Page 52 of The Devil's Embrace

“Because it’s the truth.”

“So certain?”

“Yes.”

“As certain as you are that you didn’t mean to hit Nero Quentin with your car that day?”

Calix clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to push things too far.

“That’s old too,” Titus said, and he almost sounded pleased all of a sudden. “You’ve always liked to take risks, but you understand there are lines that should be drawn. You have good instincts, Calix.”

“Even if my instincts are telling me it’s feeling more and more likely that youarecapable of cutting off someone else’s head?”

He grunted. “Those aren’t instincts, that’s anger. You don’t have much pride, but you certainly get defensive when triggered.”

“We don’t know each other.”

“See?” If he’d been wearing his glasses, there was little doubt in Cal’s mind that Titus would have adjusted them as he said that. “Defensive.”

“What exactly is it you want, Director?”

“I just came to give you information, Calix.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“It’s your name.”

“We aren’t on a first-name basis.”

“I’m older than you are, I get to decide that.” Titus rose from his seat, peering down his nose at him. “If the things Heathe said start to get to you, the hospital has a fantastic psychologist I can recommend.”

“I don’t need to see a psych.”

“Very well.” He bowed his head ever so slightly. “Until next time,Detective.”

Chapter 16:

A petulant part of him wanted the lead to go nowhere, but of course, since the director had presented it, it held some weight to it. Cal and the others had split into two groups, with Troya and another officer tasked with speaking with Rhett, while Calix and Amory checked hospital logs and met with family members of the deceased.

He’d wanted to be the one to speak with Rhett, but Troya had insisted, giving him a knowing wink as he left the station before Calix could argue further. The Inspector had gotten it into his head there was something going on between Cal and Aodhan, and he was pushing for them to run into each other.

The thing was, it wasn’t Aodhan Cal was trying to avoid.

His talk with Titus the other day had left him more than a little unsettled. If anything, running into Aodhan would be a good thing. It’d give him an excuse to ask about Titus and whether or not the two of them got along.

Whether or not he felt the director could be trusted.

“Trouble in paradise already?” Amory asked as he begrudgingly followed her down one of the wings in the hospital. They’d already spoken to everyone they needed to, leaving the hospital visit for last.

He frowned, silently asking for her to elaborate.

“Oh, come on.” She gave him a look. “Everyone knows.”

“Knows what?”

“About you and Doctor Solace,” she shocked him by saying. “He’s been going around talking about you to everyone with ears—even a few other species who don’t. Everyone knows how he feels about you.”

Calix came to a halt in the middle of the hallway.

---