Luther's Return (Scanguards Vampires Book 10)

He blinked against the glaring lights in the underground interrogation room. The room was two stories high, with only one door and a mirrored window high up, facing the table Luther sat at. He assumed that somebody was watching from up there.

“Very odd coincidence then that you showed up here the same night, don’t you think?” Zane flashed his fangs. “Care to explain?”

Not particularly. “Maybe I was in the mood for a cable car ride or a stroll down the Embarcadero.”

The back of Zane’s hand slashed across Luther’s cheek, whipping his head to the side. But Zane would have to be a lot more forceful to do any damage. The time in prison had increased Luther’s tolerance of pain to a level that, to most other vampires, would appear impossible.

“That’s enough, Zane!” a voice came from the door.

Luther shot the newcomer a glance.

Eddie marched into the room. “Take a walk, Zane, I’m gonna have a word with him.”

Zane growled, but stepped back. “I’ll be back with my instruments later.” He turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

What he meant by instruments was pretty clear: the bald vampire with the short temper intended to inflict pain by torturing him. What a waste of everybody’s time.

“Didn’t get a chance to say hi earlier,” Luther said to Eddie instead, turning his attention to his protégé. “You look good.”

“You don’t.”

Luther shrugged, motioning to his shoulder and face, both of which sported fresh wounds, which had already stopped bleeding. In a few hours he’d be as good as new. “Hazard of the trade.”

Eddie remained standing and leaned over the table, placing his hands flat on its surface. “Why are you here, Luther?”

“Can’t I look in on my protégé?”

“You didn’t come to see me. Not after what happened the last time we saw each other. We both know that. So cut the crap.”

Luther dropped his gaze to Eddie’s hands. The gold ring on Eddie’s ring finger was hard to overlook.

“So you’re married now. Who to?”

“He’s married to me!” Thomas’s voice came through the loudspeaker and echoed in the empty room. “Now answer his questions.”

Only mildly surprised, Luther looked up at Eddie. “Congratulations. So I was right then.” And though he didn’t want to admit it, he was pleased for Eddie. At least he’d found himself and the happiness he deserved.

“Why are you here, Luther? You still hate them so much that you want to make them suffer? Is that it?”

“I’m all fresh out of hate.”

It was the truth, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Because the disappointment still sat deep within his bones, still gripped him day and night and didn’t let him go. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t shake it, couldn’t get over the betrayal. And the guilt that surfaced with it. Because in part, he was to blame, too.

“Fine, you don’t wanna talk. Then let’s watch a little movie together.” Eddie’s voice sounded calmer now. He motioned up to the window, giving his lover behind the impenetrable glass a sign. “Thomas, run the surveillance footage.”

A moment later, a panel in the wall retreated and in its place, an oversized monitor appeared. The image on it was black and white and grainy, but Luther had no trouble recognizing the place where the video had been taken: in the corridor of the university.

Samson’s daughter, dressed in a long burgundy gown, her hair in an upswept hairdo, looked not unlike Katie. In fact, with their hair made up the same way, and wearing similar dresses, they could easily be mistaken for sisters. Though, of course, in reality Luther would never mistake Isabelle for Katie. Something had stuck out about her. Something he didn’t see in Isabelle, something about the eyes.

But before he could think on it more, a man appeared on the video. He seemed to say something to Samson’s daughter, though there was no audible sound. Luther had expected that. Eddie had mentioned earlier that the video didn’t have any audio.

The struggle was short. Despite her hybrid powers, Isabelle couldn’t shake her attacker. But her lips moved, and Luther leaned forward.

“Who is he?” Eddie asked.

Luther shook his head, watching Isabelle’s lips move again and again. I’m not in Berlin? It didn’t make any sense. Was he reading her lips correctly? Why Berlin? No, he had to be wrong. I’m not Amberly? That didn’t sound right either. For a moment he tore his gaze from the monitor.

“I don’t know him. The angle of the camera. It makes it impossible to see his face.”

He watched as the man dragged his victim away, his hand over her mouth now to prevent her from screaming.

“I can’t help you.”

“That’s not good enough.” Eddie turned toward the observation window. “Lie detector?”

“I’ll set it up,” came Thomas’s voice through the speakers.

“Lie detector?” Luther scoffed. “Haven’t you forgotten one tiny detail? I’m a vampire. Polygraphs only work on humans.”