“We can trap her in there. It’s hard to do, but it is possible.”

Multiple footsteps came down the stairs and Adrian broke the news. “We couldn’t find the earring, so we have to assume Devina’s got it.”

Eddie shook his head like another brick had been set in the load he was carrying on his back. “Damn it.”

As Vin put a protective arm around Marie-Terese, Adrian went over and picked up his coat. “Here’s the deal…Marie-Terese, you need to be at the ritual now, and you can’t go home beforehand. Not unless you want to run the risk that she’ll follow you there and compromise your son.”

The woman stiffened. “How…how did you know I have a son? Oh, wait—you did the background check on me.”

Adrian shrugged and lied, “Yeah. That’s how. You got someone to sit with your little boy?”

Marie-Terese looked up at Vin and then nodded. “Yes, I do. And if she can’t stay, my service will find me somebody to relieve her.”

“Good, because we couldn’t purify your house or set up a perimeter without giving Devina a heads-up where you live, and I do not want to fight her in front of your son.”

“I just need to make a call.”

“Wait a second,” Vin cut in. “Why can’t we just take care of the part of it that effects Marie-Terese here and now?”

“We don’t have what we need to do it, and as Eddie said, there’s a better chance of success if we go back to where you opened the door to Devina. First we get her out of you—then if I can’t find the earring, we do the same for Marie-Terese. The good news is that the tie is not all that strong and she will be safest with us. I’m sure you agree—we take no chances.”

Evidently, Vin was on board with that one because he nodded grimly. “Absolutely not.”

“Call your babysitter now, ’kay?” As the woman got out her phone, Adrian nodded at Jim. “You and Eddie are going to oversee the ritual at the old house, but I’ll help with the preparations before I leave.”

Jim frowned, wondering about the hard line of the guy’s jaw. “Where are you going to be?”

“I’m getting the fucking diamond and that earring back.”

Eddie cursed under his breath. “I don’t like you going in alone.”

As he looked at his partner, Adrian’s eyes became ancient. Positively ancient. “We gotta use every weapon we have. And let’s face it, what I can do to her is one of the best we’ve got.”

Yeah, and what do you want to bet that was not a case of giving her a mani-pedi, Jim thought.