Page 39 of The Wickedness of Man

“How much do you normally drink?” Harry asked.

“Maybe a couple times a month.” I looked up at the two of them, suspicion burning my throat like acid. “Look—why are you asking me this? I didn’t lie about the doctor being at her office, did I? I told Home the truth!”

Jax shook his head stoically. “No, you’re right about that. As a matter of fact, Home was quite alarmed to discover he’d been watching an empty house until you called him, at which point the demon’s spell faded, revealing that her car was gone from the driveway.”

“So then he was burned, too,” I said. “She managed to leave without him realizing it.”

Harry shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. He didn’t go AWOL after bum-rushing a succubus—you did. So continue. After you got into the building and went up to the doctor’s office. What happened then?”

I could feel my anxiety screaming. I wasn’t even in the cells yet, and they’d already gotten me so off kilter, I was practically spilling my guts. The only thing I hadn’t told them was what happened once Ifoundthe doctor, which was probably what they were getting me worked up for. Making me nervous so I’d mess up. I took a deep breath.

Stay focused. Protect Magda.

“The reception desk was empty. The air was…” I paused. Strange. Heavy. Tinged with something seductive—but it hadn’t been directed at me; I’d kept my head about me—or so I’d thought. “It felt odd. I turned to the doctor’s office—where I’d seen the location from the apartment, but then, I realized there were another set of doors in the reception area, I went through them. There was hardly enough light to see by, and things got hazy as I went farther in, until…”

Here I paused again, staring at the table, working hard not to give myself away. I blinked, sat silent for a long time, and then sighed, heavily. I considered my words. I had to script this to make it seem like I was alone with the doctor.

“I heard noises from one of the rooms, so I drew my weapon and entered. I was able to catch the doctor by surprise, but… There was some kind of explosion from the reception area. She started gasping like she couldn’t breathe, and I turned my head for a split second, which is when she touched my face… I came to later, no idea where I was, and the doctor wasn’t with me. I’ve got no clue what happened to her after I left that building.”

And then I woke up again later, lying next to the beautiful woman I’d just ravished.

If I hadn’t been in such a bad way, the memory would have likely brought back my longing for her, but as it was, it was taking all my attention to edit Magda out of the story while still making it seem like a viable tale.

“I haven’t seen the doctor since the office—I swear.”

Jax nodded to himself. “You know that demons can manipulate a person’s memory, Caleb. You’ve seen it before yourself, have you not?”

“Yes.”

“So, while you may be presenting a true account to the best of your ability here, that doesn’t mean what you remember is actually what happened, does it?”

I hesitated, then shook my head. “…No.”

“So, is it possible you slept with Carmilla de Mornay—the woman you knew as Dr. Lowe?”

“I didn’t sleep with her,” I insisted. “I mean, yes, it’s possible that demons can alter memories, but?—”

“But you’re missing time, aren’t you?” insisted Harry, looking at me like he was selecting a fatted calf for the sacrifice. “By your own admission, you can’t remember everything. Even someone as fucking stupid as you knows temporary memory loss is the first side effect of demons fucking about in your head.”

I glared at him, said nothing.

Jax snapped at me, “Answer, now.”

Miserably, I looked down at the table. “Yes. I’m missing time.”

Jax leaned back in his seat and sighed deeply through his nose. It was a sound I’d come to recognize as his “disappointed” sigh. Harry, however, looked like he might start dancing a jig. How had I ever been friends with such an asshole? I didn’t recall him beingquitethis obnoxious before.

“This might seem a silly request, Knight,” said Harry, gesturing to my chest, “but take off your suit coat.”

“My coat?” I asked, hands going to my chest protectively. “What for?”

“Just indulge me, dickweed.” Harry said with feigned nonchalance. This wasnotthe Harry I’d known in the past. His gaze was sharp. Hawklike. Just what the hell had he been up to all these years?

I unbuttoned the jacket as well as I could given the manacles, and the very moment I opened it, we all got the picture at roughly the same time.

Oh… Goddammit.

My shirt. The one that had been ripped open by Magda’s needy hands when she’d had me on the bed. It was torn and missing buttons. I looked up, pretending not to understand why this might be cause for alarm.

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