Page 82 of Addicted in Blood
“In fact, not one of you brought her back.You just left her.”
His anger, barely held in check since returning to himself, leaked out.“No one told her to go off by herself.But she’s her own woman.”
“She’s under our protection.”
“Which she flaunts in our face whenever it suits her.”He forced his fists in his pockets before he slammed them into a wall and walked to the balcony.If he thought he could dodge Lyra so easily, he was a fool.Ever since she’d come back to herself, she’d grown stronger and more mentally aware every day.Or so Simone had told him.
If he wasn’t so angry, he’d be proud of how she’d assumed leadership of the House.But he couldn’t quell the rage, and it only burned hotter whenever he lost focus, which was too often and at all the wrong times.It was a wonder he’d gotten through the mission last night.His ability to disarm the incendiary device was more a miracle than skill.
Harlow’s crew had remained calm and professional right from the start.Somehow, despite his salacious behavior, the man was a professional.He shouldn’t have expected any less from Cressa.His irritation had flared knowing she had a life she could return to so easily.Then mention of the night she’d been out with his crew the same evening Underwood had been murdered made him question if they’d been doing more than having drinks.He remembered questioning Bella about the evening, and though he hadn’t been able to poke a hole through her report, it had been obvious she’d left pieces out.
The whole damn House protected her.And for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why it troubled rather than pleased him.
Lyra’s hand touched his shoulder, and his body relaxed, the tension draining away.
“Is she safe?”
He closed his eyes, shutting out the garden and the lake beyond.“She’s at the condo with Ginger.”
“Not the manor?”
“I think she wants to put some distance between us.”
“Was that her idea or yours?”
He turned and strode to the bed where the rest of his attire had been laid out.He picked up two ties, then tossed the crimson one away as he wove the royal-blue one around his neck.“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I might have lost my mind over the last several decades, but I’m much better now.And I can see a cadre that’s splintering from the inside.”
“Everyone will be fine once we get past the Council’s ruling.Now that we’ve discovered who killed Boretsky, the Council should remove the orders against me, and we can get back to the mission.”
“This isn’t about the Council.This is about what happened with the Poppy.What happened when Cressa put the beast to sleep.”
He turned on her so fast, he thought she might take a step back.She didn’t.And once again, pride in her pulsed in his blood.“Did she cure me?Then why can’t I focus?Why can’t I keep track of the simplest things?”
“You’re recovering.The beast was in control for days.You’re lucky someone was able to put it to sleep at all.The healer said you’d require more rest if you refused to drink the healing blood.”She stepped closer.“Why won’t you take more?You know she wouldn’t deny you.Not after everything she did to save you.”
“She went to The Wolf.”
Her musical laughter grated.“Because no one in the cadre would tell her where you were, and she couldn’t get enough information from her dreamwalking.”
He couldn’t think.Too much information raced through his head.It didn’t matter that his beast was put to sleep less than two days ago, he should be stronger than this.“We have more important matters to get through.Don’t you think?”
A calmness came over her, and she straightened her shoulders.“You’re right.We leave for the Council in fifteen minutes.Be on time.”
She turned for the door, and he almost smiled at her dedication as House leader.“I told you once that Cressa would save you.”She had stopped at the doorway but kept her back to him.“You should have listened.”
Lyra’s wordscontinued to haunt Devon as he paced outside Council chambers.How had she known Cressa would save him or that he would require saving?It was a mystery.One he didn’t have time to contemplate now.
He glanced up and down the hall.It was empty.He’d expected to see Eliminators or Sentinels waiting for him when he marched in with Lyra and the cadre.But the only ones waiting for them were the two Council pages, who stood next to the ornate double doors carved with a famous vampire battle scene.
If Cressa could see it, she’d have some smart-ass remark about the door representing a battle between the Houses.The thought made him look at it from a different perspective.Not a battle between Houses, but a dispute over philosophies that could end with the same amount of bloodshed.
Lyra and the cadre waited across the antechamber, giving him time to prepare for the Council.Jacques had stayed in the limo as usual, but this time for good reason.He was in charge of security while Sergi and Simone were in Council.This would be a prime time for an insurgence.Lorenzo knew exactly where the entire leadership of the House would be.
Lorenzo’s mistake was that he’d always assumed Devon ran his House as the ancients did.As his Father had.And Devon allowed him to believe that.An ace up his sleeve.He was grateful Cressa and Ginger were at the condo, assuming they were being careful.He snorted.Which was why he had one of his own watching the place.
He chuckled.Then sobered when he recalled how angry he’d been when all she’d done was try to save him.He’d been shocked that her blood was able to cure him.Something that mere human blood couldn’t have.He’d drunk from blood donors since he’d been back, but it had no more effect than its normal curative powers; it provided no relief from his mental fugue.
