…
Ash let himself into the office. Christian was already there, sitting on the black leather sofa, still holding on to Tara. She’d showered and changed and looked much better; her face was still bruised, but her eyes were clear.
She glanced up and gave him the second genuine smile he had ever received from her. At least something good had come of this.
Ryan, Carl, and Jonas were also present, in a huddle by the window. Ryan glanced up as he shut the door behind him. “Is Faith okay?”
Ash shrugged. Were any of them okay right now?
Carl crossed to the desk and switched on the monitor. Ryan went over and Ash followed slowly. He hated the thought of them watching Faith, but he still couldn’t resist.
She was sitting on the bed, her back against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and her eyes were closed. She blinked them open as though she could sense someone watching. They were red-rimmed.
Ryan turned to him. “Shit, she’s been crying. What the hell did you do to her, you bastard?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, and if I did, it would be none of your fucking business. This is between me and Faith.”
“You leave her alone.”
“Actually,” Christian said. “We need to decide what to do with her. If she set Tara up, I want her dead.”
Ash turned on him with a snarl. “You don’t set a finger on her.”
Christian’s eyes widened, and he raised a brow in question. “So what do we do with her? If she betrayed us, should we let her walk away?”
“She didn’t betray us,” Carl pointed out. “How could she betray us when she was never on our side? What she did do was betray her own people when she told us about Tara.”
Ash was glad Carl had said this so he didn’t have to. He was already getting some strange glances from around the room.
“And, Christian, I don’t think she set it up,” Tara said. “For one thing, I contacted her. Maybe she could have told her employers about the meeting, but I don’t think so. She was totally shocked when the attack happened and she was shot.”
“Maybe to make it more realistic.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. I was there. She wanted to save us. I told her they were after Roz; otherwise she would have protected me. I’m sure of it.”
“Why don’t you go and question her?” Carl said. “Use a little vampire persuasion—you’ll get the truth and we can decide what to do next.”
“You don’t mess with her mind,” Ryan said.
Christian rose to his feet. “We’ll do what we need to do to get the truth.”
“Let me try talking to her, first.” Ryan said. “Faith is the most honest person I know. You can watch and if you think she’s still lying, then go ahead.”
Christian paced the room, but the darkness that had been such a part of him for the last few days had receded, still inside him, but slumbering. In the grip of that darkness, he’d been unable to reason, and if Tara had died, Ash was sure that it would have consumed him and his revenge would have been devastating. Vampires were among the most powerful of the supernatural races, and Christian was one of the strongest he had ever come across. He doubted anyone would have been able to control him if he’d gone rogue. Ash might be more powerful down in the Abyss, but here on Earth, Christian was stronger.
Now he was able to think clearly again, and Ash wasn’t worried that he would kill indiscriminately. He nodded. “Try it then, but if there’s any doubt she’s telling the truth, I question her next.”
“Okay. Should I go now?” Ryan asked.
“Why not?”
Ash wanted to go with him, but he suspected Faith would talk more freely without him present. Ryan headed for the door. As he passed, Carl handed him a key, presumably for the cuffs.
Ash turned back to the monitor. Faith hadn’t moved, but a frown formed between her eyes and she lifted her hand to rub the back of her head.
Headache.
She’d had a headache that first night he had kissed her. He picked up the phone and pressed reception. “Graham, can you send some painkillers down to the cells. Ryan is on his way there now. Oh and some coffee.” She liked coffee.
He replaced the receiver and glanced up to find everyone staring at him.
“She has a headache,” he muttered, then wished he’d kept his mouth shut as Carl grinned at him. Bloody cocky werewolf.
He stalked around the desk and sat in the big leather seat. He might as well make himself comfortable. He hoped that he wasn’t going to hear anything he really didn’t like.
Putting his booted feet up on the desk, he tried to appear as though it really didn’t matter.
And why did he have the idea that he wasn’t fooling anyone?
Chapter Seventeen
Faith pried open her eyes and blinked through the pain. The edges of her vision remained blurred, the room indistinct around her.