“Was that supposed to put me at ease?” she whispered back. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle on the old wooden door, and it slowly creaked open. Living in a hundred-year-old Victorian had its perks, as well as its fair share of challenges—like no one could ever remember to lock the numerous doors and windows around the house.
Mulroney brushed past her, and she followed him into the kitchen. “Stay put while I have a look around.” The idea of Lawrence, or one of his thugs, waiting for her inside the house made her break out in a cold sweat. The place was unusually quiet. The only sounds came from the hum of the fridge and the pounding of her heart.
Fortunately, one of them was able to see in the dark. She stood there frozen while Mulroney roamed through the house. After several agonizing minutes, heavy footsteps scraped against the stone floor.
“We’re all clear.” His voice cut through the darkness and eased some of her fear. He flicked on the lights, and she covered her eyes from the sudden brightness. “You need to take proper precautions. A bunch of women living alone, leaving the back door open is a recipe for disaster.” He took a step closer to her, and her eyes roamed over his tall, powerful frame. He was so big and broad, all six-foot-three inches of him filling the space.
“I’ll talk to the other girls.” Not that she tended to agree with him, but in this case, he was right. Besides, if a creature was powerful enough, they could break through the protective charms and spells throughout the house if they wanted to.
“Speaking of the women, where are they?” Mulroney asked, glancing around the empty kitchen. The scent of rosemary and thyme filled the air. Dried herbs from their solarium hung from the wooden beams above the island. “I’m not picking up on any conversations.”
“A Mabon Ritual, for the autumn equinox.” She wasn’t sure what she was going to tell the other girls as to the reason she’d blown it off. They’d worry when she didn’t show, but if she told them the truth, she’d ruin the ritual. For now, she needed to let them know she was okay.
She reached for her cell from her back pocket and sent a group text.
Sorry, I couldn’t make it tonight. Something came up.
At least that part wasn’t a total lie. After she shoved the phone back in her pocket, she glanced over at Mulroney and pointed to his cell which continued to beep.“You can actually hear other people’s conversations? I thought that was a myth along with burning up in the sun.”
His stance was rigid, his jaw locked tight. “There’s always some hint of truth to all those legends, and while some of us can pick up on a dozen conversations at once, even from far away, we can’t burn up in the sun. Although sunlight does slow down our speed and strength. As for some of the other myths, I prefer my meat cooked rare actually and not raw when I indulge. Any other questions, Miss Howe?”
“Yeah, do you have any idea where Lawrence could’ve taken Brooke?” Gillian’s mind whirled in a million different directions, devising ways to keep the other girls out of harm’s way. They’d have to use their collective magick to strengthen the spells and charms throughout the house.
He rubbed the back of his neck, and a crease appeared between his brows. “I’ve been on the phone with Alex and my partner and that seems to be the question of the evening. The MBI sent a forensics team to take hair and blood samples. The case is in their jurisdiction. Agents have been sent to Lawrence’s last known address in the city, and they’re searching his offices for any evidence that could lead us to her whereabouts. I’m afraid we don’t have much to go on at this point. But we are pouring all our resources into it, I promise you.” He motioned to the table. “Why don’t I wait with you until the others get back? You shouldn’t be left alone. I’m hoping a conversation might jog your memory.”
His words filled her with a mixture of disappointment—and fear. Gillian wanted to try scrying for Brooke, but her powers were depleted after expending so much magick in the last twenty-four hours. “I’m willing to try if you think it might lead you to Brooke,” she said over her shoulder as she walked to the fridge and took out a green juice. She offered one to Mulroney, but he made a face and held up his hand, taking a seat. “If you were doing surveillance on Lawrence, then you must know all about his operation.” She unscrewed the cap off the Mason jar and took a sip.
