Could the Parrishes be involved in something so heinous?
After everything she’d learned about them these past few days, nothing was beneath them.
Knox needed to be warned.
With the Order still hours away from the Darkhaven safe house, they would arrive too late to help him. Knox’s brother Razor was even farther away than that. Her only other option was to report her suspicions to the county sheriff’s department.
Muting the TV, she ran to retrieve her phone and tapped the number she saw every day on a fridge magnet in the diner.
The dispatcher answered and Leni took the call out of Riley’s earshot. She hastily relayed everything she knew and suspected, from the girl Riley had seen in the woods and the strangely urgent trip the Parrishes had made to the border. Then she told the operator what had been done to her sister.
“There’s more,” she said to the silence on the other end. “The Parrishes tried to kill me tonight. They hired a Breed assassin. They murdered my friend Carla Hansen and then—”
There was an odd click on the line before a familiar voice intercepted the call.
“Lenora?” Sheriff Barstow’s smooth baritone skated into her ear. He sounded concerned, but she didn’t miss the edge of surprise in his voice. “Are you all right? I’ve got the whole damn department looking for you.”
“What for?”
“What for? Haven’t you heard? Travis Parrish was murdered in cold blood last night. We’ve got witnesses who’ve ID’d his killer, Leni. It was that homicidal vampire that’s been sniffing around your skirt lately.”
She cringed at the vulgar expression, coming from a law officer she’d known since she was a child. “Knox is my mate. All he’s done is protect Riley and me.”
“He’s a killer, plain and simple. The way you and the boy vanished from town, I’ve been afraid the son of a bitch might’ve left you both for dead somewhere too.”
“No, Amos. Knox isn’t the dangerous one. The Parrishes are. They sent a Breed assassin out to kill Knox and me and take Riley. My friend Carla’s dead now because of them too. The Hunter they sent after me killed her first to find out where I am.”
The old sheriff went quiet for a long moment on the recorded line. “These are very serious charges, Lenora.”
“It’s the truth. Send someone to Carla’s house if you don’t believe me.”
“I will do that,” Barstow replied, his tone grave. He let go of a sigh, a heavy sound, full of contemplation. “What about the other Breed male . . . Knox. Is he with you now, Leni?”
“No.”
“Where is he?”
She was sure it wouldn’t take the cagey old law officer more than a second to answer that question for himself, but she wasn’t going to give it to him.
“You’ve been through quite a lot, Lenora. I know you must be scared, but this will all be over soon, I promise.” Barstow’s voice took on a soothing tone that for some reason made the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. “Stay where you are. I’ve got deputies on the way to bring you here to the station as we speak.”
That prickle of unease went cold now. “I never told you where I am, Amos.”
Before he could sputter in response or try to calm her with more false concern, she ended the call. Her phone was no use to her now. All it would do was help lead Barstow and his men to her and Riley.
She tossed it away, then dashed back to the great room to get the boy.
They couldn’t wait another minute for the Order to arrive.
They had to leave now.
Somehow, she had to find a way to warn Knox about everything she’d just learned.
She only prayed she could do that before Sheriff Barstow and his men caught up to him first.
“Riley, we have to go now, kiddo.”
He must have seen the urgency in her face. Grabbing Fred, he hopped off the sofa and ran to her. Leni grabbed their coats and her purse, then hurried out to her Bronco parked outside. With Riley strapped into his seat in back, she climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.
