“I already told you…”
“I know what you told me. I’m telling you again because, apparently, my brother has decided to waltz into a viper’s nest and expects me not to worry.” She smoothed her hands over her skirt, her fingers trembling slightly before she forced them still. “Just…promise me you’ll come home.”
Ant considered the request. Promises were tricky. They implied certainty about future events he couldn’t control. But Bridget’s face had taken on the particular expression that meant she was likely remembering the last time someone had threatened him - when Colin Banks and Mike Casey had kidnapped her and shot Able.
“I promise to take every reasonable precaution,” he said carefully. “And Viktor will ensure I take several unreasonable ones as well.”
The corner of Bridget’s mouth twitched. “That’ll have to do.”
She collected her purse from where she’d dropped it on the counter, then paused at the kitchen doorway. “Tell Viktor I said to keep you safe.”
“You can tell him yourself when he returns with breakfast.”
“I have a conference call in twenty minutes.” But she lingered anyway, her hand on the doorframe. “I mean it, Ant. I’ll expect regular check-ins. Be careful.”
“I will.”
She left, her heels clicking away down the hall, and moments later, the front door closed with a much gentler sound than it had opened with.
Ant returned to the file, spreading the crime scene photographs across the table in chronological order. Ronald Finch stared sightlessly at a distant wall in each image. His body waspositioned as though he’d simply collapsed mid-task. He still had a pen in his hand. If it wasn’t for the marks on his neck, anyone might assume he’d simply had a heart attack or a stroke.Interesting.
Able’s ears perked up a second before Ant felt Viktor’s presence approaching through the wards. The back door opened, and Viktor’s voice carried through from the utility room.
“Babe, I got those breakfast sandwiches you like, and…” He appeared in the kitchen doorway, a paper bag in one hand and his expression shifting from cheerful to wary the moment he saw the photographs spread across the table. “What happened?”
“You’ll be pleased. We have a case,” Ant said as he gestured at the folder. “The Justiciary wants me to read a murder scene at the Raven Estate.”
Viktor’s eyes flashed red for a fraction of a second before returning to their usual ice blue. He set the bag down very carefully and moved to Ant’s side, his large hand settling on Ant’s shoulder.
“You’d better tell me everything.”
Chapter Two
Viktor stood very still, his hand on Ant’s shoulder, and fought down the immediate urge to throw his mate over his shoulder and run. Logically, he knew there was no need for anything so drastic, and the feeling was pure instinct and nothing more. He had no idea where they would even run to, but the urge to flee was strong. Ant in a coven – particularly that one – was just not a scenario he wanted to consider, and if he took Ant far enough away…There’s nowhere I could take him where he’d forget about this case.
“The Raven Estate,” he repeated, his voice coming out flat. “Claudius’s place.”
“Yes.” Ant tilted his head to look up at Viktor. “Did you know him? The Justiciary has arranged for us to conduct a scene reading tomorrow morning at ten. Ronald Finch was found drained of blood in one of the guest rooms, and the coven claims…”
“No.”
Ant blinked. “No, you didn’t know Claudius?”
“No, we’re not taking this case.” Viktor forced himself to release Ant’s shoulder before he gripped too tightly. This was also one of those times when Ant’s ability to sense thoughts and emotions through touch would not be a good idea. He stepped back, running both hands through his hair and trying to think past the roaring in his head. “Tell the Justiciary to send someone else.”
“There is no one else.” Ant’s tone remained maddeningly reasonable. “I’m the only mage in the state who can read scenes and see past events. You know this.”
Viktor did know this. He also knew that Claudius Raven was an elitist bastard who’d spent eight centuries treating humans like cattle and mages like performing dogs. He doubted the man hadchanged his ways, although…why didn’t he just bury the body with all the others? Fuck it.
He started pacing, unable to stand still. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, the walls pressing in. All the Zen he’d achieved from his morning run was completely gone. “You don’t understand what you’re walking into.”
“Then explain it to me.” Ant shifted in his chair, tracking Viktor’s movement. Able sat up, his tail wagging once before settling back down. “I take it you know Claudius.”
“I know him.” Viktor bit out the words, hating that they had to be said out loud. “I lived at that estate for a while. It was centuries ago, before I left and traveled the world, doing all I did before I ended up back here in Tony’s crew.”
He watched Ant process this information, those gray eyes sharpening with interest rather than concern. Of course Ant would find it fascinating that Viktor was about to accompany him into a nest of vampires who still thought the Renaissance contributed to the downfall of civilization.
“You’ve never mentioned him before.”
