“Woah, hold up there. You can’t just go charging into the hospital to interrogate the witnesses. Assuming they’re even conscious, you aren’t police. You can’t just… Go and demand answers!” Eli objects, folding his arms and giving Lukas a pointed look.
“I wasn’t going to demand answers. I was going to ask politely.” Lukas responds, his tone defensive, though I catch the faintest hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.
*And read their minds.* I add mentally, shooting him a knowing look. Lukas glances sideways at me, his smile growing slightly.
*You know, I’m still not sure I approve of you just reading people’s minds all the time.* I comment. Lukas shrugs casually, his attention shifting back to Eli as if he didn’t just hear my complaint loud and clear. Ugh, this is beyond annoying.
*This one sided discussion is incredibly frustrating.* I remark pointedly. Lukas’s lips twitch, but he doesn’t respond.
“Couldn’t you help them out, Eli?” Damien interjects, breaking the tension.
“Huh?” Eli responds, his brow furrowing.
“You have to talk to the witnesses anyway. They could go and… Listen in or something.” Damien suggests with a shrug. Eli groans dramatically, running a hand through his dark hair. “Well… Alright. I was about to head that way anyway.” He says reluctantly, turning back to me with that ridiculously charming smile of his.
“My car is this way. You can ride with me.” He says smoothly, his voice a mix of casual confidence and flirtation. My heart does a stupid little stutter. Seriously, I know he’s an incubus, but damn, he is pretty. Without even thinking, I take a step forward to follow him toward his car. Lukas, still holding my hand, tugs me back firmly.
“You drove, remember? We can meet him at the hospital.” He says, his voice level and firm.
“Oh, right. Sure.” I say, blinking as I snap out of my trance. I feel heat rising to my cheeks, and I don’t dare glance at Lukas, I don’t even want to see how he reacted to my embarrassing behaviour. Eli notices the exchange, his smirk growing a little wider. He gives Damien an awkward punch on the shoulder as a goodbye, then waves at us before sauntering off toward his car, his stride confident and unhurried. I glance at Lukas, who doesn’t seem to find Eli’s charm nearly as effective as I do.
“You don’t like him much, do you?” I ask, pulling my hand out of his as we head back to my car, Roxy trotting at our heels.
“I like him fine.” Lukas says, his tone neutral. I scoff.
“I don’t need to read minds to know that’s a total lie.” I accuse. Lukas shrugs.
“He’s a flirt.” He says it as if this is a huge character flaw. I raise an eyebrow. Seriously? Is he judging someone for flirting? Lukas is the one who keeps throwing out weirdly flirtatious statements all the time. He really makes no sense to me at all.
We’ve been driving for a few minutes when Lukas suddenly speaks up.
“I’ve decided you’re right.” He announces.
“I usually am, but about what in particular this time?” I ask.
“About the cop. You think I’m judging him unfairly. You’re right, I suppose I can’t blame him for wanting to flirt with you. I mean, playing it cool around you is nearly impossible.” Lukas says calmly. I roll my eyes. Great, he’s messing with me again. Making fun of me because I blushed when the incubus flirted. I mean, what woman with a pulse wouldn’t?
“I like when you communicate with me with your thoughts. It’s nice.” He comments, still clearly angling to get a response from me.
“You just like that you don’t have to answer.” I say flatly and Lukas shrugs.
“That is one advantage. But I also like the way your hand fits in mine.” He responds easily.
Damnit. Am I blushing? Surely not… If I am, I blame the lingering effects of the incubus magic I was blasted with earlier. I keep my gaze firmly on the road, intentionally avoiding looking at Lukas, but I can practically feel the smug expression on his face.
I’m glad the trip to the hospital is short because my car suddenly feels far too small. Plus, I REALLY want to know if the witnesses from the fire saw anything useful. When we first started this, I wasn’t all that optimistic, but now that we have confirmation that something magical happened at the crime scene, I have to grudgingly admit Lukas’s idea to investigate was actually a decent one. The moment I park, I jump out of the car in a hurry, with Lukas and Roxy following close behind. Eli meets us at the hospital’s entrance, leaning casually against a pillar like he’s posing for a magazine cover. Yeah, he’s far too pretty. I don’t think I could spend too much time around him.. It would totally destroy my self-esteem.
“You can’t bring the dog in here, no matter how cute she is.” Eli says bluntly, nodding at Roxy. Lukas frowns.
“I didn’t think about that.” He mutters, clearly unhappy with the restriction.
“Can we just leave her out here for a little bit?” I suggest, though even as I say it, I realise how bad it sounds. Lukas immediately gives me a look that screams disapproval. To be fair, I get it. Leaving her outside in a public hospital car park, near a busy road, is hardly ideal. I should have thought of this earlier. Unlike the shopping centre, there isn’t a good place to leave her.
“Well, why don’t you stay with your dog, and the lovely lady here can just tell you what the witnesses say afterward?” Eli suggests smoothly, his smile just a little too charming.
“No, that won’t work.” Lukas replies immediately, his tone decisive. Of course, it won’t work, he’s planning to read their minds, and that’s not something I can exactly do for him and relay to him later. I sigh, realising there’s one easy solution.
“Fine, I’ll wait out here. But you better tell me everything afterward!” I turn to Eli, fixing him with my most serious look.
“Keep an eye on him.” I order. Dramatic? Maybe. But I’ve put a lot of effort into keeping Lukas safe, and I’m not about to let my guard down now. Eli seems a little taken aback by my request, raising an eyebrow as he looks Lukas over from head to toe.
“You want me to take him?” He asks, his tone skeptical. It’s true Lukas can seem a bit... Unapproachable, with his stern expression and habit of looking like he’s analysing everything and everyone. Still, I figure Eli can handle it. All Lukas has to do is get his hands on the witnesses… In a non- creepy way.
“Yeah. Take Lukas. I’ll wait here.” I say reluctantly. Eli doesn’t look particularly thrilled, his gaze narrowing as he studies Lukas.
“You’re there to listen only. Got it? No talking. You leave that to me.” He says firmly, his tone more commanding than I expected from the flirtatious officer. Lukas, to my surprise, nods agreeably.
“Of course. I won’t say a word.” he promises, flashing a smile that is just a little too innocent. I suppose he isn’t lying, but somehow it still feels deceitful. Still, I don’t get a chance to say anything because Eli sweeps Lukas off and just like that, I’m left standing in the car park with Roxy, who is happily shedding fur all over my skirt. I glance down at her, sighing as I brush at the tufts of black and tan hair clinging stubbornly to the fabric. I glance toward the hospital entrance, watching Lukas and Eli disappear inside. I can’t help but feel a small pang of worry. Waiting is the worst.
“This is going to totally suck.” I grumble under my breath, shifting awkwardly as I scan the car park hoping for something remotely interesting to stare at for the next however long. Roxy sits down by my side, her tail swishing back and forth against the ground, blissfully unaware of my impatience. I’m half tempted to pace, but I’m in cute heels and there’s no point making my feet tired for nothing. So instead, I lean against the car and resign myself to the wait.