Page 70 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

A change in her tone made my blood run cold. “Who else is down there?” I demanded, the words rushing from my lips in a harsh, guttural rasp. My body was tense, every muscle coiled tight like a guitar string ready to snap as I leaned forward, my face mere inches from hers.

Elena hesitated, but the flash of anger in my eyes compelled her to answer. “Costin Tarus and Keir Rankin,” she whispered.

I moved swiftly toward the bedroom door, my mind already racing with the possibilities of what might be lying ahead. Serenity was in a weakened state, and I couldn’t risk her coming down and losing control of her power again. If she did so, it might be the death of her.

“Lock the door behind me,” I instructed, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Don’t open it to anyone but me, you understand?”

“Oui, monsieur,” Elena replied, watching me go, her voice trembling slightly.

The moment the door was shut and I heard the lock click into place, I bolted down the stairs, my feet carrying me faster than they ever had before as I prepared to face whatever challenges awaited me below.

I slowed my pace again as I approached the main hall, the sound of voices growing louder with each step. One of them belonged to Keir Rankin; I would have to fight the urge to wrap my hands around his throat when I saw him. His presence here felt far too convenient. I also couldn’t help butwonder how Costin had found out about the whole situation so quickly.

As I drew closer, I spotted a tall, thin man interviewing my sister and Lorenzo. Before I could take another step, Enzo grabbed my arm, pulling me aside.

His hard gaze bore into mine as he leaned in close, his voice low and urgent. “We’ve had news from Simon about Joy. It’s not good.”

I nodded solemnly, my heart sinking. If Joy had been sold or killed, it would devastate Serenity.

Steeling myself, I approached the scene with Enzo at my side.

The tall man turned to face us, and I immediately recognized him as Chester Flanagan, DuPont’s partner. “Well, well, the man of the hour himself finally makes an appearance,” he drawled, his tone dripping with disdain. “What took you so long, Santi? I thought the death of a girl you once had a relationship with would be more important to you.”

“Flanagan.” I narrowed my eyes, meeting his gaze with forced politeness. “I came as soon as I heard.”

“A likely story,” he countered, his lips curling into a sneer. “You sure you haven’t been busy covering up evidence while we’ve been investigating the poor girl’s death?”

I didn’t bother responding to his ludicrous accusation. Instead, my gaze drifted surreptitiously to Tarus and Rankin, who stood off to the side, their eyes fixed on me. They were dissecting my every move, hunting for cracks in my armor. If what Elena had hinted was true, and they had witnessed the house’s restoration, I knew I would have totread carefully. The pristine windows, unblemished walls, and perfectly arranged furniture would undoubtedly raise questions I was neither prepared for nor able to answer. My chest tightened—a brief but telling fault line in my composure.

Enzo drew the attention from me and onto himself. “How did the girl die?” His tone was a perfect blend of curiosity and concern.

Flanagan’s gaze flicked to Enzo, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes. “Ah, yes. Santi’s right-hand man. I suspect she was drained like the three other girls, but we won’t know for sure until the coroner does an autopsy.” He turned to both of us and waved his pen over his open notebook. “Tell me, where were you two between three and five this morning?”

I met his eyes, my expression carefully neutral. “I was in bed asleep.”

“Do you have any witnesses who can corroborate that?” Flanagan pressed, his eyes glinting.

I gazed at him calmly. The last thing I wanted to do was bring Serenity into this scenario. “No.”

Flanagan’s attention shifted to Enzo. “I assume you were asleep as well.”

Enzo shrugged, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, like a baby, officer.”

Lorenzo stepped forward, his posture straight and his voice clear. “I was on duty, sir, and I didn’t see anyone come onto the grounds with the girl at that time.”

“So yousay,” the detective muttered, his skepticism evident. His piercing gaze returned to me, his next wordslaced with suspicion. “The other issue is that my partner, Detective DuPont, seems to have disappeared. But I take it you wouldn’t know anything about that, either.”

I could see the gears turning in Flanagan’s mind as he fished for information, trying to provoke a reaction that would implicate me or my men. Let him fish. I was too experienced to fall for such tactics, and my men were too well-trained to crack under pressure. We all stood our ground, our expressions revealing nothing.

“No, we don’t,” I said, my gaze steady as I met the detective’s eyes. I stood tall. “Do you honestly believe I would be stupid enough to leave a dead body that I had anything to do with on my own doorstep?” I raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk curving the corner of my mouth. “Have you ever known the Santi family to be so careless with evidence?”

“There’s always a first time,” Flanagan mumbled, sneering. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to allow us to search your home for any evidence related to the case?”

I could feel Costin’s gaze boring into me, his eyes practically burning a hole through my skull. Legally, of course, I could refuse until he came back with a warrant; but doing so would only cast more suspicion on me and my family. I was confident they wouldn’t be able to find the detective and his son in a million years; the hidden door was so well-concealed that they could stare directly at it without ever realizing its existence.

Serenity’s situation was a different matter entirely, but I was sure that Elena would have her in bed resting and out of sight by now. The sooner I could get the police out of here,the better. Dealing with a search warrant and the added scrutiny one entailed would only complicate things.

I spread my hands and forced a smile to my face, meeting the detective’s gaze head-on. “By all means, Detective Flanagan. Search my home. I have nothing to hide.”

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