Page 27 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

Oliver looks startled for a moment, and then seems to remember it’s just me, and it’s okay if I know his secret. “I haven’t seen myparentssince then.”

His eyes fall to the photo again, a distant look on his face. Needing to be closer to him, I slide my hand around his waist. He instinctively does the same, and I lean my head against his shoulder. “We were always close,” Oliver says, staring at the photo. “It killed me to leave her. I didn’t see her for years, but after she got old enough to get out of our parents’ house and wasn’t watched so closely, she came and found me. We don’t get to see each other often—we’re afraid she’ll be shunned by the sorcerer community, too, if people realize she still talks to me—but we sneak in visits every so often.”

“I’m glad.”

Oliver gives me a squeeze. “I’ll have to introduce you sometime.”

My chest warms. I’ve never been close enough to anyone that they wanted me to meet their family. “I’d like that.”

I surprise Oliver when I lift myself up onto my toes and press my lips to his. It’s a simple kiss, sweet, and it’s over quickly, but it feels right. When I pull back, Oliver’s smile falls crooked. “What was that for?”

I shrug. “I’m just glad you’re here. Plus, it helps to be the one who initiates physical contact. I’m trying to do it more often so I’m not so skittish anymore. Practice, you know?”

Oliver flashes me another lopsided grin. “I’m glad I’m here, too, and you’re welcome to practice on me anytime you want.”

I chuckle, but the laugh dies on my lips when Oliver dips his head down to mine. I meet him halfway. We have just enough time for the kiss to get heated when Terrance clears his throat from the doorway. Oliver and I snap apart. I can hardly look Terrance in the eye, but he just smirks. “Food is ready,” he says, disappearing down the hall.

I leave Oliver to get dressed for work and join Terrance in the kitchen. He’s made sandwiches for all three of us. He says nothing about my kiss with Oliver, so I don’t, either. I grab some waters from the fridge and sit down at the counter. Terrance slides a turkey sandwich in front of me. “Laagh just called me,” he says, pushing a paper across the counter to me. “Here’s the list of people you asked for. Not all of the victims had family or clan to get in contact with. A lot of fey are solitary.”

My good mood plummets as I read the list. Seeing actual names makes it feel real, and having them all written down like that makes eleven feel like fifty. So many dead, and people are looking to me to stop it. I let out a long breath. “Did you know any of them?”

Terrance leans against the counter across from me and takes a big bite of his sandwich. “A few. Uriel Rorel and Arlim Brywn were goblins from the same clan. Both were greedy bastards who liked to cause trouble. You could almost always find them hanging out in bars, pool halls, casinos—anywhere they could swindle unsuspecting humans. Typical of goblins. I could see them having a number of enemies, but the others…” He shakes his head.

“Lark Treewhite was a dryad,” he continues. “They’re as peaceful as you get and somewhat revered among fey. Abigail Arcone was a solitary banshee but fairly social. She was an event coordinator in Henry’s hotel and spent a lot of time in the club. And Kieran Traric was a very strong sidhe. Also solitary. I knew him well. He worked as a bodyguard for a rich sorcerer who’s heavily involved in politics. Whoever killed him only went after him. They left the sorcerer alone. Not sure how someone got the drop on him.”

Terrance stops abruptly and takes another large bite of his sandwich. He’s glaring at his plate, and his free hand is clenched into a tight fist.

My throat closes up seeing him upset. He knew these people personally. They were friends of his. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.

His eyes snap into focus, and his gaze bores into mine. “My instinct is to keep you as far from this as possible, but Laagh was right. We have no one else to help us with this, and this killer needs to be stopped.” He swallows and grinds his teeth. “Find him, Nora. Find him so I can rip the bastard apart.”

My breath catches in my lungs. It was one thing when Laagh and a group of strangers were asking me for help. Having Terrance ask is something else entirely. It was already personal for me because he was attacked, but now I need to find the killer for him, too. I can see it in his eyes how much he needs this. I can hear it in his voice.

The weight of these crimes was already sitting on my shoulders, but now it’s crushing my chest to the point that I can barely breathe. It takes effort to find my voice. “I will,” I promise. I mean it, too. I don’t care what I have to do; Iwillfind this killer. I have to. I can’t let Terrance down.

A heavy silence falls on us that isn’t broken until Oliver wanders into the kitchen. He looks so handsome in his suit that he distracts me from my thoughts. He’s adorable in his usual jeans and graphic T-shirts and his hoodies, but he is handsome in his work suits. I love both sides of him.

He kisses the top of my head before he takes a seat on the stool beside mine. Terrance pushes a plate toward him, and I slide him one of the bottles of water. “Thank you. This is great,” he mumbles to Terrance, still a little flustered that someone made dinner for him.

Terrance frowns. The man doesn’t like to be thanked for things he feels are his responsibility, and he now considers Oliver his responsibility. “Here,” he says with a grunt. He pushes a house key toward Oliver. “This is yours. And tomorrow you will come with me to the dealership. We will trade that ancient pile of crap Camry you drive for something better.”

Oliver’s face pales. “No. It’s fine. You don’t have to—”

“No arguments.” Terrance growls. “What year is that thing?”

Oliver’s cheeks tint pink. “A ’98.”

Terrance scoffs in disgust. “Not reliable. We’ll get you something new.”

Oliver shakes his head. “But I can’t afford—”

“I own the dealership. I will get it for you.”

“But—”

“No buts.”Predictably, he shifts into his bouncer stance and glares at Oliver. “You are clan. You need a better car. I have plenty of them.”

Oliver has no comeback. He’s sitting there, gaping at Terrance, with his mouth hanging wide open. I turn my head to hide my smirk. Terrance did the same thing to me when I moved in with him.

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