Dixon cocked an eyebrow. “Out getting me a snack.”
As if on cue, the warehouse door shoved open and Nicco—still dressed in his paramedic garb—pushed in. He was gripping Alex in front of him, the cut above his eye now bleeding profusely. A piece of duct tape was covering Alex’s mouth and his shoulder slumped forward at an impossible angle. His hands were wound with a length of tape.
“Oh, God. Alex, are you okay?”
“Go ahead, tell her, Alex,” Dixon said, a wicked smile crossing his face. “Are you doing okay?”
Alex nodded slightly and I felt my heart speed up again.
“I don’t understand,” I said breathlessly. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Dixon blinked, his eyes going wide and sympathetic. “Don’t you? Your friend Sampson came back to San Francisco to get revenge on those pesky Du sisters. If he could just find out who it was who hired them, he could at least buy some time.”
I licked my lips. “But it was you who hired them. It was you, wasn’t it?”
Dixon nodded bashfully as if I had just accused him of a terrific performance.
“Guilty. But you know how werewolves are—volatile. You’ve seen the files.”
“You doctored them,” I said, finally understanding. “You wanted me to find them.”
“And you didn’t surprise me.” Dixon produced a flashlight from his pocket, twirling it in his hands until the white sticker was visible, the name ‘Sophie Lawson’ printed on it. “Such a good girl.”
He smiled, baring his teeth. His smile dropped. “Don’t worry, Ms. Lawson. Even if you weren’t so predictable—it wouldn’t matter. People were dying because wolfy boy couldn’t keep his jaws to himself.”
“But Nicco’s a wolf.” My eyes cut to the accused. “You know that, right? Nicco was the one who wanted revenge.”
“And why he couldn’t kill Sampson in Alaska like I asked remains to be heard, doesn’t it, Nicco?” Dixon’s eyes flicked over Nicco, who stood tall, still with a heavy grip on Alex.
“You were working together?”
Nicco cocked an eyebrow, flashed a disgusting grin. “You were fun to play with, sweetie. Sorry about the dog park though.”
Dixon rolled his eyes. “Hard to get these beasts to keep their hands to themselves.”
Nicco let out a low growl, his eyes cutting to Dixon, who ignored him.
“Anyway”—Dixon grinned, his ultra-sharp fangs pressed against his bottom lip—“Nicco had something I wanted. I had something he wanted. So we made a deal.”
“What could you want with him?” I asked Nicco.
“I wanted him.” He jutted his chin toward Sampson. “Dead.”
“What? How could you?”
“How could I want the man who domesticated our entire race dead? That’s your question?”
I turned away from Nicco, from the raw hatred in his cold eyes. “And what did you want, Dixon?”
He shrugged. “I wanted Sampson dead, too. I wanted the UDA to be mine—to be run properly. Maybe a little mayhem in the interim. By the way, Ms. Lawson, there’s really no need for you to come in on Monday. As of today, the Underworld Detection Agency runs on an all-vampire staff.”
“But Sampson was gone. He wasn’t a threat to you.”
Dixon crossed over to Sampson. I could see his chest rise and fall gently, but other than that, there was no sign of life. “Well, he isn’t a threat right now. Either way, it was a win-win for Nicco and I to do business together. He gets to chew a few breathers—no offense, Ms. Lawson—and plant a few hairs, and I get to watch the show.”
“Octavia?” I asked.
Dixon shrugged. “A little funsie for me to throw you off the trail. She got on my nerves, anyway.” He stuck a thumbnail between two teeth. “And she stuck in my teeth.”
“So now what? You’re just going to kill Mr. Sampson?”
Dixon cocked his head, his smile still huge. “No, Ms. Lawson.” He took his precious time dipping into his pocket, then displayed a silver bullet between forefinger and thumb. “You are.”
Dixon leaned forward and snatched me off the ground, standing me upright.
I shook my head. “You’re crazy. I would never hurt Sampson. And I would never, ever do anything for you.”
He looked genuinely hurt. “It’s not like you won’t get anything for it.” Dixon’s eyes were on me. They were hard and laser focused, and seemed to roll into me, to pool around me and suck me in. But magic doesn’t affect me—not ever.
Only right now, I was drawn. I couldn’t look away.
“What are you going to give me?” My voice was breathy and low, and I almost didn’t recognize it as my own.
Dixon was so close now that I shivered at the icy chill that wafted from his body. He leaned into me, his lips brushing over my cheek, leaving a frozen trail.
“Eternal life,” he whispered.