Page 3 of Obsessed in Blood
“I’ve spoken with the SBPD.” Sergi drove the sedan past two other cars. “They’ve agreed to let us handle this as long as the road is cleared in thirty minutes.”
Devon lowered the window moments before the burnt husk of the car became visible. The acrid smoke clogged his senses, and he struggled to keep the beast down. He understood his beast’s rage. Beneath his own anger, his heart clenched, and his breathing grew tight. She couldn’t be in there.
The sedan hadn’t stopped before Devon was out and marching across the blacktop, with Sergi rushing to keep up. Four vampires circled the remains, one at each corner of the vehicle.
“They were either sloppy or didn’t have time.” Sergi glanced around, then nodded at a vampire standing off to the side with two others. “The sedan was hit mid-section from the cross street. The fire started in the engine compartment, and we believe it was set rather than a result of the crash.”
Devon glanced at the vampire approaching them. “What happened?” He kept his tone level, waiting to hear Mateo’s report before making any judgment.
“We were about a block behind Jacques. There was no one following us. A semi pulled out in front of us, and we narrowly missed it before stopping. Shots were fired from the cab, pinning us down. Rafael was able to go around and take out the shooter, but it took time to move the semi. I called Jacques once the gunfire started. He acknowledged the warning before I lost connection.”
“Did he survive?” Devon asked.
Sergi grimaced and nodded. “Half his body is burned. They gave him blood. He should be at the safe house now. The healer is on her way.”
Fire was not a vampire’s friend and was one of the worst ways to die. But if one survived, the healing process, while painful, was quicker than for a human and didn’t leave scarring. The restorative powers of fresh blood and healing herbs would repair the skin. Jacques would be out of commission until he healed. Which, with the amount of flesh burned, would be about two weeks.
Bella would be a mess over this and was probably already at his side.
He took a deep breath and moved toward the vehicle, terrified of what else might be in the scorched remains. When he grew closer, he breathed a sigh that the back passenger seat wasn’t as badly burned. He was six feet away when he spotted Cressa’s backpack. When he noticed how singed it was, he was seized by an uncontrollable rage.
The beast roared. And his chest ached. The beast seemed to be shaking his ribs like bars to a jail cell, demanding release.
He dropped to his knees as if someone had rammed a sledgehammer into the side of his head. Sergi was by his side, but he held out an arm to stop him. The pain was excruciating, as if his brain was swelling inside his skull with nowhere to go, ready to burst through.
He grasped his head with both hands, the pressure continuing to build. Then, with one last push, there was a sound like the popping of a balloon.
All was quiet, and fresh air filled his lungs. He blinked several times.
Sergi was on one knee; his brows squeezed, a hand resting on Devon’s shoulder.
He stared at him in wonder, which made Sergi’s forehead wrinkle more. He couldn’t explain it, but his mind had cleared. It was as if all this time, he’d been struggling to breathe, then suddenly, out of nowhere, someone flipped a switch, and the bag over his head vanished. Instead of a slow stream of thoughts returning, it was a raging flood, erasing his previous foggy mental state and replacing it with complete clarity.
For now, he pushed the staggering experience aside and rose to his feet, stepping next to the open door of the back passenger seats. They were black with soot and wet from the foam of fire extinguishers. Bits of burnt leather had curled from the heat, and one of the windows had shattered, but the rear half of the vehicle hadn’t burned.
“This is similar to another accident.” Sergi stuck his head in as he surveyed what was left. “At least from the pictures I’ve seen.”
“Lyra won’t take this well.” Devon glanced around, searching for anything that might have been missed. “I’d like the healer to meet us at the manor when she’s done with Jacques. Bella can stay with him for now.”
“What are you thinking?”
His thought was that the only thing that kept the beast at bay was that Cressa was still alive. She wouldn’t have had time to wander away on her own with Mateo close enough to have put out the fire. The driver of the second car was also missing.
His laugh was harsh and full of menace. “There’s only one answer. Cressa’s been taken. And there’s no question as to who took her.”
“Lorenzo.”
“And this time, he’s gone too far.”
ChapterTwo
Devon racedup the steps of the manor, the front door opening like magic as he stormed through. The vampire behind the door kept their head down, so he couldn’t be sure who it was, but it was clear that everyone had heard the news. Which had likely already spread to Oasis. “Where are the cadre?”
Sergi kept pace. “Simone is on her way. She should arrive in twenty minutes. Lucas is in your office. Bella is with Jacques.”
Rage filled him, and he pushed it down. Not all of it. The beast wouldn’t let him extinguish it all. It rode just under the surface—not pushing—but not relenting. He found it somewhat comforting. As if he wasn’t alone with his fear.
Lucas was at the bar, typing into his tablet while speaking low. He was on his headset, gathering intel. He glanced up when Devon entered but didn’t stop his conversation, only nodding and holding up a finger.
