Page 11 of Obsessed in Blood
Devon never got tired of that reaction. While most humans knew nothing of vampires, it was different in the Hollows where vampires, shifters, and humans mingled.
Ginger led the way, seemingly unafraid of the men in the neighborhood, and paused to wave at one of them who returned her wave with a nod and a smile. She pushed open the door of the laundromat and waltzed inside.
A dark-skinned man the size of a small bus turned around, and she ran to him, her sobs easily heard over the sounds of washing machines and dryers. He caught her as she launched herself at him.
“They took Cressa. She’s gone. We need to get her back.” It came out in a rush of breath that could only come from someone desperate.
The man held her for a bit, eyed Devon, then set her down. “Slow down, girl. What do you mean they took her?” He turned to Devon.
“She was taken this morning.” Devon leaned against a washer and quickly scanned the room for security monitors. There were several. “Someone rammed into her transport and then tried to set it on fire. My driver sustained serious injuries, but Cressa was gone.” He didn’t see a reason not to be honest with the man. They might need something from him someday, and Cressa would be upset if he weren’t polite.
“You know who took her?”
“Yes.”
The big man nodded and glanced down at Ginger. He was gentle as he ran a large beefy finger down her cheek. “It will work out. But you tell me what you need.”
She wiped her eyes and gave Devon a quick glance. “Right now we just need access to Cressa’s box. I have the key.” She fiddled with her necklace. “Oh, this is Devon. Devon, Bulldog.”
The two eyed each other, and then Bulldog nodded and unlocked a door to another room.
“You know the rules. Ten minutes. No exceptions.”
“Understood.” She entered first, and Devon followed behind.
When the door closed behind them, Devon took note of the additional security monitors and then the rows of boxes that filled the walls. Impressive diversification for a drug lord.
Ginger went straight to a box without bothering to check the numbers and used Cressa’s key to unlock it. She placed the metal box on the table but didn’t open it. When she glanced up at Devon, her eyes were shiny.
“I know the two of you have had a troubled week that strained your relationship.” She lifted her hand when he opened his mouth. “That’s behind you now. I just wanted to say that this morning when I woke up, she was the happiest I’d seen her in a long time. She felt good about the dream she pulled you into last night.” Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, and Devon understood exactly how much these two shared. “She wanted us to move to Oasis.”
If he had a chair, he’d have fallen into it. Instead, he leaned against the table. “She never mentioned it.”
“She knew she was stretching your security by being at the condo, but she still needed some space. Oasis seemed like the perfect compromise.”
“It would have been.” His eyes burned, and he turned away to stare at the wall of boxes. That compromise had been for him, and it meant the world that she wanted to be at Oasis. He rubbed his face and spun around. “Let’s see if she left us a path to find her.”
Ginger took a huge breath and opened the lid. “She used to keep this in a safe deposit box at a bank at City Center, but once you set us up in the condo, she decided to move her treasures back to the Hollows. She never said why, but I think she wanted to keep a connection to this neighborhood.”
She pulled out a cigar box covered with a patchwork of a child’s colorful drawings and placed it on the table. It was filled with what looked like Cressa’s childhood treasures. He studied each item Ginger withdrew—pieces of colored ribbons, a seashell, a bead bracelet, other cheap trinkets that would only mean something to Cressa, and a short stack of envelopes addressed to her. The return address was the same but with her mother’s name as the sender. They had their own difficult relationship.
After everything had been removed, the only thing left was a ring box. Ginger’s fingers shook as she lifted the lid. They both stared down and simultaneously sighed.
The medallion and silver chain lay curled up in the soft velvet lining.
ChapterFour
Devon stared at the medallion.It was a cool evening and all the windows in his bedroom were opened, yet a low fire burned, casting an orange glow over the necklace.
“Are you going to stare at it all evening or do something with it?” Lyra was wrapped in a thick blanket on the sofa next to his chair, her feet tucked under her. Her tight grasp on the wineglass stem was the only indication of her stress.
“Is the healer on call?”
“She’s still at the safe house with Jacques.” She twirled her glass in a slow circle, took a sip, then twirled it again. “I know you’ve recently recovered from a great mental strain. It’s not difficult to understand your hesitancy. The medallion is very strong. If you prefer, I can try to reach her.”
“No.” He gave her a small smile. “I need to do this.”
She nodded and turned her attention to the fire. “You try first. I’ll call Madame Saldano at the first sign of trouble after I’ve ripped the medallion from your neck. But if nothing happens, I insist on giving it a try.”
