Page 16 of Lady Killer

Everything I knew about the Blackwells, Alister included, said they didn’t dofeelings. That this was about catching the killer, nothing more.

Even Everest’s IOU was more of a joke in my mind.

And yet, Alister had just gifted me the thing I knew he valued most.

Knowledge.

Chapter six

Luz

The first couple days of the new semester were mercifully Blackwell free.

I had three new classes, Gender and Economics, General Sciences, and Statistics II, all of which looked promising.

Intro to Japanese was a full-year course, which meant more dry lectures with Michael. On the first day, he somehow looked even more exhausted than when I’d seen him at the coffee shop. He’d explained to the class that he would be defending his thesis this semester and might be slower to respond to emails and such.

Thursday rolled around far too quickly, and I was forced to face my least favorite professor again.

Locke had been conspicuously absent during my introduction to Lucian, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened had he been there.

On the one hand, it was far too easy to imagine him calling for my death.

On the other hand, could my economics professor really hate me that much?

Who was I kidding? Of course, he could. He probably would’ve offered to do the deed himself.

Like Nixon did.

Nixon’s willingness to kill me didn’t hurt so much as irritate. I’d caught Lucian’s remark about protecting his twin. It was certainly plausible, and I couldn’t fault him if that was the case.

Still, no one liked hearing that someone was indifferent about murdering them.

Despite the lack of snow, it was an unseasonably cold day, which meant my preferred uniform of skirts and dresses was out. Not even the best tights could keep me warm when the windchill made it feel like eighteen degrees.

I went for a pair of ankle-length flared black wool trousers and my lug-soled patent leather boots. On the top,I layered a thin merino wool sweater in cream under a gray houndstooth blazer that I cinched with a belt. I put on an oversize camel coat and secured my thick hair back in a twist with a claw clip. A large scarf wrapped around my neck was the final touch before I headed out.

Stepping out of the elevator in Jackson College House to head across campus, I was caught off guard by a familiar voice whispering in my ear.

“Don’t you look absolutely scrumptious,” purred Everest, suddenly standing mere inches from me.

I shouldn’t have been shocked by him loitering in the lobby, but the man had a talent for sneaking up on someone and catching them unaware.

I shrugged, pulling my backpack up higher on my shoulders, trying to create some space between us. “Everest, what a surprise,” I replied cooly, silently thanking the universe that Autumn wasn’t with me.

“Now, Starbright,” he said in a low tone as he sidled up next me, less than a hair’s breadth away but never touching me.

“I know Ali would have let you know I was coming back. Let me guess, he ‘warned’ you.” His finger quotes were accompanied by an exaggerated roll of his bright blue eyes. “Silly boy thinks you need protection from me.” Hescrewed up his face as if it were beyond comprehension why Alister might think so.

Sighing, I resigned myself to his presence and started walking toward the doors. As expected, he moved with me, matching me step for step.

“Is it surprising that he considers you dangerous?”

“Dangerous, yes, but only in all the best ways when it comes to you,” he said as he slipped a cream-colored knit cap over his platinum locks.

Today, he looked like an affluent European businessman, dressed in a well-tailored camel coat several shades lighter than my own, immaculately pressed umber slacks, and of course, loafers in chocolate brown with neat beige cashmere dress socks.

“So, you aren’t going to kill me if Lucian orders you to?”

---