Read Online Stormrage by Skye Knizley - Free Book Online Page A

already knew. Shevlin was tortured and killed by decapitation, Christina died of heart failure due to unknown causes. The report on Christina also indicated she'd been pregnant when she'd died.
    Raven was just finishing her coffee when Frost came out of his office. She tossed her coffee cup into the nearby can and elbowed Levac who looked up from the file folder to see Frost approaching.
    "He looks unhappy," Levac said.
    "Yeah… it's the way his eyes crinkle at the edges and his face turns red," Raven replied calmly. "It’s a dead giveaway."
    Frost ignored Levac and looked straight down at Raven.
    "One arrest? One arrest? Are you saying that one woman was running a six thousand square foot Thirst operation?" he asked.
    "Hi, Chris," Raven said. "Yeah, we were just going through the reports. There isn't any obvious connection between the two deaths at the Shevlin place, but I've a hunch they are related. We will keep digging until we find the link. We're going to interrogate Rayne DeGrey in about ten minutes and see if she can shed any light on the subject, if you want to observe."
    "I asked you a question, Detective," Frost said, ignoring Raven's words. "Where are all the other workers? Why aren't my holding cells full of Thirst peddlers?"
    Raven raised her head and looked at Frost, her eyes darkening. "We found a half dozen or so homeless people the bitch had kidnapped and was making work for her. We let them go. It wasn't their fault they were working there, they had no choice. If you want to arrest them they are at Sisters of Mercy next to St. Jude's. Good luck with the Deacon there. I hear Patrick Moore doesn't care much for people messing with his flock."
    "No one else?" Frost asked. "No one at all?"
    "No, no one," Levac replied. "Is there something else, sir? We have an interview to do."
    Frost looked at Levac and opened his mouth to reply , but was interrupted by the telephone. Raven lifted the receiver and held it to her ear. She hung up a second later.
    "We’re up, partner," she said. "That is unless the Lieutenant wants to keep asking questions about my report."
    Frost stood aside and Raven slid off the desk, followed by Levac, who dropped his coffee in the wastebasket.
    In the elevator he turned to Raven.
    "I don't like lying to Chris," he said. "The lieutenant is a good man, he was your dad's partner for years."
    "It isn't high on my list either, Rupe," Raven replied, staring straight ahead. "If you want to tell him we dusted twelve vampires, go right ahead. You want to ask for reassignment I…won't stop you. These are the cases I get, Rupert. This is the shit I deal with day in, day out. I already told you."
    Levac looked hurt and turned away.
    "That wasn't what I meant, Ray," he said. "You said you thought he knew."
    Raven nodded. "I do. That doesn't mean it can go in the official report, Rupert, and that is what will happen if you confirm what Chris thinks," she said. "Those reports get seen by the records clerk, the chief and God knows how many other people. Adding that we killed twelve vampires suspected of peddling Thirst to the official record would get us thrown off the force and possibly locked in the funny farm. I don't think you want that and I sure don't. So yeah, I do the dirty work, clean up the weird-ass cases and lie on my reports to keep the general populace from having any clue about what is right in front of their noses."
    "I'm sorry," Levac said after a moment. "I know you. That must be hard on you."
    "It's my job," Raven replied with a forced smile.
    The elevator stopped and R aven walked down the hall to the interrogation room, trailed by Levac who seemed lost in thought. Raven handed her Automag to the patrolman on duty and turned to her partner.
    "Are y ou in or out?" she asked.
    Levac looked back at Raven. "In. You're my partner."
    Raven smiled as Levac handed both of his weapons to the officer. The two detectives then entered the room, which was painted white, and had a green tile