Page 68 of Seduction in Blood
Decker nodded once before returning his attention to Devon. It didn't matter. I wouldn't be here much longer.
"Lucas," Devon continued. "Tell us what happened up to the point Cressa was pushed out of the window."
He said it so casually, as if it were something that happened every day. But the shiver that ran through me each time I remembered the glass shattering had eased. The memory wasn't as personal as that first morning after the event. I'd replayed the scene so often, it was like watching a video of someone else. The image of someone lying on the stack of construction material, staring up at the sky, no longer came with pain. I wondered if I had the vampire blood to thank for that.
"From what I've pieced together, two men were either in Raul's bedroom when Cressa entered or followed her in before Simone arrived. We think they were after the same letter, but we can't be sure."
"They didn't follow her, or I would have seen them. And if they had, I would have distracted them from entering the room until after Cressa left, but I didn't have the chance." Simone sounded defensive, and I realized she might feel partially responsible for what happened to me. That would explain her coolness. She was a proud woman who hated mistakes, and she'd had her hands full with whoever had been in the bedroom.
"I didn't see anyone in the bedroom, but my focus had been searching for alarms." I paused. "I don't remember the window being open, but the drapes had been pulled back. It was the only ambient light." My voice was so low it was fortunate everyone was a vampire. Though I wondered about Decker, who didn't seem like a vamp.
Devon held my gaze and nodded for me to continue.
"The safe wasn't in the desk, and it took me a moment to find it. It was inside what appeared to be the bar's mini-fridge."
"That would have been the last place I would have looked." Sergi sounded both disgruntled and respectful at the same time. If it had been a different place and time, I might have teased him about it.
"It couldn't have been more than a couple minutes later. I was ready to leave when I heard the bedroom door open. I pretended I was drunk. It was a vamp, and he fell for my ruse until I kicked him in the chest. I kept at him until he was dazed enough for me to make an escape. I heard scuffling in the bedroom and assumed Simone was dealing with a second vamp. I didn't stop to check it out."
"Nor should you have," Devon said.
"Cressa was correct. There were two of them." Simone glanced at me, a slight nod that said we were okay. "I hadn't considered the window, but it's possible they'd entered that way. I don't see another possibility, especially if the vampire was surprised to find Cressa in the office. I took out the second vampire and had just run into the office when the first vampire ran from the room. I would have caught him, but a group of morons tried to block me." Simone ground out the last sentence.
"Their mistake," Lucas replied.
"And a couple of them have a broken arm to show for it." Simone sat back, arms crossed over her chest. She wore a pleased expression that suited her regal appearance in a bright-yellow caftan.
"Once he got to the stairs," Lucas continued the replay, "the man was panicked, probably realizing his mistake. By then, everything had turned to bedlam. I think the fight started out of sheer boredom. He managed to slip through the fight before Cressa's flight through the window. I was able to follow him. Anyone who'd been outside was pushing their way in. The man didn't wait for his car, if he had one. He ran six blocks before stopping to make a call. I got the license plate of the car that picked him up. It traced back to Lorenzo."
Decker whistled low. "He must have suspected we'd make a move and tried to intercept."
"Maybe," Devon replied. "Or something else is going on. After Lucas told me the vampires belonged to Lorenzo, I had Sergi track him. Lorenzo left Shadow Island early this morning. He had a meeting at Haverston Gun Club. We arrived in time to see him leave with his lunch companion." Devon's eyes drilled into mine. "Christopher Underwood."
* * *
Cressa paledat the mention of her stepfather. For a moment, Devon thought he caught a spark of anger, but it disappeared in a heartbeat, leaving a nervous, jittering leg. She had perched on the couch like a bird ready to take flight, her arms wrapped around her stomach. He hadn't meant to blurt out Underwood's name, but it had to be done at a time when she was at her weakest.
Devon didn't require proof that Cressa wasn't working for her stepfather, but the others needed to see for themselves. A flicker in Simone's gaze and a nod from Sergi told him they believed now. He didn't bother looking at Lucas for confirmation. He'd been in Cressa's camp the first day she'd arrived. But that didn't mean Devon believed in coincidences. Or why Underwood was so frantic to find Cressa that he would demolish her apartment and have someone rough up Ginger. No. That was an answer he still needed.
"Thank you, Cressa. If you could wait in your room until I conclude business here." Devon almost blanched at his words and hated to see the confused expression cross her face, though the pleasant blush was the first color he'd seen in her face since that dreadful evening. But he knew he deserved the flash of anger that crossed her features again before she left the room. He would end up paying for that.
Once the door closed quietly behind her, Simone shook her head. "That could have been said better."
Decker choked out a laugh. "I don't believe my ears. Simone concerned for a human." She turned on him so fast, he fell back, his hands up in mock surrender.
"Enough." Devon's words snaked around the room, stopping conversation and turning everyone's attention back to him. "I'll deal with Cressa. Let's finish this business so you can all take some time off. We need our space." No one argued with that. "We don't know the extent of Underwood's involvement with Lorenzo." Devon turned his gaze to Sergi. "Is it possible Lorenzo has legitimate human businesses in his portfolio?"
Sergi snickered. "Not that I've been able to find. But I've only begun my research into Underwood's affairs."
"I can do some digging in the Hollows." Decker scratched his ear before pulling at his collar. "I've never seen him in the club, but that doesn't mean he hasn't visited the other ones. Maybe he doesn't know Lorenzo's a vampire." He shrugged and rolled a beer bottle in his hands. "Maybe he prefers the more high-class establishments, but from what I've read in Sergi's report, I wouldn't be surprised to find him slumming."
Devon glanced at Sergi, who shrugged before downing the rest of his vodka. "All right. Let's see how far into our world Underwood has fallen."
"And if he hasn't, perhaps he needs a push." Simone smiled at Decker, their squabble already forgotten.
"Let's see what he's been up to first, then we'll see what options we have." Devon didn't want to be responsible for getting Underwood involved. Not unless it was of his own choosing. It was risky having someone of Underwood's influence playing in the magical world. And no one, not even Underwood, deserved to have his life ruined for petty revenge. Devon might change his mind once he found out why Underwood was looking for Cressa.
"The last item involves Cressa. Have you found anything more about her biological father?" Devon rubbed his eyes, already knowing what Sergi was going to say.
