Page 9 of Obsessed in Blood
“I’m sorry, Ginger. It’s my fault for not protecting her better. I should have never allowed her to leave the mansion.”
She stared at him. The only change was her eyes. They were truly the doorway to the soul. Several emotions flickered in them, moving at breakneck speeds—grief, fear, anger… No, not anger—rage. A dangerous combination.
He sat in a chair next to the couch. One minute she was sitting near him, the next she was on the arm of his chair, her arms circled around his shoulders.
“This isn’t your fault. You must feel ten times worse than me. And ten times angrier.”
She held him, her head bent to rest on his shoulder. This frail young woman, who had to be terrified for her best friend, was comforting him. He glanced up at Lucas, who didn’t seem to find Ginger’s behavior strange.
After a moment, she returned to the sofa and curled up in her blanket. “Do we know for sure it was Lorenzo?”
“No specific proof, and there probably never will be. The accident was similar to the one my parents died in, but the fire hadn’t reached the passenger section by the time our security arrived to douse the flames.”
“How’s Jacques?”
Lucas would have told her, but she seemed to have a script of her own. And if that’s what it took to keep her feet on the ground and head in the game, he’d take her lead.
“Jacques will have a difficult two weeks, but the healer is staying at the safe house, and I’m sure Bella will be by his side whenever she’s not working.” He fingered the notebook in his lap, then handed it to her. “This was in Cressa’s backpack. I think it best if you read it. I’d like to know if there’s any information that might help us. It doesn’t matter how insignificant it might seem.”
She ran a hand over it. “Thank you. I’ll read it tonight.” She turned silent and seemed to shrink into the sofa. Whatever she’d wanted to say or learn had been fulfilled, and the adrenaline that had kept her going was receding.
“I slept for a couple of hours this afternoon.” Devon watched her expression.
She didn’t seem to understand why he was sharing the information, but then her gaze went wide. “Did she bring you into a dream?”
“No. And if she were being held against her will, I would think she would at least try.”
“What does that mean?” Her eyes took on that look that said she might be barely holding it together.
“You think she’s been mesmerized.” Lucas sat next to Ginger and put an arm around her.
Devon nodded. “It makes sense. Cressa wouldn’t go willingly and wouldn’t be a meek captive. Even if she’d decided to be compliant until she could find a way out, she’d try to contact me.”
“So she either doesn’t have her medallion, or she might not be aware she’s a dreamwalker.” Ginger’s tone was calmer. “But she was able to contact you before without the necklace.”
“Yes. When her emotions were high, specifically her anger.”
“We need to go back to the condo.” Ginger jumped up and grabbed her purse. “If she wasn’t wearing the necklace, then there’s only one place it could be.”
“Do you know why it wouldn’t be in her backpack?”
She was already at the door when she swung around. “From what she told me of her visit with Colantha, she was either to wear it or keep it in a safe place. She wouldn’t consider her backpack safe.”
Devon rose with Lucas. “The car’s waiting out front.”
A vampire greetedthem at the door to Ginger and Cressa’s condo.
“Hello, Rafael. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Devon hadn’t seen anyone downstairs and had assumed Sergi canceled the security teams.
“Sergi asked for the door to be guarded.”
“Place discreet monitors inside and out and then take a couple of days off. You have nothing to prove. No one could have predicted the accident.”
Rafael’s smile never reached his eyes. “Yes, Father.”
Devon patted his shoulder. “Find a donor and spend some time with Jacques. I understand from Bella he’s been asking for you.”
“Thank you. I’d like that.”
