Page 9 of Visions in Blood
April.
What the hell?
I tugged at the neckline of my sweater, suddenly too warm in the limo.I didn’t dare look at Devon but didn’t have to.His gaze was like a spotlight, though he didn’t say a word.Then I noticed the time stamp on the bottom corner of the screen.Twenty minutes ago.I watched the digits flip until another five minutes crept by.April and the person I assumed was her bodyguard left the building.
The screen went blank, and then the front door appeared again.
“The screen is back to current time.”
“The other two haven’t left?”Devon checked his watch as if confirming the clock on the screen.
“No.”
“What does that mean?”I asked.“Why would the first two still be there?Maybe they went out the back.”I finally glanced at Devon to find him staring at me.His forehead was creased but not in confusion or concern.He was planning something.
“I need to speak to one of them.”Devon moved to sit next to the bar, dropping ice cubes into his glass and pouring scotch.Then he poured a chilled vodka neat and handed it to me.
Sergi and Lucas left the limo.When I glanced at the screen, they approached the building and disappeared inside.Devon shut off the screen and turned his attention to me.
“You recognized one of them.”
He never missed much.But I couldn’t think of any reason not to tell him the truth.Why would April be here with Christopher’s henchmen?He could be forcing her.Some threat to see if she could talk me into meeting with him.Or I might have to face the possibility that she was working for him.It was impossible to believe, knowing our history with the man.Yet, a niggling feeling told me something different.Had April changed that much?I never saw it coming if it was true.
“The woman was April.”
“Your sister?”He sounded as shocked as me.“I thought the two of you were close.”
I snorted.“Yeah.Me too.”The vodka went down smooth, and I closed my eyes as it warmed me from the inside.Another thought hit me.“I’ve been calling her and texting.Can they trace my phone?”
Devon shook his head.“We have other ways of keeping track of the family, but if it makes you feel better, I can supply you another one.”
“You keep track of everyone in your family?That’s like, what, seventy people?”
“Something like that, but we’re only concerned when they’re on missions.It’s for protection, not monitoring.”
I nodded.“And how do you keep track of me?”
He grimaced.“We don’t normally track the humans in our family.They’re never put in risky situations.Or haven’t been.”
“Just say it.”I closed my eyes, a sick feeling sending shivers over me as to how he might be tracing me.“It’s the blood, isn’t it?I still have your blood in me.”
“My blood shouldn’t affect you anymore, but there will always be a trace.More like a ghost image.Just enough to sense you up to a point.If you were vampire, the distance would be much farther.”
“I see.”I glanced out the window, not sure how to feel about that.“Can other vampires sense me?
“No.”
I nodded.I could live with that.Then Sergi appeared in the video, walking someone back to the limo.
Devon opened his door.“Stay here.”
“No way.I want to hear what he has to say.”
He paused.There wasn’t much I could do if he said no.I could jump out, but my door was probably locked.He rolled his window down an inch.“You can sit here and listen.”He caught my gaze, his expression stern.“It’s imperative he doesn’t see you.Sergi will mesmerize him, make this evening fuzzy, but he could still remember pieces, including faces.”
“I understand.I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”
He hesitated again but rolled the window down a couple more inches.Enough for me to see everything going on.Then he exited and met Sergi, who pushed the man against the limo.I couldn’t see his face unless he turned my direction, and I doubted Sergi would let that happen.
