Major kissed Tabby’s forehead. “Let me get our bags, then you can relax while I get you a drink.”
“Okay,” she agreed too quickly for his peace of mind. Major had never seen Tabitha this upset, and he didn’t like it. Cailín popped the trunk, and Major shouldered two of the bags, then gripped the third while Cailín gathered the grocery totes. Tabitha removed her purse from the floorboard and led the way. Once inside,Major dropped one of the duffels on the sofa where Craig was sitting, then took the other two to the bedroom he’d commandeered. Tabitha didn’t follow. Instead, she and Cailín headed for the kitchen, where he found them when he came back downstairs. She was sitting at the scuffed table, twirling her phone, while Cailín was putting the groceries away.
Major opened the fridge and grabbed three beers. It was early, but the situation called for something stronger than flavored water. Safehouses were kept stocked with basic necessities, and alcohol was one of them. When he set one in front of Cailín, she asked, “Got anything stronger?”
“Yeah. Name your poison.”
“Whiskey. Neat.”
After Major poured a healthy dose of alcohol for the other redhead, he popped open the beers, tossed the caps in the garbage, then sat next to Tabby. She tapped her bottle to his before taking a long pull.
“Tell me exactly what happened. The long version.”
Tabitha recounted her whole morning, leaving out one important detail. Mason had already called to tell him Tabitha killed the man who was shooting at her. Maybe she didn’t want to dwell on it? When she was finished, she turned to Craig, who had joined them about halfway through Tabitha’s story. “Sarah was adamant about bringing your things to you. When I wouldn’t tell her where you are, she got pissed, so if you haven’t spoken to her, you’ll probably get an earful when you do.”
Craig leaned his head back, his neck popping. “I talked to her already. Both her and Craven. This is all a fucking nightmare. Adams showed up, even thoughTrista had already quit, and from what Sarah told me, he and Craven got into a yelling match about who’s in charge. At this point, I doubt the movie will go forward. Now that both leading actors are out of commission, they’ll at least have to postpone it until they can find replacements. Adams wasn’t happy with me, even though none of this is my fault.”
Major squeezed Tabby’s hand. “Are you still okay with me taking off?”
“Where are you going?” Craig snapped.
Major took a breath before responding so he wouldn’t yell at the prick. “Back to Atlanta to question Brad Campbell. I specialize in interrogation techniques, and if I can get him to talk, we might find out who is behind all the amateur assassins coming after you. If I can do that, we can contact their boss and convince him you weren’t responsible for Carmen’s death. Get them off your ass.”
Craig clasped his hands atop the table, his gaze wary. “But how are you going to prove it?”
Tabitha scraped at the beer label with her thumbnail. “Our tech specialists are working on gathering evidence such as the video from your home cameras that prove where you were on the days surrounding Carmen’s death. The only good thing from this whole debacle is that before Carmen was buried, Toby paid to have a DNA test performed. Carmen had named Toby as her next of kin and executor of her estate in all documents, so it was allowed. At some point, we’ll need a sample of your DNA to prove you aren’t the father.” Nikita had emailed them during the night with that last bit of information. Major often wondered when his cousin slept. He had stopped wondering how sheand the other members of the Trio managed to get some of the information they did. He could use a computer to do basic searches, but their level of competency was mind-boggling.
“I’ll do a DNA test. Anything I can do to help get this target off my back, just let me know,” Craig offered.
Major pointed his bottle at Craig. “One thing you can do is not give Tabitha any shit while I’m gone.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Major stood, taking both empty bottles to the trash can. “Do you want me to show you which room is ours before I leave?”
Tabby leaned her head back, her eyes sad. “Nah, I’ll figure it out. You go so you can get back to me. I’ll walk you out.” She rose and followed Major to the front door, where he told her the alarm code. Now that they had a little more privacy, Major kissed her lips, keeping it soft and gentle. He inspected her cheek where shattered glass had come close to her eye. Too close.
“If you need to talk about what happened, I’ll gladly listen when you’re ready. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Major didn’t want to leave his mate when she was upset, but the sooner he got answers, the sooner they could dump Craig and get on with their lives.
Major let Everett know he was on his way. Instead of heading to the detention center where Brad was being held, Everett took him to the zone five location of the Atlanta Police Department so that Major could question him in an interrogation room. Everett met him at the front door and escorted Major deeper into the building. He entered the room ahead of Major and took a post against the wall. Major sat across from Brad. He had no idea if someone was on the other side of the two-waymirror, but it didn’t matter. His Gryphon voice would only be directed at Brad, and the other humans wouldn’t know of his ability. Everett, being a shifter, would probably feel the vibration, though.
“Mr. Campbell, my name is Major Lazlo. I’m a consultant with the police department, and I need you to answer a few questions.” Brad didn’t look at Major. Instead, he kept his eyes on the table he was shackled to. “Why did you go after Craig Kilbrook?”
There was no answer, but Brad’s hands shook slightly. “Who are you protecting?” Calling on his Gryphon, Major demanded, “Tell me the truth, Mr. Campbell. Why did you go after Kilbrook?”
“Because he killed my sister.” He answered so low, Major doubted the camera picked it up.
“Do you have proof of that? And speak up when you answer.”
“Yes. Carmen said he was the father of her baby.”
“She told you that? Or wrote it in a note?”
“She wrote it down.”
“But that isn’t proof.”
“Carmen detested drugs. There’s no way she would have overdosed, even if she wasn’t happy.”
