Page 14 of Obsessed in Blood
“By me, yes.” Decker swung a leg back and forth. “I suggest you do your own security check. If you don’t want them at Oasis, test them out here at the manor or at your safe houses. They have my full confidence, but I understand you need to do your own background check. But I can assure you this. They have one thing in common with everyone in this room.”
“What’s that?” Devon asked.
“They all have a deep hatred for Lorenzo.”
“I can run background checks on them while I’m in New Orleans,” Sergi offered.
Simone nodded. “I’ll arrange an interview with each of them.”
Lyra made notes on the page she was holding, then moved it aside and picked up another paper. “We need to determine Lorenzo’s defenses. It appears we keep track of him on a regular basis, but he’s most likely made changes since the accident.” She made a note then glanced up at Devon. “We don’t have a definitive answer as to Cressa’s whereabouts, though it makes sense Lorenzo would have taken her to Shadow Island. But we should check his other known safe houses.”
“Agreed,” Simone said. “The one thing we’ve never been able to accomplish is finding someone on the island willing to feed us information.”
“I’ve been giving that some thought.” Lucas set down his cup of espresso. He had more of an addiction to the beverage than Cressa. “No one is going to be brave enough to give House Trelane any information. Lorenzo wouldn’t just kill them; he’d torture them first. But there are a handful who have friends amongst the Boretsky House.”
“You know this for a fact?” Simone asked.
Lucas nodded. “I’ve been keeping in touch with Asher, helping him with realigning his House security. He mentioned there were a few who’d made friends within House Venizi, and he wasn’t sure how to handle them. He thought their relationships were with lower staff members, so I suggested putting them in less secure areas. Keep them on the fringe without them feeling like it.”
“Very good.” Sergi seemed pleased by Lucas’s suggestion.
Devon had to agree. Lucas had a knack for seeing things from a different perspective, maybe because he’d shifted Houses several times and understood the Family dynamics from a variety of viewpoints.
“See if you can nurture those relationships, but run it through Asher.” Devon stood. “He needs to know who he can trust, and this would be a good test.” He walked to Lyra and kissed the top of her head. “Be safe, sister.” He strode to the door, and Sergi followed. “Keep us updated. We’ll return as soon as we can.”
He stopped next to Bella. “I’m checking on Jacques on the way to the airport. Do you want a ride?” He glanced at Lyra. “Assuming it’s alright with you.”
“It is. Simone can brief her on any changes.”
Bella’s relief showed, and she trailed behind Devon as they left the study.
“Anything special you need from me?” Decker called from his seat at the bar. He would stay and speak with Simone about the rogues. The old shifter had become somewhat of a papa bear within the rogue community. He didn’t realize it, but Decker was becoming his own pack alpha.
“Keep Remus informed. I’ll want to meet with him when I return. And I want to know the status of the blood tests.”
They were jogging down the front steps when Sergi asked, “What do you hope to discover with the blood tests?”
“I want to know if there’s a link between Cressa’s blood and mine. But more than that, I want to know the full effect of her blood when combined with the Poppy, other than knowing it can put the beast to rest.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me that I need to know?”
“I’m hoping I can answer that after we find Colantha.”
ChapterFive
My eyesbriefly fluttered open before I squeezed them shut. It wasn’t from too much light. Wherever I was, there was little of it. It was my head. It felt like someone had trampled over it—with spiked boots. When I tested other parts of my body there was pain, but it wasn’t as intense. My right leg, hip, and arm throbbed and were probably bruised. I wouldn’t know more until I stood.
I raised up on my elbows, which increased the pain in my head, but I got a look at the room before I fell back against the pillows. It wasn’t a familiar setting. The only source of light was a lamp on the dresser and a fire in the hearth.
Then I lifted my head and did a double take. A man stood in front of the fireplace. His shape and size said male, though with the firelight behind him, he was nothing more than a shadowed figure. A memory of such a man danced at the edges of my consciousness. When he moved toward me I expected long ash-blond hair and crystal-blue eyes.
What stepped away from the fire wasn’t that man.
This one had silver hair, cut short but stylish, and a similar physique to what I’d expected. But, as he stood over me, his eyes were almost black. My first inclination was to put distance between us, but something made me lean forward instead.
His smile was warm, almost provocative, as he stared at me. He sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand before I could pull it away.
“How are you feeling, Cressa?” His voice was almost a purr, and I wanted to wrap myself in it.
