door. Lorenzo, follow behind us.”
Lorenzo gulped audibly.
“Time to go,” Ephraim grumbled, hopping out of the van and coming around to open the back doors.
Snod’s skin was tingling with excitement. The thrill of the hunt was always a rush, and this one was
easily the most important mission of his entire life. He and Ephraim had their guns drawn as they
began advancing toward the house, Lorenzo and Rees falling in line behind them.
The house was an old Victorian with a wraparound porch and high turrets piercing the cloudy night
sky. It did not look like anyone had lived there for quite some time. The yard was wild and thick,
nearly every inch of the house engulfed in creeping plants as if the very earth was trying to reclaim
this land and drag the home down into the dirt.
Snod could see faint light glowing through the windows, perhaps the illumination of candles,
tightening his hold on his gun as he crouched down low. He saw no movement, heard nothing, and
could not sense anything in the bond.
Ephraim looked back at their unlikely team with a small sigh, nodding sternly and began edging
toward the front door.
The steps creaked under their weight, and Snod cringed at the sound. Ephraim took a breath and
advanced, finding the door unlocked and pushing it wide open.
There was a massive staircase that led up to a large landing with several hallways trailing off into
darkness. A shadowy balcony jutted out from the third floor, and an old chandelier was sprawled
across the foyer in front of them. The house smelled of must and death, candles flickering in dozens of
sconces scattered along the walls.
Obe?
“Frankie,” Snod hissed, zeroing in on his location and bolting up the steps.
“Snod!” Ephraim hissed in warning. “Be careful!”
Gun still aimed and at the ready, Snod marched right to the door where he knew Frankie was waiting
on the other side. He kicked it open, his heart jumping into his throat when he saw him laid out across
a massive canopy bed.
Snod was relieved to see that Frankie appeared unharmed, but his blood boiled to see him in nothing
but a red silk robe and long silver chains binding him to the headboard.
“Fuck, it is you!” Frankie sat up, gasping loudly. “Obe! What are you doing here?”
