Page 81 of Obsessed in Blood
“It must be driving Lorenzo mad wondering how she got off the island.” He buttoned his shirt and added a pair of gold cufflinks.
Sergi chuckled. “And he can’t find a trace of her anywhere.”
“Now that Ginger is back, it should be easier to keep Cressa at the manor.”
“But for how long?”
He stood and pulled the tie around his neck, quickly tying the knot before going back to the closet, appearing seconds later with his suit jacket. “Let’s see what the cadre has for us. Make sure Bella keeps Lorenzo’s vampires busy when Remus comes. I don’t want anyone to know he was here.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to meet someplace else?”
“Maybe. But I doubt Colantha would feel comfortable with that.”
Sergi stood. “You plan on introducing them?”
Devon pulled at the cuffs of his jacket and straightened his tie. “We’re going to need allies to break Hamilton out. And we can only guess what the fallout will be after that. It’s time for full disclosure.”
Sergi followed him out of the room, and Devon smiled when he heard him mutter, “It’s about time.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Devon strolled into his office,more relaxed than he’d been in some time. He was dog-tired, but instead of feeling the beast nipping at him, the harmony between them had returned. Most of his cadre was in attendance, but he was surprised to find Simone straddling a barstool. She’d gathered vital information for their mission, but rather than returning to Oasis, she’d apparently remained here in case she was needed.
He bent and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for being here.”
“I heard Lucas had returned from the San Francisco annex.” She shrugged under his intense perusal. “I love a good mystery.”
“No, you don’t.” He kissed her cheek again. “It’s still good to have you here.”
He turned to where Lucas and Ginger sat on the couch. Lucas’s expression was grim while Ginger appeared detached, but she held her head high, an arm wrapped around Lucas’s. Devon wasn’t sure who was holding who upright.
“Why do I have the feeling you have bad news?” Devon sat in a wingback chair and crossed his leg. He scanned the room. “Where’s Bella?”
“She’s finishing her guard patrol.” Sergi glanced at the clock. “She’ll be here as soon as she finishes.”
Devon had expected Cressa. Simone might not like mysteries, but it would be difficult to keep Cressa away from one. But she might have already gotten an update from Ginger.
“Let’s get started. Did you discover anything new?”
Lucas shared the events at the library and what they’d learned about the book. He started with the fake book that held the same restoration note as the one in the L.A. library, the chilling reception with the curator who’d lied about the book, and the vampires who appeared to have been waiting for them. Though he agreed they might have been followed, either way, they had been attacked in the parking lot during broad daylight.
It would be impossible to know which Family the vampires belonged to. It was easy to blame Lorenzo, but since it was typically him, he’d earned the suspicion. The vampires, whoever they were, might have assumed House Trelane would show up at the annex or they were somehow tracking them, but it was thin. He wasn’t aware that anyone outside the House knew of the book’s existence or his interest in it.
“So, what do you make of this business with the restoration?” Devon asked. “Do you think it was just an honest mistake, or are they hiding something?”
“It would only be a guess until we visit a couple more libraries, preferably farther east. It would give us some indication of how far the disinformation has spread.”
“I think the home library should also be investigated.” Simone plucked at her violet caftan before smoothing it. “That’s the only way we’ll know how widespread the conspiracy is.”
“Conspiracy?” Lucas glanced at the others. “That seems to be a leap.”
Devon shrugged. “I agree we should keep an open mind. It’s possible the Renauds made an honest, if unheard of, mistake. But the curator said the book was moved from San Francisco in 1906, and we know Philipe Renaud showed it to my father in 1925. The question remains of who placed the false books in the inventory. That could give us an indication of whether a conspiracy is afoot.”
“Are you thinking there are more people involved than just Philipe?” Lucas asked.
“That remains to be seen, but the curator’s lie and the vampire attack makes me think Philipe wasn’t alone in this. The question is whether Philipe hid the book on his own or with his family’s approval. The other libraries need to be checked.”
“There might be someone else that can help, assuming you can find them.”
