Page 29 of The Incubus and the Bodyguard

Her pulse quickened at the sight of Vlad crumpling to the floor before the footage ended in a burst of static. The hollow look that flitted across the incubus’s face told her he had relived that moment dozens of times.

“This was meant to be a delicate negotiation,” Yuliy said in clipped tones as he stopped the video. “TheBlack Devilswere brokering a peace deal between the Lucianos and theRed DragonTriad. Instead, the place was attacked by a highly organized team that seemed to know exactly what they were after. Not only that, they disabled all the cameras in and outside the restaurant minutes before the attack.”

“They were targeting Vlad,” Delphine said.

Vlad flinched. Gustav and Lena exchanged a confused look.

Yuliy narrowed his eyes at Delphine.

“You catch on fast.” His tone was laced with admiration.

Delphine studied the crime lord with fresh understanding, the tension coiling through her since the moment she’d stepped foot inside the mansion slowly abating. “That’s why you reached out to Gideon. Only a super soldier can protect your nephew right now.” She paused. “I believe you hired me to assist with your investigation because I hold insight others might not.”

“I can see why you came so highly recommended.” Yuliy’s gaze shifted to Vlad. “Now, how about you tell us what you’ve been keeping from me?”

Vlad swallowed, brow furrowing. “Why do you?—?”

“Because something is wrong with you and Tarang,” Yuliy snapped. “Neither of you have been your normal selves since that night. And Ilya can’t meet my eyes for love or money.”

Vlad cursed under his breath.

Delphine studied him with a focused look that seemed to see straight through him.

“If they were after your blood, they could have killed you the moment you went down. Why didn’t they?”

A muscle jumped in Vlad’s jawline. He remained stubbornly silent.

“Killing Vlad would not just mean messing with theBlack Devils,” Yuliy explained in a steely voice. “It would incur the wrath of theBratvasyndicate we answer to. There may not be much love lost between us at the best of times, but we protect and avenge our own.”

Delphine mulled this over. “So Vlad’s death would mean war.”

Yuliy dipped his head. “Correct. Which implies they were after something else.”

They gazed pointedly at Vlad, Gustav and Lena joining in to frown at theBlack Devils’heir.

Vlad held their stares mutinously, refusing to give them an answer. Tarang made a soft sound.

Delphine’s gaze shifted to the familiar.

The tiger appeared depressed as he laid his head at Vlad’s feet.

Just like his master looked when he was trying to forget his troubles last night.

Her mind raced as she connected the pieces of the puzzle she’d been presented with. Super soldiers weren’t just renowned for their physical strength. Their intellectual acumen was on a whole other level.

If those men couldn’t kill Vlad because it would mean war, then they did something else to him. And the only thing they could do that would take an incubus and his familiar out of the equation is?—

The answer came to her with an intuition borne from years of being on the field. Her stomach sank.

“They took your powers.” Her gaze bore into Vlad’s stiff face. “Or rather, they did something to you and the tiger that means you can’t use your magic.”

The way Vlad’s eyes darkened told her she was right.

Yuliy froze. Lena cursed in Russian.

“Say it isn’t so,” Gustav mumbled hoarsely in the stunned silence.

Vlad crunched his eyes for a moment before blowing out a heavy sigh and raking his hair with his fingers. “Goddammit!”

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