Greystone turned away from him. “It’s arrogant to think that the three of you can protect me fromhim.”
With a smile, Teague stepped aside and motioned to Garrett. “Why don’t you tell him about the vampire protection program?”
“Oh, right.” Fortunately, he’d been partnered with Teague on enough cases to pick up on his bluff. He turned to Greystone and made a point of shuffling some papers from his briefcase. “It’s simple. You agree to our terms and we keep you alive, or we send you to Hellios, your choice. I’m personally hoping for Hellios.”
Greystone glanced from Garrett to Teague and back again before sighing. “Fine, I’ll tell you everything, but I want the offer in writing.”
Teague gave him a nod. “Done.”
Garrett removed a piece of paper and a pen from his briefcase, composed a quick affidavit, then signed and dated it. He slapped the paper on the dinner tray along with his pen and rolled both over to the vampire. They waited in tense silence while he read over the fake paperwork, and then signed it.
The moment Garrett put the papers back in his briefcase, Greystone started talking. “You must first be referred by someone already in the Brotherhood. Then, you get an access code to their website. Not much different than the more elite online dating services. After I make my selection, a phone number is provided to me. I’ll call from a burner phone. A man answers, and a meeting is set up. After that, I wire twenty-five thousand dollars to a Swiss bank.”
When he hesitated to go on, Garrett pressed him. “If you had women you paid to bond with for the evening then why attack Miss Howe?”
Greystone’s eyes darted to the ring. “I may have gotten carried away. She was so sexy, and her scent made me crazy. Ah, the things I would’ve done to Gillian if given the chance.”
A low growl emitted from the back of Garrett’s throat. He lunged forward and grabbed the vampire by the neck. “Don’t ever say her name. Don’t even think it, or I will decimate you.”
Denopoulos placed a hand on Garrett’s shoulder “Easy there, big guy. He's not worth it. Let’s go back to headquarters. We need to create a profile for you. I think we just found a way to infiltrate Lawrence’s organization. I’m afraid it means turning you into one of them.”
Chapter 17
By noon the next day the foot traffic in the shop was slow. So in honor of Willow and Alex’s engagement party, they decided to close early. From the moment Gillian had set foot inside the shop, she’d been trying to open a link to Brooke but without any luck. Trying hard not to scream with frustration, she downed a green drink to boost her energy and shoved a crystal in the front panel of her bra to replenish her magick. After Gillian shut everything down and emptied the register, she walked behind the counter and flicked the neon open sign off.
All morning long she kept checking her phone to see if there was any word on Brooke or any new sightings of her vampire captor, but nothing so far. She heaved a deep sigh, her whole body tensing with disappointment. She couldn’t stop imagining what Greystone had said to Garrett and the other agents, wondering if any of it would assist them in their investigation.
Garrett made sure to text her a few times to check on her and let her know that a development had come up in the case. She prayed it led them one step closer to Brooke.
Today his partner, Natalya Dubrosky, had taken her to work. All morning long she’d browsed through the aisles, pretending to be a customer. As part of her cover, Natalya nixed the suit for jeans and a flowy blouse to blend in. Her witty manner and chilled vibe put Gillian at ease, along with the gun she kept holstered under a fringed suede jacket.
Saje walked to the counter and set a black overnight bag on the glass. “Everything you need for the party is inside, along with a gift I made just for you. See for yourself.”
“You’re the best.” Gillian flushed, becoming overwhelmed with gratitude. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Saje had been her rock throughout this ordeal and the only one of her friends that knew the truth about her and Mulroney.
“You made me a gift? I think you have me confused with Willow. Last I checked she’s the one getting married.” Gillian unzipped the bag and removed a small hair spray bottle marked with a black x. “Extra hold?” Gillian asked, glancing at Saje with a smile.
“It’s definitely not hairspray,” Saje said, nodding at the small bottle in Gillian’s hands. “What you’re looking at is a potion I made from bat’s blood, vervain, chocolate sprinkles, and a clove of garlic. It’s a vampire repellent.” Saje walked behind the counter and tallied the register receipts.
“Whoa, keep that stuff away from me.” Natalya poked her head out from behind a bookshelf and made a face. “I can smell it from the other side of the store. It’s making my eyes water.”
“Sorry, Natalya. At least we know it works.” Gillian shoved the spray bottle in her purse and walked over to Saje, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you for always looking out for me. You’re the best friend a girl could have.”
Tears swam in Gillian’s eyes and Saje let out a small sniffle. Her best friend pulled away and gave her a watery smile. “Ditto. Are you ready to get out of here?”
“Yes. Let’s go.” After Gillian walked to the front door and clicked the locks in place, she turned on the alarm. She reached for the overnight bag and her purse off the counter, and when both Natalya and Saje made their way to the back, she flicked the lights. “Speaking of gifts, I already got one, but I still need to pick up some wine for the party. There’s a liquor store right on the corner.”
The three women made their way through the storeroom and out the back. The honk of taxi horns and the familiar smell of roasted peanuts from a nearby food cart soothed her frayed nerves.
“Okay, you two. I’m taking off. See you tonight.” Saje gave Gillian another quick hug and headed in the other direction.
“I don’t know about this, Gillian.” Natalya jerked her head at the cop car parked across the street. “Garrett said I should take you straight home.” They took a few steps to the flower shop next door. “What about a bouquet?”
Gillian glanced through the window at the long line. “It looks super busy in there.”
“Okay then, wine it is.” Natalya turned her head to the side and her gaze darted up and down the sidewalk. “The streets are crowded. We should drive over.”
“It’s right there.” Gillian pointed to the end of the block. “Besides, you’ll never find parking. C’mon, I promise I’ll be quick.”
