“No, I promised he wouldn’t hurt her. She’s still alive. Did you forget that she kidnapped someone? Tortured them? And she wanted me dead. She’s not innocent and it’s about time people start paying for their crimes.” I sharply inhale. “Now, I’m going to put up a boundary and say I will talk to you tomorrow.”
I end the call and immediately block both Antonio’s and Leo’s numbers. We can go twenty-four hours without talking, easily. I won’t let them bully me into feeling bad about this. Xavier kept his word: he didn’t hurt Larissa. He didn’t even touch her.
All he did was plant some evidence.
Rubbing my eyes, I put the phone down and go back to writing in the Book of Spells. Once I’ve finished adding my notes about tweaking the locator spell, I go inside and find Xavier. He’s upstairs in our room, trying on new suits that he just bought. A tailor is here, making adjustments so everything is custom fit.
“What do you think, darling?” Xavier asks, holding up two different ties. He’s being interviewed by a major news source tonight on live TV, and someone from the VC is going to “surprise” him with the suggestion to run for mayor next term. There hasn’t been a vampire mayor in the south, and right now, many people feel like they can trust a vampire more than anyone in Washington.
“The light blue for sure.” I move in front of him, taking the tie from his hands and wrapping it around his neck. “You’re going to crush it tonight.”
“I will,” he agrees, not to be cocky, but because he genuinely knows he will.
“And I will be cheering you on from the couch. In my jammies. Probably eating junk food. My ideal night.”
He chuckles and I have to step out of the way so the tailor can make an adjustment on his sleeves. I change into workoutclothes and go downstairs. I can’t do a full workout until my hand has healed, but I’m able to run and do lower body and abs. I finish and go upstairs just in time to give Xavier a kiss goodbye, and he, Theo, and Zeke all leave. Mabel has planned a movie night for her, Devon, and me…along with a couple of her creepy dolls.
I’m making popcorn when the doorbell rings. It’s dark, so I don’t want to just open the door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Devon asks, coming into the room, and I shake my head.
“Let’s check the footage,” I say and we both go into the mudroom behind the kitchen. Devon punches in a code and unlocks the screen.
It’s Antonio.
What the fuck? I blink a few times and continue to stare at the screen hanging on the wall that shows all the exterior camera footage. Yes, that’s him all right. I hurry through the house and throw open the front door.
“Are you serious?” I shake my head, lips parting but I’m quite literally speechless. “You shouldn’t be here and I told you, I’m not arguing about Larissa anymore. I had nothing to do with that.”
“I’m here about her,” Antonio says. “I’m here because I need your help and you’re not answering your phone.”
“Yeah, I muted you for the rest of the day. “What’s wrong?” A sick feeling starts to form in my stomach.
“Gia,” Antonio says. “She’s missing.”
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
“What do you mean?” I blurt.
“I mean she’s missing.”
“How long?”
“We think she snuck out sometime in the middle of the night.”
“Snuck out?” I echo and step back, motioning for Antonio to come inside. I can tell that he’s not lying; our little sister really is missing. “Do you have any idea where she was going?”
“Yeah.” Antonio apprehensively steps into the foyer and looks around. This house is fancy and intimidating on its own. When you factor in that it houses five vampires and a witch, it can feel like a house of horrors to some people. “Coming to find you.”
“Me? What?” I ask even though I heard him.
Before he can answer, Devon comes sliding to a stop next to me. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Antonio stiffens. He hasn’t seen Devon since he was human and lying on the ground of the parking lot, bleeding out.
“Gia is missing.”
