Read Online DeLeina, Maya - Veil of Seduction [Ambrose Heights Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Maya DeLeina - Free Book Online

sketchy on this part, but they broke off their relationship abruptly. I’m not too sure why. Maybe Anise gave him an ultimatum and wanted Ryan to leave Anya and he wouldn’t. Maybe Ryan was afraid of Anise’s…tendencies. At least with Anya, she was refined. He could trust her, not worry about her smearing his name or reputation.”
    Alex leaned back in the chair. “Did I tell you the word was that Anise was a little on the wild side? Let’s say, monogamously challenged.”
    “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,” she said in disgust. “But what was the attraction to Ryan that she would jeopardize her relationship with her own sister?”
    “Status and money would be my guess. Anyway, after the breakup, Anise was immediately in the arms of another man—a very different man. A vampire. Anise was turned, but he didn’t stop there…he claimed her. The son of a bitch mated her when they clearly had no mate connection!”
    “But surely this vampire would’ve explained the ritual, gone over the entire mating process and depletion with her before he claimed her…I mean, it was his life on the line as her maker.” A sense of confusion laced Detective Doyle’s tone.
    “Don’t forget, we are dealing with Anise here. She lives in the moment. She’ll say anything, do anything without any regard, without consequence. Look what she did to her own sister! Man, he must’ve done a real number on her—promises of gifts, money, and the whole nine yards. Who knows, maybe they both had the blackness in them.”
    “She had blackness?”
    “Yep. I felt it. There was no mistaking it.”
    “So, she doesn’t have a true mate connection with this vampire and doesn’t embrace the claim, but, she has a connection with Ryan. She retained him in her memory after she was turned and sought him out,” the detective said with calculation as if trying to piece together the picture. “And her maker was able to find her before the depletion was complete.”
    “Exactly. That was her maker in that well who burned with her. Except, he had already extinguished while she burned alive.” Alex got up from the chair and started pacing the room.
    “I just wish I could identify who her maker was. Whoever he was, he planned his attack on Anise methodically. Somehow, he learned to retain residual energy during the depletion process. He had already chosen the cattle ranch and the well as the site. He knew the exact distance and time it would take by flight that would sufficiently burn through this residual energy and allow the depletion to finally take him. I found black market Defender scattered all over the property. He must’ve known she had them and started dumping her belongings before they got to the well.”
    Alex sat at the corner of the desk and continued, “And talk about being systematic…his timing on all of this was impeccable. He dropped her in the well the precise moment he extinguished. His body fell on her in the well just so, pinning her in. She had hours before sunrise hit the well. She had no access to her Defender injections. And with none of the serum left in her system, she burned alive. He wanted her to have time to contemplate death, like he did. He wanted her end to be a horrific one.”
    “So we’ve established motive…revenge. But that still doesn’t answer the question on where Ryan Evans is. Do you sense her vampire mate took care of him? And what did Ryan exactly know about Anise? Do you think Anise revealed what she was?” asked the detective.
    Alex shook his head. “No. Her maker couldn’t have done anything to Ryan. He only had enough energy to carry out the plan for her and must’ve been patient, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take her. And as far as Ryan knowing about Anise being a vampire, I doubt he knew. I mean, I just don’t feel it. It was too early. We are moving into winter…short days, long nights. And if she had black market Defender on her, I can bet you she had a supply