea. What do the other emails say?”

I’d forced myself to clear the backlog at lunch, so the only ones left were from the venue and another from a barista company Soleil had hired to make cocktails tomorrow night. “This is the only email that doesn’t make sense.”

But we did have the privacy of our clients to maintain. What if this link jumbled up stuff in the thing?

Check your emails. Lerome.

The griffin could be starving in a dungeon cell right now just like Maligni had been.

I clicked on the link.

34

I sipped at my espresso martini, scanning the bar tables filled with buzzing singles and their plus-ones. Enzo was circulating as I’d just been doing. Rolli and Annya were handling the booths. Short queues had extended from both sign-up stalls all night. A quick look over the names at each booth before had confirmed what I’d told Soleil. People looking for romance were happy to look for friendship at the same time.

We were all just searching for connection, no matter the type.

“Just dipping out to the ladies’ room,” I said to Enzo as he circled past.

“No problem.” The cupid turned to joke with a sprite. Enzo was quite the party host. I’d have to keep that in mind for future events.

I walked between the tables, smiling at the thrumming purple and pink ribbons filling the conservatory. After waking with Devereaux this morning and hanging out with him until he left for work, I was in a particularly good mood.

And I’d be remiss not to admit that having evidence against the Utatios and Boquits felt amazing. The Utatio family had traced Lerome’s fake rebellion forum online. They’d sent hitmen to the associated address, who’d fired bolts from their crossbows at a clone charm in Lerome’s image. He’d also managed to hoodwink the Boquits on the same night, staging a phone call from a different address. The Boquits had reacted just as speedily but used swords on the clone charm instead.

We had everything recorded from the forum and phone call to what would have been murder if the clones were real.

My question? How many times had the families sent hitmen in the past? They’d reacted so efficiently. Within hours.

In an unexpected win, Devereaux had recognized the hitmen as criminals associated with the Dethnels’ network and dealers of Shade. He expected that if we could provide reasonable certainty that the twelve were going down, those criminals would spill the beans to avoid a charge of assault with intent to murder.

I pushed into the bathroom, pressing back so one of my partygoers could walk past. She had a yellow band on—a plus one. Her love line was wrapped around herself, but as I watched, the band uncurled and bolted toward the men’s bathroom.

I checked the ladies’ bathroom. All the stall doors were open. I was alone.

Cracking the door I’d just walked through open a sliver, I waited.

When a vampire left the men’s room, he and the woman exchanged a small smile. They strode in opposite directions.

Dang. The pair had missed their cue. They weren’t true loves, but their pink tether was woven with purple. The magic in me pulsed—a sign of a great match.

Maybe just a little help…

I didn’t need my bow for this one. Lifting my pointer finger, I shot the woman in the back, quickly followed by the vampire.

They stopped as though electrocuted. Like puppets, they turned toward each other, then hurried to close the gap.

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