Was that wrong? Was it a betrayal of Cole?
Leaving Kat and Reeve sleeping in bed, I showered, dressed and went in search of him, ready to have our chat. He wasn’t in his room. The next most likely place was the dungeon, but he wasn’t there, either. River was finally having his fun with Benjamin, with, surprisingly enough, help from Frosty. The two had the assassin strapped to a chair and were taking turns introducing his face to their fists.
“Guys,” I said. “This isn’t the way.”
River looked over at me, frowned.
“When you think of another way, then we’ll talk.” Frosty closed the distance and shut the door in my face.
I could have protested. But he was right—I didn’t know another way.
I’d talk to Cole about it—I just had to find him first. I tried the gym. Bronx and Gavin were working out, but again, my boyfriend wasn’t anywhere nearby. No one knew where he’d gone.
Great!
I turned my efforts to Nana. Standing in the foyer, I typed up a text.
I know about Helen. I know who she is 2 me. U should have told me.
I waited one minute...two...
Finally my phone rang. She was calling. But of course, the doorbell had to buzz a second later. From my vantage point, I had a direct view of the smoked-glass doors.
The detectives were back.
Mr. Ankh strode out of his office, his features pinched. “This is going to be fun.”
I let my phone roll to voice mail.
Mr. Ankh did not invite the detectives inside, just stood in the entryway, a pillar of calm. “All further inquiries are to be directed to my lawyer.”
“We’re not here with questions,” Verra said in her no-nonsense way. “We’re here for Jaclyn Silverstone. She’s sixteen and therefore underage. Someone called her parents and told them she was here.”
Someone from Anima?
Mr. Ankh stood still and quiet for several prolonged seconds. “I’ll get her.” He shut the door. His bleak gaze met mine. “We have to do it.”
“I know.” I also knew I couldn’t be the one to tell her. She’d fight me, and I might help her run. Already my heart was breaking for her.
Mr. Ankh stomped up the stairs, reappearing five minutes later with a crying Jaclyn at his side. A scowling Gavin strode behind him.
I wanted so badly to barricade the door. Maybe Gavin wanted it, too. He stopped at my side, his hands fisted.
Was he actually angry about her eviction?
We moved to the porch. Jaclyn cried even harder as the detectives helped her inside their sedan.
The car’s engine purred to life.
She looked out the window, met my gaze.
“Remember my promise,” I said.
A tormented nod. The car pulled away, soon vanishing beyond the gate.
Can’t react.
“She and I had a vision, you know,” Gavin said, as we sealed ourselves inside the house. “In it, we were in bed together.”
“What! You did? How? When?”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yes, we did. And I don’t know how. I’ve only ever had a vision with you and Cole, and I thought it was because all of our parents were slayers, so we got a little something extra. Well, neither of her parents are slayers, and yet still, when I saw her this morning, time stopped and we were suddenly... Let’s just say she was the recipient of my best moves.”
Weird did not even begin to scratch the surface of this development. “Are you attracted to her? Is that why you were so hard on her before?”
Amusement twinkled down at me. “Why, yes, cupcake. That’s why I was so hard on her.”
Dirty-minded gutter rat. “Are you sure this vision wasn’t just a fantasy of yours? Even though you claimed not to have them about her.”
He tweaked the end of my nose. “I’m sure. Trust me. This slut-spert knows the difference.”
Well, wasn’t that just wonderful. We had yet another mystery to solve. “I need to think about this.”
“You do that. Meanwhile, I’m going upstairs and giving myself a new tattoo. One that says ‘Women suck, and not always in a good way.’ The reminder might help calm me down.”
*
“Alice.”
I had just trudged upstairs, determined to search every room for Cole—still hadn’t found him—and discuss this latest mystery. At the top landing, a bright light glowed, Emma in the center of it.
As always, my heart swelled with love for her, and I grinned, everything else momentarily forgotten. A quick look left and right proved no one else was in the hallway. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
She shifted from one slipper-covered foot to the other. “Even though I’m usually the Bad News Bear?”
“Even though.”
She cracked a grin of her own. “Well, today, I’ve got good news...and, okay, bad news, too.”
I didn’t allow myself to groan. Didn’t want to make her feel any worse. “Lay it on me, little sis. Bad news first.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip before admitting, “Justin is hurt. Like, horribly hurt. We’ve heard his moans of pain echo throughout eternity.”
Suspected. Poor Justin. “What’s the good news?”