Page 33 of Visions in Blood
“It was all my fault.”Ginger leaned back into six-inch tall bubbles that covered the entire tub.Her head rested on a fluffy towel as she stretched her body, a glass of wine gripped firmly in her left hand.
“Devon’s team should have protected you better.”I sat on the toilet seat, clenching my own glass, the half-empty bottle within easy reach on the counter.
She shook her head while managing to keep the towel in place.“I begged Lucas to take me, even though he said it was a bad idea.We waited twenty minutes at a coffee house for two more vamps to join us.Even then, we were outnumbered.”
“Wait.What?”
Sergi had driven us home with a second car of vamps following.Devon had called for a meeting, but I’d brought Ginger up to my room so she could shower the blood spatter off before settling into a bubble bath.With how quick everything had happened, I’d never heard how this nightmare started.“I thought Devon had people watching the apartment.”
She nodded.“Lucas said they monitor the security cameras.The two vamps that met us, God, I can’t even remember their names.”Her breath hitched.“They walked us to the apartment.There were three of them waiting for us when we got to our floor.Two went down quickly, and we were able to set up a barricade when we reached the apartment.We were going to wait for reinforcements, but then Bella and Jacques— Whew, at least I remembered their names.The wine must be working.”She sipped more and released a small grin before it slipped away.“Bella contacted Lucas and warned him that four vamps got by them.He didn’t want us to get trapped with that many coming, and we managed to get by the one in the hallway, but the others arrived before we made it to the stairs.”
She brushed away a tear.“Somehow, we made it to the stairs, and he told me to stay with him, but I freaked halfway down when the other vamps came after us.When Lucas had to engage one of them, he still told me to stay, but I ran.One of the vamps got by Lucas and blocked my path back to him.”
She dropped her head.“I messed up and someone died because I had to go back for some trinket.”
“I’m the one who messed up getting us involved with vamps.I should have made a deal with The Wolf.”
Ginger snorted.“Like hanging with shifters is any safer?Besides, I’m the one who messed up by putting you in debt in the first place.”
“This is an old argument.”
That ended our recap of the morning, and we turned our attention to our wine and seventies rock-and-roll that bled in from the bedroom.It was Ginger’s favorite music.
“How did this change from Christopher’s goons harassing us to vamps?Does it have something to do with what Christopher thinks you stole?”It seemed Ginger wasn’t done with the previous subject matter after all.She held out her glass, and I refilled it.
She posed an excellent question.I had no idea why the necklace was of any interest after all these years.Devon only made an assumption, albeit a seemingly accurate one, that the necklace had interfered with our shared dream and kicked me into some kind of psychic coma.I had no idea if Devon considered it significant to anyone else.
“I don’t know if the vamps and Christopher are working together, but I’m sure that’s one of the first things Devon will investigate.Until we know more, you’re staying here.”
She shook her head.“I’ll stay overnight, but only because we haven’t had a movie night in forever.Lucas assured me the new apartment was safe because the ownership is buried under tons of false corporations.And I’ll probably get more bodyguards.”
I had a whole line of arguments for why she should stay, but it wouldn’t do me any good.We’d always joked about which of us was the most stubborn.In the end, it would be up to Devon, and he wouldn’t decide until he’d had time to review everything that had happened tonight.I lifted my glass.“To movie night.I’ll make sure we have popcorn and plenty of ice cream.”
Her smile was addictive as she raised her glass to meet mine, but her eyes couldn’t hide the worry that lurked just below the surface.
ChapterTwelve
After Ginger finished her bath,I left her tucked in a fluffy robe with a stack of women’s magazines Anna had left for me and hustled downstairs with three specific tasks in mind.My first stop was a seldom used entertainment room tucked away down a side hall.Anna said it was used more frequently when the mansion was filled with vamps, but Lucas and Sergi occasionally watched old movies.I checked out the channel selection, discovered several that would do, then headed for the kitchen.
Cook was ecstatic about a movie night and lamented that no one in the house appreciated his special varieties of popcorn.After leaving him with an order for three flavors—buttery, kettle corn, and caramel-coated—in addition to a promise of chocolate chip and brownie fudge ice cream, I headed for Devon’s office.
I meandered through several rooms on the off chance Devon might be relaxing somewhere, but the truth was I was dragging my feet.My first emotion on the way home, besides bits of shock as Ginger cried into my shoulder, was anger at Lucas and Devon for putting her in that dangerous situation.But as I sat on the toilet seat and listened to Ginger recap the events, my temper cooled.
Lucas had contacted Devon, who’d approved taking Ginger to the old apartment.No one had any reason to believe vamps were staking out the place.They’d stayed well out of sight of the cameras.Now I was as curious as anyone why the vamps had been there.Had they been waiting for Ginger—or for me?
By the time I reached Devon’s office, all my questions were buried under worry that he’d be mad at me for leaving the car.He’d disapproved of me going in the first place, but then, who would have saved Ginger?Maybe it would have played out differently if Devon hadn’t been worried about keeping me safe.
I rubbed my face and mentally prepared for the lecture before knocking on the door.
“Come.”
I opened the door slowly and peered around the edge.Devon was by himself, writing something on a slip of paper.“Do you have a minute?”
He glanced up, his brows rising for an instant before he set the pen down and leaned back, studying my face.“I always have time for you.”
I wasn’t convinced that was true, but his warm voice sent a pleasant tingle down my spine.Had he added just a touch of mesmerizing?He’d once told me a vamp had to be touching a person, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that wasn’t the entire truth.And if it settled the rattlesnakes in my gut, I decided not to be a hypocrite and accept it as a gift.Though I’d probably imagined the whole thing.
I took a seat facing him from across his desk.“Could you tell me what happened at the apartment?Ginger told me what she knew, but I think there’s more going on than Christopher looking for a necklace.”
