entry?”
“Upstairs window on the north side. Lock’s busted.”
“See any movement?”
“No. Windows are all painted over. The vamp isn’t risking a blind falling down.”
“How long have they been in there?”
She hesitated, then said, “Twenty minutes. But the vamp’s MO is to take his time with his victims. Also, she was unconscious when Savage carried her from the house. If they wait for her to wake up, that could buy us some time.”
He felt a sharp pang in his chest. Ryan hadn’t realized he’d been hoping Vanessa had made a mistake, that it hadn’t been Nate Savage who’d betrayed them. They’d been friends, or as close as people in their line of work could come to friendship. They’d gotten wasted together when it became too much. And when he’d been new and on his first assignment, it had been Savage who’d saved him from having his throat torn out. How had he not known Savage had turned? How had he not even suspected? And now Mercy was paying the price for his blindness.
Bitter anger took over, searing through his bloodstream, and he wanted to seize Vanessa and demand to know why she’d allowed Savage to kidnap Mercy. But he didn’t. He already knew why. Because in the greater scheme of things, it was more important to catch and stop Edmond.
Ryan realized he was strangling the hilt of his own dagger and forced himself to unclench his fingers and even out his breathing.
“Why are you here? Did the Council send you after me?”
She nodded. “The Council was suspicious of you. I was suspicious of the person who sicced them on you.”
“Savage.” He didn’t make it a question.
She looked over her shoulder at him, a trace of uncharacteristic softness in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” Her lips parted as if she wanted to say more, but after a moment, she went back to the surveillance.
“Vanessa.”
She turned and regarded him warily.
“Promise me one thing.”
Her wariness didn’t abate.
“When we go in, no matter what happens to me, you get Mercy out.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “I can’t promise you that,” she said finally.
“Yes, you can.” Jaw tight, his gaze bored into hers. “Vanessa, you owe me.”
Her lips thinned, as if it took effort to keep her words back. Then she gave a single curt nod.
Something inside him eased. “Thank you.”
“Don’t.” There was a wealth of warning and displeasure in that one word.
Head chillingly clear, hands steady, Ryan reached for his firearms and, even though he’d checked them before leaving the Volvo, did so again. “Let’s move.”
He started to rise. Vanessa gripped his wrist, and Ryan fell back to his haunches, his eyes going to the warehouse across the road. The door beside the garage door was inching open.
* * * * *
Hands and feet still bound with duct tape, Mercy sat up on the stone table, legs folded with her heels almost touching her butt, and stared down at the old-fashioned miniature in her hands, heart pounding heavily in her chest. A woman smiled back from the portrait within the heavy gold locket. The details were exquisite. Wavy hair black as ink, porcelain skin, slender nose, and violet eyes with an upward slant set in a heart-shaped face. The likeness was uncanny. She could’ve been Mercy’s twin.
After a lifetime of not knowing the people who contributed the genetic material that had formed her, it was strange to see someone who shared so many of her features. The strangeness wasn’t accompanied by the sense of recognition or belonging she’d foolishly expected as a child though. She’d learned to be alone too well.
“Who was she?” Mercy asked without looking up, yet very aware of Edmond’s scrutiny. They were alone. Shortly after Edmond’s arrival, Savage had volunteered to walk the outside perimeter.
“Angélique,” he murmured. “Your ancestor. Angélique
“Upstairs window on the north side. Lock’s busted.”
“See any movement?”
“No. Windows are all painted over. The vamp isn’t risking a blind falling down.”
“How long have they been in there?”
She hesitated, then said, “Twenty minutes. But the vamp’s MO is to take his time with his victims. Also, she was unconscious when Savage carried her from the house. If they wait for her to wake up, that could buy us some time.”
He felt a sharp pang in his chest. Ryan hadn’t realized he’d been hoping Vanessa had made a mistake, that it hadn’t been Nate Savage who’d betrayed them. They’d been friends, or as close as people in their line of work could come to friendship. They’d gotten wasted together when it became too much. And when he’d been new and on his first assignment, it had been Savage who’d saved him from having his throat torn out. How had he not known Savage had turned? How had he not even suspected? And now Mercy was paying the price for his blindness.
Bitter anger took over, searing through his bloodstream, and he wanted to seize Vanessa and demand to know why she’d allowed Savage to kidnap Mercy. But he didn’t. He already knew why. Because in the greater scheme of things, it was more important to catch and stop Edmond.
Ryan realized he was strangling the hilt of his own dagger and forced himself to unclench his fingers and even out his breathing.
“Why are you here? Did the Council send you after me?”
She nodded. “The Council was suspicious of you. I was suspicious of the person who sicced them on you.”
“Savage.” He didn’t make it a question.
She looked over her shoulder at him, a trace of uncharacteristic softness in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” Her lips parted as if she wanted to say more, but after a moment, she went back to the surveillance.
“Vanessa.”
She turned and regarded him warily.
“Promise me one thing.”
Her wariness didn’t abate.
“When we go in, no matter what happens to me, you get Mercy out.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “I can’t promise you that,” she said finally.
“Yes, you can.” Jaw tight, his gaze bored into hers. “Vanessa, you owe me.”
Her lips thinned, as if it took effort to keep her words back. Then she gave a single curt nod.
Something inside him eased. “Thank you.”
“Don’t.” There was a wealth of warning and displeasure in that one word.
Head chillingly clear, hands steady, Ryan reached for his firearms and, even though he’d checked them before leaving the Volvo, did so again. “Let’s move.”
He started to rise. Vanessa gripped his wrist, and Ryan fell back to his haunches, his eyes going to the warehouse across the road. The door beside the garage door was inching open.
* * * * *
Hands and feet still bound with duct tape, Mercy sat up on the stone table, legs folded with her heels almost touching her butt, and stared down at the old-fashioned miniature in her hands, heart pounding heavily in her chest. A woman smiled back from the portrait within the heavy gold locket. The details were exquisite. Wavy hair black as ink, porcelain skin, slender nose, and violet eyes with an upward slant set in a heart-shaped face. The likeness was uncanny. She could’ve been Mercy’s twin.
After a lifetime of not knowing the people who contributed the genetic material that had formed her, it was strange to see someone who shared so many of her features. The strangeness wasn’t accompanied by the sense of recognition or belonging she’d foolishly expected as a child though. She’d learned to be alone too well.
“Who was she?” Mercy asked without looking up, yet very aware of Edmond’s scrutiny. They were alone. Shortly after Edmond’s arrival, Savage had volunteered to walk the outside perimeter.
“Angélique,” he murmured. “Your ancestor. Angélique
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