Page 73 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

Keir held up his hands in a gesture of appeal. “I assureyou, Angelo, my information is sound. I would have no reason to deceive you, not when the stakes are this high.”

I escorted him to the front door and opened it. Then I gave him a long, measured look before finally nodding. “We’ll see. Keep me informed of any new developments and watch your back. If the traitor thinks you’re onto him, you could be next on their hit list.”

With that, Keir quietly left. If his information was true, I would owe him.

I turned to Enzo, my eyes steely with resolve. “We’ll start with Dimitri. I want eyes on him at all times, and I want to know every single move he makes.”

Enzo’s face darkened, a shadow of concern passing over his features. “Dimitri? You really think he’s the traitor?”

I nodded grimly. “He’s had a history of playing both sides. Remember when he was supposedly aligned with his father and Grayson Allen, who were planning to overthrow King Nico?”

“Yes…but didn’t it turn out in the end that he had been feeding information to his brother Valentin and his mate, Rose, the whole time?”

“Exactly,” I said, my jaw clenching. “And now I’m wondering if he’s doing the same to us.”

Enzo’s gaze sharpened, his focus intensifying. “You think he might be working with our enemies while pretending to be on our side?”

“It’s certainly a possibility we can’t ignore,” I muttered grimly. “If he’s the traitor, we’ll find out and deal with him accordingly.”

Enzo met my gaze, his expression hardening to matchmy own. “Don’t worry, Angelo. I’ll put our best men on it. We’ll watch him like hawks for any suspicious moves and get to the bottom of this. One way or another, we’ll find out the truth.”

“Good. Be vigilant.” I clasped Enzo’s shoulder, my grip firm. Gianna might never forgive me for this, but if Dimitri was the traitor, it meant he didn’t truly love my sister…and he’d pay with his life.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Serenity

I woke up with a start, my eyes struggling to see in the darkness that shrouded the room. The window curtains were drawn tightly, giving me no hint as to the time of day. My throat felt dry as sandpaper, each swallow a painful effort, and an overwhelming weariness had settled deep in my bones, as if the Aeternum Stone had drained every last ounce of energy from my cells.

Usually when I felt tired or depressed, I would call Joy. She had her own magical way of chasing away the grumpy clouds hanging over my head. But I couldn’t do that now. My chest tightened as a tear slid down my cheek.

Sudden movement in the shadows caught my attention, and my heart leaped as a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness.

“Don’t be afraid, Serenity. It’s me.” Angelo’s soothing voice cut through the gloom as he sat down on the edge of my bed.

The familiar spicy scent of his cologne washed over me, and I let out a happy sigh of relief. “You’re alive,” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled, the soft sound warming my heart. “Of course I’m alive. Why would you think otherwise?”

I struggled to sit up, my muscles protesting with every movement. My inner thigh muscles were still achy from making love with Angelo. “I…I thought I might have been too late. That Dracula might have…” I trailed off, unable to give voice to the terrible fear that had haunted me.

Angelo’s strong arms encircled me, pulling me close to his chest. “Too late? Not at all. You saved me, Serenity. You risked everything to restore the Aeternum Stone to protect me and my family. I will never forget that.”

I leaned into him, delighting in his steady heartbeat. “So Dracula’s not coming?”

He hesitated, as if he was holding something back.

I put my finger on his tightly closed lips. “No secrets, remember?” I peered at him. “Have you heard anything about Joy?”

He sighed heavily, a soft curse escaping his lips. “No. I am sorry. And I’m afraid I have other worrying news that you need to hear. Costin Tarus, the headmaster of Red Rose Academy, showed up with the police. He claims that Dracula is on his way to New Orleans. Apparently, he’s furious about the murdered girls…and he believes I’m responsible.”

I shifted in his arms, tilting my head to look up at him. “But you’re not, right? You couldn’t be…”

Angelo brushed his lips against my furrowed brow, his touch gentle and reassuring. “No, my little Nephilim. I didn’t kill those girls. I may have done many terrible things in my past, but I would never murder innocent women, especially those close to me.”

His words plucked at my overly taut heartstrings, making me feel like just another in a long line of lovers. “Close to you? Does that mean what I think it does?”

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching mine. “I won’t lie to you, Serenity. I had relationships with two of the victims. But they were before I met you, and they both ended long ago.”

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