Page 22 of A Violet Obsession
I was thinking about her. Getting her safe.
“Whatever you need,” Vincent says, then clamps a hand on my shoulder. “But dial it back a notch. You said she’s your sister’s friend, and you’re treating her like a hostile.”
He studies me for a beat, then his gaze slides to where Lily is now standing, arms wrapped around herself. “You want me to run this?”
“No.” The word comes out harsher than I intended. “I’ve got her… it… the situation—” I bite off the rest.
Vincent gives me a look and shakes his head. “Great. Well, the first step is to stop staring at her like she’s a rare steak and you’re a feral animal.”
“I’m not—”
Vincent is already strolling back toward Lily, leaving me no choice but to follow.
I have every intention of being patient and calm as I walk back to where Lily is waiting. But the closer I get, the harder my blood pumps in my veins, and the words that come out of my mouth are, “Start talking.”
Damn it. Why does just her presence make me feel agitated?
Lily glares at me, the little gold flecks in her eyes spitting fire. A rose flush is spreading from her neck to the deep square of her neckline, and my gaze follows it before I wrench it away and swing to Vincent to make sure he isn’t looking.
He’s not. My boss is smirking at me.
Fuck.
“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Vincent says gently, while I’m trying to wrangle my brain back into a functioning mode.
“What do you mean? When?” An expression I’ve been trained to recognize flits across her face.
Deception.
Vincent picks up on it, too. He stiffens, almost imperceptibly.
A few hours ago, that would have been all the proof I needed. Now, the certainty I had in the café feels like it’s crumbling, and something else is settling in its place.
“Start with last night,” I say.
“The necklace?”
That gets my attention. “Sure.”
“What necklace?” Vincent asks, and I want to tell him to shut up. She needs to tell the story organically so I can see where the holes are.
Her brows pinch together. “The Veridian Amethyst. That’s what the necklace is called, because of the stone. According to the police, it’s the only thing the thieves were able to get out of Clairmont House last night. Voss and his family trust were one of the main bidders yesterday.”
“Voss?” Vincent’s face darkens. “As in Alaric Voss?”
“That’s who was in the car?” I press.
“Yeah.” She rubs her temple, and I exchange a look with Vincent.
What the hell has this girl done to land on Alaric Voss’s radar?
Lily sways a little on her feet. Vincent cups her elbow to steady her, and she gives him a grateful smile.
Why is she smiling at him? I’m the one who saved her from being kidnapped.
Vincent catches whatever is happening on my face and folds his lips in. “Finn, go make Lily some tea. Lots of sugar.”
He leads her to sit on the sofa. A low rumble starts in my chest, but Vincent gives me a look, and then glances pointedly at the top of Lily’s bent head. Her whole body is sagging as if it’s on the verge of giving out.
