Page 7 of Lady Killer

Luz Torres, the girl at the center of all the murders occurring in my town. The same girl who’d seemingly ensnared half the menin my family.

Everest made no attempt to hide that she was his latest obsession, and I was well aware of Alister’s fascination with her. Even Nixon and Locke seemed to be fixated on her, though they tried to hide it.

I’d seen photos of her from the research Alister had compiled. She was attractive enough—petite but curvy, with blazing amber eyes and a natural pout. If she hadn’t been far too young for me, I suppose I could’ve seen the appeal.

Up until now, as far as I’d been concerned, she’d been the twins’ problem to manage.

But now that problem was sitting in front of me, and despite everything that I’d read about the girl, nothing had prepared me for her tonight.

She made quite an impression in her rumpled workout clothes, with her still-wet hair plastered to her head, her makeup faded . . . Even so, she held her head high and carried herself with a deliberate grace.

There was little doubt that she was here because Everest, and likely Alister, intended to ask me to let her live, despite her committing an unsanctioned kill on Blackwell land.

I was also aware that if I said no, the former would almost certainly throw a temper tantrum of catastrophic proportions.

Still, I didn’t like to reward bad behavior.

“If the girl is to be believed, then the Croft asshole was involved with whoever has been selling drugs under our nose,” Nixon said.

“And now we have no one to question about the broader scope of the operation,” I shot back.

Ever since she stabbed him in the hand, Nixon’s interest in her had become increasingly antagonistic. Yet here he was, offering not quite a defense, but providing at least context for her actions.

Nixon shrugged. “Everest would’ve likely killed him for touching her before we got anything good out of him anyways. I’ve sent someone to search his apartment. Now, we can start to compile a list of known associates.”

He was right. Everest was a talented killer but a terrible inquisitor. That was Locke’s job, and if Croft had in fact attacked the girl, there likely wouldn’t have been enough pieces of him left for my cousin to question once Ever was done with him.

As it was, Locke had disappeared after finals at Hollow Oak. Which was fine by me. As long as he was where I needed him, when I needed him, he was free to play academic as much as he liked.

Ignoring Nixon, I further inspected the predicament in front of me.

Cruelty was built into my bones. Being the heir to the Blackwell empire required it.

The mistake that so many made was to confuse cruelty with haste. A quick death was merciful, which was why I never rushed.

Mercy was not in my nature.

Many a man had withered beneath my stare, unable to resist the natural urge to submit in the face of the bigger threat.

Every single twitch was a tell, and I took great satisfaction in watching titans of industry crumple before me—their heads bowed, their shoulders curling in.

The girl was dwarfed by the chair around her, her feet barely touching the floor, dressed in a filthy outfit that cost less than my breakfast. And yet she sat unbowed, her spine as straight as steel, her ankles crossed delicately as if she were a lady receiving her subjects.

I let silence continue to fill the room, wondering how long she could hold up under my scrutiny.

She was still scared, that was obvious. From the hum of her breath to the tightness in her jaw, I could only imagine the gamut of emotions running through her.

But she never let the fear control her . . .

A minute passed by, and then another.

She remained impassive while Everest started to shift in his seat, cracking his neck. I wasn’t surprised that my only friend’s patience appeared to be running out.

Standing behind her, Alister remained stoic as ever. The handful of words he’d spoken and his tight grip on the back of her chair had been the only hints of his investment in the situation so far.

Nixon remained hidden in the shadows.

“Nothing you’ve told me explains why this girl is still alive and sitting here before me,” I said in a cool tone, looking to provoke a reaction.

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