My father’s phone trilled, the sound bouncing off the metal tube and echoing. He snagged it off his seat. “Damon, is anything wrong? Sure.” My dad put Doc on speaker.
“I received the toxicology report from the drug Layla used on the vampires and the shifter at the club a few weeks ago. The drug in the darts contains ketamine, known as Special K on the streets. Loads of side effects on this, but mainly used as an anesthetic. Easily attainable if you know the right dealer. In addition, we found traces of cobalt oxide and a plant known as gelsemium or heartbreak glass. With the right dosage, this plant has the ability to cause loss of muscular power.”
“Holy shit,” I mumbled. “That’s a hell of a cocktail.”
“Exactly,” Dr. Vieira said. “What I’m concerned about is the cobalt oxide. In extremely high amounts, it will cause us to burn from the inside out.”
“I can tell you, it felt that way to me,” I added.
“Do you think the cobalt oxide is Jack’s new weapon?” Layla asked.
“Maybe,” Doc said. “After all, your family has had a supply of it. We need to find out where they got it. Jo, when you’re in Jack’s head, look for the answer.”
“Tell me more about the cobalt oxide,” my dad said to Doc.
“Not much to tell, Steven,” Doc replied. “Cobalt oxide can be purchased in powder form, and one of its uses is in the ceramic industry. Scary part is… all this can be made in a garage.”
“Dr. Vieira,” Jo piped in, questions dancing in her silver eyes. “What about the dead shifter?”
The sound of papers rustling together came through the line. “Her toxicology report showed low levels of wolfsbane in her system. I suspect the wolfsbane mixed with ketamine and gelsemium is what did it. Wolfsbane alone is deadly to shifters in the right amount.”
“So someone was poisoning her?” Layla said.
“Roman,” I threw out.
Layla’s pretty eyebrows came together. “But he was dating her.”
Webb leaned his elbows on the seat in front of him. “The shifter is none of our concern at the moment. Doc, the antidote we took before we left—will that help some?”
“I can’t say for sure. It might prevent you from passing out, but it won’t help the cobalt or the paralysis,” Doc replied.
“That’s why Roman didn’t pass out at the club,” Layla said. “He must've taken an antidote too.”
“Highly possible,” Doc said. “I’ll inform Dane what we found. Let me know how things go and stay safe.” He hung up.
Everyone was silent for a beat.
Tripp cleared his throat. “We have less than an hour. We need to scope out the landscape and make sure we’re alone.”
“As we discussed, the three of you will stay out of sight.” My dad pointed to Webb, Tripp, and me. “Jo, Layla, and I will wait inside. If anything goes awry, you know where to meet.”
We didn’t expect any hiccups, but we were dealing with an Aberdeen, and if things went south, our plan was to meet at a highway rest stop about five miles from the airport.
Let the games begin.
36
LAYLA
Snow fluttered to the ground, and I was quickly reminded of that crazy night when Roman cut off my uncle Ray’s thumb and had Jordyn wrapped in C-4. It had been snowing then too.
I glanced skyward at the gray clouds. At least it was midafternoon, so we could see our surroundings and enemies coming at us. With the open fields on all sides, it would be hard for anyone to hide unless they were lying flat on their stomach, hidden by the tall grass and dense brush.
As I inhaled the fresh air, I descended the plane’s short staircase behind Jo. She seemed ready for war, and not because she was dressed in skintight leggings or had daggers strapped to her legs, or even because of the gun on her hip. She had an aura about her that dared anyone to fuck with her.
Webb held out his hand to her at the bottom of the stairs. It was at that moment that I realized how in love they were, from the way he flashed his striking blue eyes at her to the smile that wasn’t meant for anyone else on the planet.
My heart skipped a beat. I wanted that. I wanted to feel the rush of my heart and the wild flutters of butterflies when a man looked at me that way.