“Our sources tell us he's not working alone,” Mulroney explained, folding his arms across his broad chest. “We have reason to believe he’s the frontmanfor a bigger, badder organization. A demon by the name of Tristan Saint Claire was the head of a crime syndicate known as the Shadow Cabal. When he was killed, his operation was dismantled, making room for a group of vampires who call themselves the Du Sang Brotherhood to take over the reins.”
“The Du Sang Brotherhood?” she repeated. “I suppose it has a certain sinister ring to it.”
“I suppose it does,” he agreed, rubbing at the scruff along his chin, and she wondered if the man ever shaved. “It’s French for blood. We have reason to believe they’re now being led by Kurt Lawrence and his cronies. The bastards have their hands in everything from human trafficking to money laundering.”
“I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “Kurt Lawrence is a mogul with a legit business. Why go into this life of debauchery? It can’t be for the money.” She walked to the table and sat down next to him in one of the wicker back chairs.
“He's been using the other business as a front for money laundering,” Mulroney explained, resting his hands on the table. “Lawrence’s empire is in trouble and has been for a while, mainly because of his gambling problem. He owes debts all over the place. He was vulnerable and a man with connections, which put him in a prime position to be recruited by this type of organization. But I believe someone else is running the show.”
“What does this mean for Brooke? Are you officially calling this a kidnapping even though she invited him in?” she asked in a defensive tone and immediately regretted it. She wasn’t angry at Mulroney but furious at the whole situation. She reached for a deck of her cards stacked on the table and began shuffling them, needing something to do with her hands.
“I’d say that’s pretty much a given. She had no choice because of his sway over her. Once the bonding pheromones took over, Brooke became desperate for the next fix. In essence, Lawrence turned her into a blood slave. The penalty is an automatic death sentence. The Council doesn’t take kindly to innocents being taken against their will. When we do find Lawrence, and I assure you we will, they’ll vote for execution.” Mulroney exhaled, and she picked up on his anxiety as it rolled off him in waves.
“What aren’t you telling me?” She finished the last of her drink and started to feel more like herself. “Please, I have a right to know.”
He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. “A week ago, a young woman was found in a ditch with all the blood drained from her body. She was last seen at one of Lawrence’s events. The murder is what led us to beef up our investigation.”
Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs. “Are you saying that Kurt Lawrence is a murderer?”
His ice-blue eyes softened a fraction when they gazed into hers. “It’s sure starting to look that way. You threatened to expose one of the most influential vampires in the New York area as both a fraud and a human trafficker to a million of your followers. We’ve managed to keep all of this out of the mage news. But a single tweet could ruin him in no time flat. And now that Brooke’s been taken, you’re our prime witness in her kidnapping, which I’m afraid puts you in terrible danger, Miss Howe. This isn’t just a human you need protection from. Are you aware of a vampire’s speed and strength?”
Gillian figured she must be suffering from shock because she couldn’t fully wrap her brain around what he was saying. Seeing Lawrence take Brooke was bad enough, to think that the vampire could also be a killer was too much to process all at once. “I get it. I’m in danger.” But she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do until Lawrence was found, except maybe hide out for a while. “There are protection spells and charms I can weave here.”
“With all due respect, Miss Howe, you’ll need more than a spell to protect you against a vampire.” His words cut through the room and made her tense.
“How come you’re not going after the vampire that Lawrence works for?” She got up and began to pace; then, she remembered Brooke’s keys in the front pocket of her hoodie. They jingled with every step. “If he's the one pulling the strings, why not bust down his door and arrest him?”
“Trust me, it’s not that simple.” His tone filled with anger. “If it were, he'd been in custody. He knows how to keep his hands clean and let others do his dirty work.”
“I refuse to stand here and do nothing while my cousin’s out there. I’m going to try scrying her.” Gillian pulled out Brooke’s keychain from the front pocket of her hoodie and set it on the table. She took the map of Hudson County that they kept on a corkboard and spread it across the table; then, glanced over at Mulroney. “Do you have anything of Lawrence’s that I can use, like a business card? I don’t know, maybe a fang?”
