kaius
The doorto the back hall of the bar slammed hard enough to rattle the glassware. Nolan strode in, jaw set, and the veins in his neck standing out like cords.
“It’s gone,” he said, voice low but tight. “I searched all over that damn room, but the hemlock is missing again. That is a total of ten bottles in less than a week just gone.”
I didn’t look up right away from the decanter in my hand, finishing pouring the whiskey and setting the glass down on the polished bar top separating us. “Gone? Are we positive?”
Nolan scoffed at me. “Of course, I am sure. You know how Vince is about his supply. He practically counts it every hour.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, the stress of this showing on his face. I leaned back against the metal drink fridge. There were no cameras down there or in the alley to ensure there was no digital trail of our victims. Whoever was dipping into our hemlock supply knew this. They would have to be closeenough to us to know how to evade us and get into the basement undetected. It could be any one of the Knights.
“You seem way too calm about this.” Nolan’s brows furrowed. “Vince is about to go on a torture spree to get whoever was touching his precious to squeal.”
I rolled the glass in my hand, watching the amber liquid catch the dim light. “I’ll handle it.”
“How?” Nolan questioned me.
I shot him a dark look, but he didn’t back down to me. I inclined my head and raised one brow, the conversation ending in words, but Nolan understood what I would not speak aloud.
I watched as Nolan stormed off, the weight of the situation lingering in the air. The basement wasn’t just a vault for our deadly secrets. It was meant to be beyond reach, even for most of the Knights. Whoever had taken the hemlock hadn’t broken a lock or left an ounce of evidence of who they were. It was as if they were a shadow that had slipped between the cracks of the wooden door, and that made them even more dangerous than them having the hemlock.
This person had broken the unspoken law that bound us all together. And there was only one man alive who could guide me on how to handle this breach. Only one man who understood how truly dangerous this was for all of us.
Alaric Camberly.
Vincent’s father was the only elder alive in the Knights of Lovelen. I only sought him out for advice when we were in dire need. He was older than the oaths of the Knights were written. I hated that I had to speak with him, but it was either that or let the stolen poison turn into a full-out war.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
acelynn
Dosingmyself with hemlock was getting easier and easier as the days went by. I was still having side effects, but they were beginning to become manageable, giving me the ability to go about my daily life without having to worry about a sudden hallucination.
But as I got better at swiping the hemlock from the basement, I was beginning to get sloppy, taking too many vials too quickly. I had counted all ten vials I had taken last night. Most of them were still completely full, but it brought me a sense of comfort just to have them.
As soon as my feet crossed the threshold of the bar, I knew something was wrong. Nolan, Vince, and Kaius were standing huddled in the hall between the bar and the back rooms. Vince was clearly upset, face red with anger as he harshly whispered toward Kaius.
I strolled over to Josie, who was restocking the straws and napkins slowly, clearly trying to catch any word from the three men.
“What’s up with them?” I asked, taking a seat in front of her.
She shrugged once. “Vince seems to think someone is stealing from us, but I checked the books. Everything is accounted for, so I don’t know what he is going on about.”
My heart sank, sickness rolling through me. Vince wasn’t talking about money from the bar being pocketed. He was discussing the hemlock, and soon enough, they would notice the missing file. I needed to return it as soon as possible.
I gulped once. “That’s odd. Everything has been adding up for me as well.”
“He gets like this sometimes.” Josie rolled her eyes. “Vince is a little neurotic when it comes to the club’s things. Money, drugs, hell, probably even sex—Vince has a tab on it.”
“Acelynn.” Kaius’s sharp voice had Josie and me both snapping our heads in his direction. He lifted one finger, beckoning me toward the group.
I stood on shaky legs, slowly walking over to where he stood. When I finally got to the group, Kaius slung an arm over my shoulder, dipping down to whisper in my ear.
“I need you to do something for me, kitten,” he purred, voice soft as silk and sending my rational thoughts right out the window.
I didn’t dare speak, afraid my voice would give me away.
Kaius smirked down at me. “I need you to go pick up a few supplies from the Excalibur tonight. I already spoke to Pierce, and he will have them pulled for you.”
