Twenty minutes later, Liam pulled onto my street. I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't see any unknown cars waiting in front of my building.
If the captain was here, he wasn't being obvious about it.
That was some consolation.
At this hour of the night, the bars were long closed. Their patrons would have already stumbled home to their beds.
We were in that between time when the night owls were finally asleep, but even the earliest of risers had yet to wake.
When I'd been human, sunrise was my favorite time of day. That quiet stillness of a world in the throes of a new beginning. There was a beauty as dark transitioned to light.
Not to mention, I liked the brilliant display of the sun as it started its ascent.
Now, I found that same quiet stillness with its wealth of possibilities. In this hour, it felt like I was the only one in the universe. The beauty of this moment was different, but no less important.
A ringing came over the car's Bluetooth, disturbing the calm.
Liam hit answer. "Go."
Anton's voice came through the speakers. "Something is going on. She's stopped moving."
"Do you still have eyes on her?"
"Yes, she's standing in a clearing and talking to air," Anton said. "You might want to get over here. I think something is about to happen."
"I'm on my way," Liam said.
There was a beep and then the call dropped.
His eyes met mine. "You sure you don't want to come?"
I hesitated, the pull to find answers strong.
Instead, I shook my head. There wasn't only one set of answers I needed, and Liam and his men could handle this. If I went, I'd be forced to stand on the sidelines, whereas with the captain, I was the only one who could get him to talk.
Sometimes you had to divide and conquer.
"You go ahead. I'll meet you back at the Gargoyle," I said.
"I want Nathan and Makoto to stay with you." He didn't give me time to protest—not that I would've. Even I understood the benefits of having two enforcers at my back. "They won't interfere. They'll simply be on hand if needed."
He waited, giving me time to argue.
Instead, I shrugged my agreement. Always keep them guessing. It wouldn't do to be too predictable.
I glanced at Connor. "Are you going with him or staying with me?"
He looked briefly uncertain. His expression firmed. "I'll stay with you."
I shoved my door open. "Let's go."
Connor got out on his side, taking a long look around as he straightened. Tonight, the shadows seemed deeper and darker than usual, every small pocket capable of holding an unknown amount of surprises.
The SUV holding Nathan and Makoto had turned off before we reached my apartment, disappearing before I'd even realized they'd gone. It made me wonder where they were hiding. It had to be close. Otherwise they wouldn't be of much use in a confrontation.
Sneaky little bastards.
They would have had to set up in advance to disappear this thoroughly. If I examined the apartments and rental houses around me, would I find one that acted as a crash pad for Liam's enforcers? Were they even now watching me through one of the many cameras I knew Thomas had set up around this area?
