“They were kidnapping humans for the blood-slave trade, we believe at the instruction of the Nefari. I caught them in the middle of trying to kidnap a woman with AB-negative blood.” He did his best to keep any inflection or facial expression that might give away his relationship to Olivia out of his response. There was no law against vampire-human relationships, but he didn’t want to give them any reason to ask the Imperium to implement one.
“You have identified these men?” Chin asked.
Travis took a step forward. “The human authorities have.”
Chin redirected his attention to Travis. “You can track them back to the source, to whoever is responsible for their actions?”
“Yes, sir,” Travis said, betting the farm and quite possibly Campbell’s life on their ability to solve this case.
“Good. We are done here.” Chin headed for the door.
“But, Legister Chin, he killed two humans,” Fowler said.
“He has broken no law. The men were not drained, and he was performing his sworn duty at great personal risk.” Chin looked at Campbell. “Thank you.”
Campbell gave him a respectful nod. “Thank you, Legister.”
Fowler gave him an ugly look as the Legisters filed out of the room. Campbell didn’t know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn’t really give a damn.
Neither Campbell nor any of the other members of the team moved or said a word until they heard the exterior door close behind the Legisters.
“That dude sucked on too many lemons when he was alive,” Billy said.
“Where the hell were you today?” Len asked. “Colin said you raced away with dawn on the horizon.”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Olivia DaCosta’s walk-in freezer.”
There was a suspended moment; then Colin had the balls to laugh.
Campbell punched him in the shoulder. “You try burning to a crisp and see if you don’t think a freezer is paradise afterward.”
Sophia made a sound of distress.
“I’m okay now. Chloe and Olivia got me some blood so I’d heal.”
“Damn, man,” Len said. “You really do like this gal to go through that. I don’t mind pain, but growing skin. Hell.”
Campbell filled them in on the rest of what had happened then looked at Travis. “How close is NYPD to knowing who those guys were working for?”
“Not very.”
Campbell cursed.
“I, however, am a wizard with connections and have a pretty good lead.”
“And you didn’t tell the Legisters?” Kaja asked.
“They didn’t ask if I had tracked them, only if I could. I answered them truthfully.”
Len laughed. “That Wall Street sneakiness does come in handy once in a while.”
That it did. “Who is it?” Campbell asked.
“I got a couple of hits on them having been in contact with Nicky Salmeri.”
Len whistled at the same time Sophia shivered, both with reason. Nicky was really bad news, feared even among the ranks of the Soulless. The Nefari kingpin had the reputation of punishing by baseball bat just so he could watch the vamp in agony as his bones grew back together. Well, he could try tonight, but he would be in for a surprise. If Campbell found out the guy was behind the kidnappings, behind the attempt to take Olivia, he’d be hard-pressed not to use Nicky’s bat on him.
“Wow, this just gets better every day,” Kaja said as she pulled back her hair into the tight braid she wore when they were about to do some serious ass-kicking.
“What’s the plan?” Colin asked as he leaned back against the edge of his desk.
“First I’m taking a shower and changing out of these reeking clothes so I don’t have every dog in Manhattan following me. Then I feel the need to go say hi to the Nefari.”
Chapter 16
An impressive line of very large vampires slid into a shoulder-to-shoulder barricade, cutting off Campbell’s view of Nicky Salmeri. He’d bet money not a one of them possessed a sense of humor. No matter, he wasn’t exactly in a joking mood.
“Nicky, you’re going to want to have your goons step to the side or have them charged with obstructing justice,” Campbell said.
A deep laugh came from the table in the back corner of the restaurant. “Obstructing justice? Sounds like such a human term.” He’d heard many a vampire use the same tone of disgust when uttering the word human before, but the way Nicky said it really grated on his last nerve.
“You know we have laws, too.” Salmeri had certainly broken enough of them, even if he did manage to slither out of paying for his crimes.
Nicky snapped his fingers, which must have been a signal, because the line of guards parted.
“Now, what law have I supposedly broken this time?” Nicky said.
Campbell took his time walking forward, closing the distance between himself and the Nefari boss. Len and Kaja backed him up while the rest of the team had positioned themselves around the restaurant to keep an eye on things and make sure they didn’t go sideways fast.
“Hiring humans to do your dirty work during the day.”
He sneered. “While a repulsive thought, I fail to see how that would be against our laws.”
“It is when those humans are kidnapping other humans for the blood-slave trade.”
Salmeri barked out a solitary laugh as he sat back in the corner of the booth, stretching his arms along its back. He wore a slick gray suit that no doubt cost more than Campbell made in a month. Evidently crime paid very well.
“I have no need for blood slaves. I don’t lack for food or sources of pleasure.” He gave Kaja a long look. “Though I’ve always got room for another lovely at my side.”
Len growled low in his throat, and Campbell had to agree with the sentiment. But Kaja wasn’t the type of girl to need guys to take up for her.
Kaja said nothing, but Campbell had no doubt that she was giving Salmeri an “eat crap and die” look.
“Quit trying to divert the conversation,” Campbell said.
“Is that what we’re having, a conversation?” Nicky asked. “Because it sounds more like you coming in here and accusing me of crimes with no evidence. The Imperium must be dragging the bottom of the recruitment barrel if you are the best it can muster.”
Like every other Soulless vampire, Salmeri was no fan of the Imperium. Campbell had his own issues with them, that they were perhaps a bit too much like human politicians, but he kept those thoughts to himself.
Campbell pulled a photo out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, causing it to slide across the surface until it came to rest in front of Nicky. “So you’re saying you don’t know those guys?”
Nicky barely gave a glance to the crime-scene photo of the two guys in Olivia’s alley, a photo that Travis had procured from the NYPD’s server.
“I don’t associate with human alley trash. Seems someone did the world a favor by removing them from the population.”
“I agree.”
Nicky met his gaze and nodded. “Your work?”
“Yes, and when I find the vampire who hired them, he’s going to wish he could die as quickly.”
“It must be tiring caring so much for your prey.”
The muscles in Campbell’s jaws tightened. He refused to respond because anything he said would likely be seen as a victory to Salmeri. Man, he hoped the guy was the one behind the kidnappings so he could take him out of play, knocking a big hole in the Nefari.
“Be sure to spread the word that we’re looking for the vamp behind the kidnappings. I want him to know we’re coming for him.”
“You can rest assured your visit and accusations here have already begun to spread. You can’t beat the vampire grapevine. I suspect you’ll hear something very soon.”