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I nodded and walked out.

I would find her. I would bring her home.

I stared down the street at the massive brownstone. My second stop. Zara Harris, the female Jaz and Rome had met with, assured me she hadn’t seen Jasmine since the day they stopped by her place. She seemed believable enough, but I didn’t trust anyone.

I’d spent the last two days going through Jasmine’s client list from the last couple weeks. It was easy enough for Talon to hack her online booking system. I’d tracked every one of them down, but no one had set off any major alarm bells.

I focused back on the house. I’d been here for several hours now, watching. I’d met Xavier several times. We’d briefly spoken, once at Ronan’s place, but other than that, I knew nothing about the dhampir—except, of course, that the fucker had been interested in Jasmine and had taken her out on a date. That he’d kissed her. The steering wheel groaned as I gripped it tighter. I didn’t know much about Xavier’s powers, so I’d called Ronan to get any info he had on the male. He said Xavier was private, he’d never told Ronan what he could do, but it was known in their circles that he could travel through metaphysical planes, but Ronan wasn’t sure if he could create his own. Ronan and his sister, Luna, were both extremely powerful. Ronan could block entire streets, could create entire realms that existed inside another, and could move around completely undetected, which meant, Xavier could be capable of fucking anything. He also ran a business from his home, but Ronan didn’t know what that business entailed, again, because the male was private.

I scanned the front windows. I didn’t fucking trust him, and not just because he wanted Jasmine. I just, I didn’t like the guy.

A female rushed along the street, and I sat up straighter when she took the stairs to Xavier’s front door and knocked. She seemed jittery, nervous, her hands shaking. When no one answered the door, she checked her watch, then knocked again, harder this time.

It was coming up nightfall, and there were lights on in a couple of the front rooms. I’d assumed he was home.

Her shoulders slumped when there was still no answer. She turned, about to leave when the door was wrenched open. Xavier stood there, rumpled, a harried look on his face.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the female looked upset. Finally, he shook his head, and shut the door. She covered her face with her hands, shoulders jolting with her sobs.

Grabbing a small pack of travel tissues from the glovebox, I shoved the car door open and jogged along the street and through Xavier’s front gate.

The female looked up and sniffed. “If you’re here for an appointment, don’t bother, he just cancelled mine.”

I held out the tissues. “Are you okay?”

“No.” She took the one and used it to dab at her eyes. “I was really hoping to get this over with today.”

“Yeah, me too,” I lied. “I can’t believe he’s cancelled.”

Fresh tears slid down her cheeks. “God, I’m a mess. Do you have a broken heart as well?” She flushed and bit her lip. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.”

I stilled. “No, it’s fine. And yeah…I do.” I forced myself to appear calm, instead of grabbing her and demanding to know what the fuck she was talking about. “So do you know how it works?”

She shook her head. “Not really. I found out about him through a friend of a friend. I just know it works. I never knew blocking someone’s emotions was possible.” Her face fell. “God, I just want it over with, you know?”

I nodded, my heart fucking racing.

Blocking emotions.

“Anyway, thanks for the tissue,” she said and scurried past, heading down the street.

My fingers curled into fists. It was Xavier. He was the one who’d locked away Jasmine’s love for me, who’d fucked with her mind.

I took the stairs and banged on the door, fighting down my rage. When Xavier didn’t answer straightaway, I banged again, harder.

The door was yanked open when I pounded on it a third time and the male filled the doorway, the scent of lemon floor cleaner and bleach drifting out behind him, as if he’d doused the place in that shit. His gaze hit me, and something shifted through his deep lavender eyes. “What do you want?”

My fox’s hackles lifted instantly. We really didn’t fucking like this male. I wanted to barrel past him, to barge into his house and call for Jasmine. I wrestled my anger and fear down. “You’re a friend of Ronan’s. I’m Ren, his sister in-law’s familiar.” I held his gaze, not letting him look away from me. “Their cousin Jasmine’s my mate.”

He blinked several times, rapidly, but otherwise didn’t move, didn’t react. “Okay,” he said. “And I will repeat. What do you want?”

“Can I come in?”

“No. Say what you’re here for, then leave. I’m busy.”

I wanted to grab him by the throat and fling him aside. “You know Jasmine.”

“Yes, I do.” His head tilted to the side. “We dated.”