over a sideways glance.” He’d been practically feral, but he’d responded so quickly to kind words and affection she knew there was more to him. That there was hope for him. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes twice.”
“Miss Harlow.” Olivia’s daughter’s name spilled tentatively from Lally’s lips like she knew she might be overstepping.
“Yes. Harlow.” Olivia pushed her spoon through the gumbo, the recipe for which had been in Lally’s family for generations and was a closely guarded secret. “She’s my great failure. And Augustine has been my second chance. I love my daughter, but sadly, my refusal to part with certain information means she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
Lally tipped her head a tiny bit. “Miss Olivia, why don’t you just tell the child her daddy’s name? She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions about—”
“
No.
” The word shot out of Olivia’s mouth like the crack of a gunshot. “You know how I feel about him. That man is poison. I won’t have him infecting my daughter.”
Lally sat back, her fingers fiddling with the chain around her neck. “Maybe you could explain that to her. Have you talked to her lately?”
“I called her last night. She didn’t answer. I talk to her blessed voicemail more than I talk to her.” At the sharp edge in her own voice, Olivia put on one of her best actress smiles and raised her gaze to meet Lally’s. “What say we forget about dinner and haveus a couple of mint juleps out on the porch? Take in the evening air?”
But Lally’s soft smile didn’t quite erase the sadness in her eyes. “You know, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. Be thankful for Mr. Augustine. Don’t feel guilty about him. Look at the life you took him from. The life you gave him. Take pride in that.”
“I don’t feel guilty. And you’re right. Again.” She’d be a mess without Lally. The woman was a gem. “He would have died on the streets running with that gang, acting like the world was out to get him.”
Lally clucked her tongue. “In some ways, it mighta been. He was a hard case, that one. But you changed that boy for the better. So what if he’s not big on responsibility. He’s not hustling or robbing or jacking people up. That’s something good you done.”
“Thank you, Lally. You’re a dear friend and I don’t know what I’d do without you to talk me out of my head sometimes.” She pushed to her feet with the help of her cane, something she didn’t need so much as she enjoyed the use of a good prop. “Now, what say you we go get reacquainted with that other friend of ours, Mr. Jim Beam.”
Chapter Four
D ude.” Dulcinea whistled appreciatively when Augustine showed her the mask Olivia had given him to wear. “That is gorgeous. And with your horns? Super badass. You’re going to have females all over you.”
“You think?” He took another look at the mask. He’d had his doubts when he’d dug it out of the box. The Serpent King might be better saved for Halloween. “It doesn’t strike you as a little intimidating?”
She waved her hand at it. “Chicks dig scary as long as the scary is also hot and willing to protect them. Don’t you ever read any romance novels? Alpha male and all that. Especially in that outfit.”
“That much I know.” His getup of leather pants, black T-shirt, long leather coat and motorcycle boots would have been too much for the unseasonably warm days they’d been having, but the night held just enough chill to make him comfortable. And in a city like NOLA on a night like
Nokturnos
, leathers of some sort were almost expected if you were fae. “But don’t tell me you aren’t going to have men trailing you like toms in heat. Let me see your mask.”
Over her outfit, which could only be described as a chain-mail catsuit, she wore a hip purse. She dug into that, pulled something out and unfurled it, holding in her hands a slip of
“Miss Harlow.” Olivia’s daughter’s name spilled tentatively from Lally’s lips like she knew she might be overstepping.
“Yes. Harlow.” Olivia pushed her spoon through the gumbo, the recipe for which had been in Lally’s family for generations and was a closely guarded secret. “She’s my great failure. And Augustine has been my second chance. I love my daughter, but sadly, my refusal to part with certain information means she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
Lally tipped her head a tiny bit. “Miss Olivia, why don’t you just tell the child her daddy’s name? She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions about—”
“
No.
” The word shot out of Olivia’s mouth like the crack of a gunshot. “You know how I feel about him. That man is poison. I won’t have him infecting my daughter.”
Lally sat back, her fingers fiddling with the chain around her neck. “Maybe you could explain that to her. Have you talked to her lately?”
“I called her last night. She didn’t answer. I talk to her blessed voicemail more than I talk to her.” At the sharp edge in her own voice, Olivia put on one of her best actress smiles and raised her gaze to meet Lally’s. “What say we forget about dinner and haveus a couple of mint juleps out on the porch? Take in the evening air?”
But Lally’s soft smile didn’t quite erase the sadness in her eyes. “You know, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. Be thankful for Mr. Augustine. Don’t feel guilty about him. Look at the life you took him from. The life you gave him. Take pride in that.”
“I don’t feel guilty. And you’re right. Again.” She’d be a mess without Lally. The woman was a gem. “He would have died on the streets running with that gang, acting like the world was out to get him.”
Lally clucked her tongue. “In some ways, it mighta been. He was a hard case, that one. But you changed that boy for the better. So what if he’s not big on responsibility. He’s not hustling or robbing or jacking people up. That’s something good you done.”
“Thank you, Lally. You’re a dear friend and I don’t know what I’d do without you to talk me out of my head sometimes.” She pushed to her feet with the help of her cane, something she didn’t need so much as she enjoyed the use of a good prop. “Now, what say you we go get reacquainted with that other friend of ours, Mr. Jim Beam.”
Chapter Four
D ude.” Dulcinea whistled appreciatively when Augustine showed her the mask Olivia had given him to wear. “That is gorgeous. And with your horns? Super badass. You’re going to have females all over you.”
“You think?” He took another look at the mask. He’d had his doubts when he’d dug it out of the box. The Serpent King might be better saved for Halloween. “It doesn’t strike you as a little intimidating?”
She waved her hand at it. “Chicks dig scary as long as the scary is also hot and willing to protect them. Don’t you ever read any romance novels? Alpha male and all that. Especially in that outfit.”
“That much I know.” His getup of leather pants, black T-shirt, long leather coat and motorcycle boots would have been too much for the unseasonably warm days they’d been having, but the night held just enough chill to make him comfortable. And in a city like NOLA on a night like
Nokturnos
, leathers of some sort were almost expected if you were fae. “But don’t tell me you aren’t going to have men trailing you like toms in heat. Let me see your mask.”
Over her outfit, which could only be described as a chain-mail catsuit, she wore a hip purse. She dug into that, pulled something out and unfurled it, holding in her hands a slip of
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