Page 42 of Lady Killer

“You know, the movie with the hot lady dog and the roguish scoundrel? They eat the spaghetti, with the meatballs, and then they like slurp it and kiss in the middle? Luz would be the spaghetti?”

“You want to kiss Ali?”

“No. I mean, I’m not opposed to it, but I meant like the slurping and the eating and the sharing. It’s super romantic, there’s a red-checkered tablecloth and everything.”

“Seriously, Everest, what the hell are you talking about?”

Fucking children.

Sometimes, I forgot how much younger he and Alister were. They’d been born in 2002, for Christ’s sake.

“I really wish I’d been there to intervene during your wayward youth. Your knowledge of classic Disney movies is depressing.”

“Right,” Nixon said, raising his eyebrows, standing up from where he’d been leaning against the doorframe, and moving to turn around.

“What are you doing here anyways?”

Nixon and Alister usually stayed on campus at the townhouse. It wasn’t like him to wander around the estate at this hour unless he’d been wrapping up a job.

“Picking up some last-minute supplies.”

“Oh?”

Nixon wasn’t just our resident pyro. He was also an explosives and demolition expert.

“Rush job.”

“Ah, have fun.” I gave him a cheery salute.

Which brought us to today.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew exactly what Ali was doing when he chased after Luz like a bloodhound with a scent. I meant what I’d said. I was happy to share my Starbright with him. While I was her number-one stalker, not even I could be on her 24/7.

With the killer lashing out and murdering Melody, keeping her alive was going to be a team effort.

She was the light. It was natural that all sorts of pests would be drawn to her. That was why she needed the monsters waiting in the dark to stomp them underfoot. She was for us. Not them.

I was happy to see Alister getting over whatever stick was perpetually in his ass and finally taking matters into his own hands. I just hoped he treated her with the respect she deserved.

Otherwise, I might have to take matters into my own hands.

Hester and Jade lived in a well-maintained colonial on the edge of campus along with another friend, Bianca Winters. She wasn’t in the video, so she wasn’t on my shopping list tonight.

I’d staked out the house the last couple of days, waiting until I knew one of the twins had eyes on Luz. Bianca was out of town at some fancy-pants fundraiser her grandmother threw every year. I knew about it because Lucian had sent Locke there to rub elbows with some of our more important clients. There was never a bad time to remindthe rich and ruthless that you knew the worst of all their dirty little secrets.

Despite what most people thought about me, I could be quite patient when I wanted to be. I just had to be sufficiently motivated.

Waiting because someone told me to?

BORING.

Waiting to exact bloody vengeance and pick up the perfect present to declare my intentions to the future Mrs. Collins, killing two birds with one stone? Exquisite suffering.

Maybe I should take her name?

Everest Torres had a nice ring to it.

If the Blackwells could make everyone who married into the family take their name, why couldn’t I take Luz’s?

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