Page 56 of Soulmates
Clearly, Brendan had given his brother an altered version of events. In light of his dwindling attention, I shift to the other stuff he’s got on his plate. “You mentioned thefts?”
His eyes narrow. “Yeah, and if I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”
All righty, then.I ask about the wolves’ properties in the DC area. Collins provides me with a list, and I text a photograph of it to my bloodhounds. They can do some of the legwork, and Trajan and I can explore the likeliest places after sunset.
Hestraightens,as if thebreadth of his shoulders alone willintimidate me.“I still don’t understand why you’re involved with David. Maybe he just, I don’t know, took off without you. He’s capable of looking after himself.”
“True, but David was barely out of the airport in LA when someone started shooting at him,despite the presence of a bodyguard. You can’t tell methatif anything happened to your son, you wouldn’t blame the vampires, just as they’llblame you if Trajan Gallis murdered.”
Some of the bluster fades from his expression, so I keep talking.
“I will admit that I discovered the events surrounding your son in the course of a separate investigation…”or thereabouts, “…but right now, this seems to be a more pressing situation.” I stand because I’m running out of things to say. “We need to find David while he’s still alive, sir.”
The color fades from Collins’s face. “Yes. We do.”
Chapter Nineteen
THE SUN HASN’T quite set when Trajan wakes. I’m hunched over my laptop on the bed, researching the locations on Randolph Collins’s list. One minute, I’m alone in the hotel room. The next, there’s a vampire hovering over me. I jump but manage to stifle a startled squawk.
“Where’s David?” He sounds more confused than concerned.
Even though I’d had a few hours to prepare, the question still catches me flat-footed. I owe him the truth, even though he’ll likely take out his anger on the nearest punching bag.I just had to hope I’ll be man enough to take it.
Trajan looms over me, and again I’m caught by the desire to wrap my arms around him and drag him closer. Time has changed nothing. He’s the same dark, sexy man with the same strong, sexy body. Despite everything, I want him. Somehow, I can’t bring myself to sayDavid’s been taken, so I ease into it. “It’s been a busy day.”
He stares, his hands loose at his sides, and the energy of his aura brushes against mine. I scoot my chair to the side, away from him, though still within his reach. “I went with him to his father’s office, but it was a setup.”
Those loose hands turn into fists. I try to ignore his response and keep talking.
“Someone must have been waiting for him to show. He went in to see his father, but never came out.”
“You let him go in alone?” His tone is primed to hurt.
“Yes.” If I say anything else, it’ll sound like I’m making excuses. I keep going. Excuses are easier to deal with than silence. “He knew the receptionist. There was nothing suspicious about the place.”
I half expect him to come at me. To throw a punch. Something. Anything. Instead, he stands still, but his eyes drill into my core. There’s anguish in their depths, and I am the cause.
“There were wolves present in the office. The receptionist was a wolf. Obviously, we need to find him, and I thought we could start with were-owned businesses. I spoke with the Alpha, and he gave me a list of properties owned by the pack.” Talking grants me a reprieve. “I sent bloodhounds to check them out, and they’ve come up with a couple of possibilities.”
“Bloodhounds?” The word is flat, unnaturally restrained.
“Agents who are cultivated for their tracking ability.”
“Yeah…that’s right. The Elite. That detail you forgot to mention.”
Here we go. Pain sluices through his words. For a moment, I really do hate myself for keeping secrets. For lying. For leaving him.There are parts of myself I barely acknowledge—the shifting, the history, the talents. Despite all that, I can’t conjure a wolf out of thin air.
We need to stay on task here. I tamp down my jumbled emotions and continue. “I’ve also got a set of tracers, so when we do figure out where they’re holding him, we can fine-tune our approach.”
He grimaces, looking anywhere but at me. “How do we know…” His voice trails off, and he clears his throat. “How do we know he’s still alive?”
I have to be honest with him. “We don’t.”
He rakes his hands through his hair, his aura shooting sparks of fiery red. I want to keep talking. Hell, there are so many things I should say, I can’t figure out where to start. Trajan won’t meet my gaze. He makes a deliberate move to the bathroom. He’s shutting me out, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.
I catch him before he closes the door. “The bloodhounds havenarrowed the list down to three sites.As soon as you’re ready, we’ll start looking.”
He pauses, resting his forehead against the doorjamb. “We will? You seriously think we’re going to find anything?”
