She posted it and then linked it to her Instagram account, praying the two would work in Brooke’s favor. Before she could go over the whole ordeal again in her head, the front door blew open bringing a brisk autumn breeze with it. Mulroney walked in alone. Relief washed over her, and she had to force herself not to jump into his arms.
He towered over everyone else, a tall, brooding presence with an intense look in his light blue eyes that made her shiver. A few female heads turned to stare at him, but he appeared not to notice, his focus directed solely on her.
“Miss Howe?” His brows creased in concern when he spotted her through the crowd. He made his way over to her table, and her breaths came out too fast. “Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze darting to her neck. Despite having just been tranced and threatened by a vampire, the sound of his voice managed to chase some of the darkness away.
“I’m fine. What about Brooke?” she whispered. “Did you find her?” Tears burned her eyes and clogged in the back of her throat. To her horror, she let out a sniffle. The last thing she wanted to do was fall apart in front of Garrett Mulroney.
“Why don’t we go somewhere private to have this discussion?” Mulroney motioned to the door.
A shudder rippled through her. “No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.” Between his solemn expression and his rigid stance, she sensed whatever he had to say was bad. Her hands began to shake.
His gaze softened a fraction and then darted around the coffee shop before they met hers once more. He resumed his usual guarded expression, pulled out a chair, and sat down. When his jaw visibly clenched, she braced herself for the worst. “We combed through the apartment, but there was no sign of her. From what you told me on the phone, and by all appearances, we believe Brooke was kidnapped.”
Hearing her suspicions confirmed made Gillian burst into tears. A mixture of fear and anger washed over her like a tidal wave.
“I’m so sorry. Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’re going to find her.” When he reached across the table to squeeze her hand, a searing heat spread up her arm and burned through the thin material of her sweatshirt. He froze momentarily before he swiped his hand away. What was with her reaction to this guy? She tried to ignore it along with the knot of guilt in her belly.
His expression turned fierce as his eyes locked on hers. “This should never have happened.”
“What about the cops?” Her voice bordered on hysterical, but at the moment, she didn’t care. “I thought they were supposed to be keeping an eye on Brooke’s place. How did Lawrence and his bodyguard slip past them?”
He frowned. “We sent a patrol car to drive by earlier, but they didn’t see anything suspicious, so they left. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”
After a few minutes, when the tears finally subsided, she took a deep breath and tried to pull it together. It wouldn’t do Brooke any good to have her falling apart. She needed to remain strong so she could help find her and bring her home. “Now what?”
“Good question. We have a team of special agents and police working on locating her as we speak. Let me get you some water.” He walked to the counter and came back and handed her a glass bottle. He sat back down across from her and pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket. He placed it in her hands, clearly uncomfortable.
Shock mingled with gratitude as she wiped her eyes and blew her nose in a very unladylike way. “Thank you.” She glanced down at his initials embroidered across the front before looking up. “Who carries a handkerchief around anymore?” She wasn’t sure why she was even talking about monogrammed handkerchiefs at a time like this.I must be in shock.
“Some of us still do,” he clarified.
She supposed it was kind of sweet, in an old-fashioned way. “My grandfather used to carry a handkerchief,” she said with another sniffle.
“It’s nice to know I remind you of your grandfather. I’m guessing I’m probably much older than him.”
He seemed like he wanted to smile, but from the haunted look in his eyes, she guessed he’d seen too much pain and suffering in his life. In a flash, the vulnerability was gone, evaporated like a fine mist. The image of Lawrence biting Brooke and taking her would never leave her mind. She guessed Mulroney must’ve seen a lot worse in his day. Maybe sarcasm and jokes were his way of not letting all the ugliness get the best of him.
“Why don’t you start by telling me what happened?”
After she relayed the details to him, she took a sip of water and tried to calm her nerves. “If Lawrence was arrested and brought into custody how did he get out of jail? I thought he was going to Hellios where he belongs.”
“He’s got connections, not to mention a team of high-priced attorneys. They got him out on bail.” His full lips pursed into a tight line. “The Council didn’t even have a chance to vote.”
For the first time since she met Mulroney the air of arrogance was gone, replaced with remorse. He ran a hand through his hair, and shadows appeared under his eyes. This case appeared to be taking a toll on him as well.
“I just found out. The officers parked outside of Miss Corey’s apartment were supposed to warn both of you, but by the time they got inside, they said the place was empty.”
“Yeah, well, I think they were a little late. How did Lawrence and his bodyguard slip past them?” she asked, exasperated. “I thought they were supposed to protect her from something like this happening.”
“Unfortunately, the officers didn’t see Lawrence or his bodyguard go into the building. Vampires can move quite fast when we want to.” His eyes remained steely. “I’d like you to come back to Brooke’s with me and then to the station to get your statement. It’s a miracle you managed to get away from them.” He got to his feet. “It seems as though luck is on your side, Miss Howe. You have more lives than a cat.”
* * *
By the time they made it to the coven in Raven’s Hollow, the sky had turned dark. After spending hours back at Brooke’s apartment and the station, she gave Mulroney, Alex, and his partner Cayden, what they deemed an eyewitness account. After that, Mulroney had insisted on escorting her home.
Moonlight illuminated the stone path that led to the kitchen door. Mulroney instructed her to go in through the back of the manor in case someone was inside waiting to attack. The thought filled her with unease. A cool autumn breeze whipped through the air and blew loose strands of hair from her ponytail. The wind chimes clinked together, soothing the anxiety churning in her gut.
“Try to stay calm. I can smell the adrenaline pumping through your veins. If a vampire’s here, you’ll give yourself away,” he whispered close to her ear. His breath fanned her cheek and sent a tingle down her spine.
