"No, they're safely on their way into the Directorate. But we did a full trace on Carlos Martez, and have discovered that he died some five and half years ago in a traffic accident."
"Well, he looks pretty good for a dead man."
"Obviously, we are dealing with someone who has usurped his identity."
So had Kye known that the real Carlos was dead when he'd given me his name? And if he had, why not tell me? Or was it simply another of his games? Another way of maintaining some form of control over me? "Was Carlos listed as human or vampire?"
"Vamp."
"Then how could he die in a car accident?"
"Easily. He ran into the back of a truck, which subsequently lost its load and decapitated him."
"And it was definitely an accident?"
"Yes. There was a witness." He paused. "Interestingly enough, that witness is a young woman currently residing in Vinny's nest."
"How convenient."
"Yes." His voice was heavy with sarcasm. "We've also done a preliminary search for Ammon Nasser. We have no records of him entering the country, but that's not unusual, given we only list those who come here legally. I've applied to the greater council for details, but it may take some time."
"You know, they're not exactly falling over themselves to help us, and that's damn strange, considering it's their people being chopped up."
"We're dealing with a very old, very formal organization here, Riley. And there are set processes in place for good reason, whether they chafe you or not."
I grinned. "Hey, they're the ones with their necks on the line, not me, so it's no skin off my nose."
He snorted softly. "Make sure the com-link is on so we can hear the conversation when you're in Vinny's."
"It'll be my first priority." Which was a dead-set lie, because my first priority would be kissing the hell out of Quinn.
Which is precisely what I did when he arrived eight minutes later.
"You're late," I murmured, when we finally come up for air.
He smiled and lightly traced his finger around my well-kissed lips. "Unfortunately, the traffic was worse than usual. A four-car accident, according to the news."
I kissed his fingertip and barely resisted the temptation to draw the digit into my mouth and suck on it. That would only lead to activities we really didn't have time for.
"Shall we head inside?" he said, even as the scent of desire began emanating from him. I guess after all the time we'd been spending together he'd know exactly where my thoughts had been heading.
"Yeah." I swung around and led the way. He walked beside me, not touching me physically but close enough that the scent of him, the heat of him, swirled around me—a blanket of warm protection that I just wanted to roll up in. But that was a distant likelihood for the next several hours, at least. "Our dear Vinny has been keeping secrets from us. We're about to lean on her to discover them."
"I always did appreciate a good 'lean'," he said, amusement in his voice. "But she's grown stronger since our last visit, and since she thinks she knows exactly what I'm capable of, she will be less tractable."
"Even I don't know exactly what you're capable of," I said wryly, "So she's a fool if she thinks she knows all there is to know."
And Vinny was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them.
My phone beeped as a message came in, and I dug it out of my pocket and glanced down. My heart skipped several beats when I saw it was from Kye.
Lunch is cancelled, it said. Have meeting with a client, Will contact you later.
Hope surged. Maybe last night—and my decision to stop fighting and give him what he wanted—was already beginning to pay off. With the challenge gone, maybe—just maybe—he'd pack up and move on.
It was a slim hope, but one I had to cling to nonetheless.
"Anything important?" Quinn asked, his voice nonchalant.
I glanced at him, noting the sudden remoteness in his expression.
He knew.
"Just a cancelled lunch meeting." I shoved my phone away. "Nothing important."
"Uh-huh," he said, voice still noncommittal.
I wanted to reach out and catch his hand in mine, but that would only confirm his fears. And even though those fears were very real, I didn't want to cause him any more pain than I already had.
We walked though the doors of Vinny's high rise and began to climb the stairs. A rumble of excitement began to touch the air, growing stronger the higher we climbed. I pressed the com-link, making sure it was on.
"Vinny knows we're here," Quinn said, the amusement back in his voice. "She is excited about it."
I glanced back at him. "Is that why the air feels so charged?"
"Yep. Our mistress of emotions is planning to challenge our authority."
"Then she's a damn fool."
He smiled, but this time there was nothing warm about it. "All youngsters challenge authority at some point in their lives. But most chose their targets more wisely."
We reached the top floor. A different girl guarded the door, but like the previous one, she was dressed casually and had a suspicious bulge on her right hip. Unlike the previous guard, this girl looked arrogant. Confident.
If the fledglings were taking their lead from their master, then Quinn was right. Vinny had grown overly confident. So why the sudden change? There'd been little evidence of this attitude when I'd talked to her a few days ago.
Did the man who'd visited her last night have anything to do with it? If so, it was more important than ever that we find him. And that she help us.
"We're here to see Vinny," I said, stopping little more than a foot away from the guard.
"You may go in, but the old one stays here—"
"His name is Quinn and he accompanies me or I will bust Vinny's ass and drag her down to the Directorate." I raised my voice a little. "So call off your dog, Vinny."
The guard's gaze went blank for a moment, then she said, her voice several octaves lower than it had been moments ago, "She does not wish problems with the Directorate, but she does not wish the old one inside her sanctuary."
"The old one can rip your precious little world apart whether he is inside or outside, Vincenta." Though Quinn's voice was still decidedly mild, there was a hint of steel underneath that was warning enough to anyone with sense. "But perhaps a demonstration is in order?"
The wash of power that suddenly burned across my senses was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It was dark, dangerous, and somehow unholy, and it sent chills racing across my flesh. My gaze jumped to Quinn, and for a moment he didn't really seem whole or real, but rather a creature of shadow and imagination.
And somewhere deep inside of me, a memory twitched. I'd seen him do that once before, but that time he'd done it to save my life.
From within the room, there was a weird ripping, popping sound, then the screaming began. High, terrible screaming.
God, I said telepathically, what the hell did you just do?
I showed them just what an old one is capable of. I do not believe Vincenta will cause you any more problems.
Did you have to kill one of them to do it? But even as I said that, I knew it was a stupid question. If Vinny was beginning to test the Directorate's authority and control, then yeah, something drastic had to be done. And whether I liked to admit it or not, the Directorate maintained authority in this city—and others—by the knowledge that they would do whatever it took to hunt down those who went against the rules.
Vinny was an emo vampire, and her methods of rebellion were far subtler—and possibly more dangerous—than regular blood vampires. We couldn't afford to have her flexing her muscles when the city was already in turmoil.