Page 40 of Hextreme Measures

“Of course,” Sully replied automatically.

Felix flicked his eyes to Ofelia. “Tell me the truth.”

“We’re working on it,” Ofelia replied. “Pascal put me in touch with a woman who was turned into a banshee and healed. We don’t know if Angelique is going to turn into a banshee. I need to stress that. It’s just … we don’t know that she’s not going to turn into a banshee either.”

“I can’t believe this.” Felix viciously swore under his breath. “I just can’t believe this.”

“The timing is very poor,” Madeline said. “Do you think you can ask her to refrain from turning into a banshee until after your wedding?”

It took everything Ofelia had for her not to fling her uneaten trout — who ordered trout, for crying out loud? — at her future mother-in-law. “Don’t make me hurt you,” Ofelia threatened.

Sully put his hand on Ofelia’s knee under the table. This was another reason he’d insisted on sitting next to her, rather than across from her. Then he fixed his mother with a warning look. “You’re going to want to be very careful here,” he said in a low voice.

Madeline made an inelegant snorting noise. “Is this where you threaten me that I’m not going to see my grandchildren again?”

“No, it is not,” Sully replied. “That threat is still on the table, though. If you two have done anything to change the wedding — I’m talking a single detail from what Ofelia and I chose — you have three days to fix it.” His voice was low and icy.

“If one thing about our wedding doesn’t meet expectations, you guys are out,” he continued. He knew he sounded like a tween about to throw a tantrum, but he didn’t care. “And grandchildren? They’ll only know Oscar as a grandparent. You guys won’t even be in stories we tell them.”

Marie made a sputtering noise. “You can’t threaten that.”

“Watch me.” Sully was at the end of his rope. “You guys need to get over yourselves. This is our wedding, and you broke Ofelia’s heart last night. She was crying until the banshees attacked.”

Ofelia cocked her head. She hadn’t been crying. She’d been furious — furious enough for a banshee to come calling? Hmm — but she hadn’t had a broken heart. Sully was making that up to rein in their mothers. She didn’t correct him, however.

“I need you to understand that I’ve never been more serious in my life,” Sully said in his flat cop voice. “You’ll never see our children if there’s one thing about that wedding that doesn’t match expectations. Let this serve as your warning.”

The looks Madeline and Marie shot one another told him all he needed to know. They’d changed things, and they were taking his threat seriously. Good. That meant they would do what they had to do to change things back.

“Now, as for Angelique.” He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the food he’d barely eaten. Only half of it had even been palatable to him. “We’re going to save her. We have some leads we’re chasing. It’s just a matter of time until we fix this.”

“I can help there,” Zeke offered out of the blue. “I know people.”

Sully slid his eyes to his father. Zeke was known for creating trouble more than he was for being helpful. “I think we’re good.”

“No.” Zeke bobbed his head. “I really know people. I can help with this.”

Sully didn’t want his father sticking his fingers in his investigation pie. Since Zeke didn’t know enough to get involved, whatever he did would be separate from what they were working on. “Knock yourself out,” he said. “Just don’t be obvious.”

“Oh, I’ve been around long enough to handle this,” Zeke said, sounding full of himself. “Trust me.”

Sully didn’t trust his father, but he nodded all the same. “Great. Does anybody want my boudin?”

“Oh, definitely not,” Felix said. “We’re getting pizza on our way home.”

Sully could do nothing but smirk at his mother’s dark glare. “Yeah. We’re getting fried seafood.” He tossed his napkin on his uneaten food. “This has been terrible,” he said to his mother. “Let’s never do it again.”

With that, he took Ofelia’s hand and drew her to her feet. “Come on, baby. I’ll buy you as much fried food as your stomach can tolerate.”

“Great.” Ofelia managed a legitimate smile.

“As for you two, don’t forget what I said,” Sully intoned to his mother and future mother-in-law. “Every detail of that wedding had better match what Ofelia set up, or you’re cut off.”

“We’ve got it, Zacharias,” Madeline said testily. “There’s no need to go overboard. Everything will be perfect. You have my word.”

Sully knew his mother would keep her promise, even if she had to throw money at the problem. That was all he cared about at this point. “We’ll be in touch about Angelique.”

And that was their parting shot as he swept Ofelia out of the restaurant.