By the time we arrived at the mansion Disco and his family called home, I’d stopped crying and had made the proper mental preparations. I moved away from Goose, ignored him and Marius, and climbed from the back of the limo before the driver opened the door. The trip back to Bhevencourt Estate would take at least two hours—meaning I had to hurry. I wanted to return before sunrise, when Revenald and the vampire masters at his home would feel safe. I had to make sure none of them would view me as a threat. But before that, I had to gear up and perform a summoning.
“Rhiannon,” Goose called out to me but I kept going, running up the stairs.
The rest of Revenald’s vampiric household were just climbing from the other vehicle, so there was no one to stop me as I shoved the front door open, strode toward the stairs, and headed for Disco’s bedroom.
His scent hit me the instant I walked in—giving me a measure of comfort and strength. Moving past the bed, I retrieved my luggage, jacket and boots, and walked into the bathroom. Once I was certain the door was locked behind me, I quickly washed the blood and tears from my arms and face, knelt in front of the case and sat my shoes on the floor.
First order of business—clothes.
I yanked off the corset and slid into a bra and my favorite black T-shirt—one that was tight and fit comfortably against the leather pants I decided not to remove. Next were my socks and shitkickers. The boots wrapped around my leather clad-legs like a second skin, more comfortable than I would have imagined.
When I finished dressing, I opened the top of the case and retrieved the holsters nestled inside. They fit comfortably around my shoulders, so that I had an easy range of movement. The tactical belt I banded around my waist provided me with plenty of slots for my weapons and ammunition. I made sure I grabbed the sterling silver butterfly knives Disco had given me, sliding them into the empty grooves at my sides, as well as the gun magazines stocked with the silver bullets I’d acquired from Bane.
Speaking of which...
I removed my cell from my jacket, searched the memory and found the number I was looking for. Yesterday I wouldn’t have considered making the call, but twenty-four hours can change a lot of things.
“That was fast,” Bane said when he answered. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
“What can I say?” I asked, proud that my voice sounded only mildly scratchy from screaming and crying. “I got a clue.”
“So what do you need?”
“You said I reminded you of someone. I want you to tell me who she is.”
It didn’t hit me until the car ride home that Bane had offered to help me because he obviously wanted something. He knew about vampires, that I was connected to them, yet he reached out in my direction. That meant I had value, that his wasn’t a one-way offer.
“I’m hanging up,” he said.
“Then you’ll never get what you need from me. I’m living on borrowed time. I wouldn’t have called you otherwise.” Truth, truth, and truth. It was best to put it all out there, right from the start.
“I see.” He paused. “My cousin. You remind me of her.”
Now it was time to push his limits. “Why?”
“She was a lot like you.” His raspy timbre was hard to read. I couldn’t tell if he was angry, calm, or malcontent. “Young, stubborn, made some decisions she shouldn’t have. Like getting involved with vampires.”
“It got her killed?” Damn. The phone call might not work in my favor.
“It got her missing,” he clarified. “I made the move to New York in 2006 when she stopped calling home. I’ve been here ever since. Now that I’ve shared, it’s your turn. Why did you call me?”
“I need a safe place to lay low until I can get out of the city.” I hated the nervousness that made me tremble. “A place big enough for three.”
“You’re bringing people with you?”