Page 95 of Obsessed in Blood
Devon nodded. “More than I care to admit.”
Cato sketched out the island on the pad. Some of the landmarks Devon recognized from their own plan, but others were new. Cato laid down the pen and tapped a finger at a square that would be the building where Hamilton was being held.
“This building has three floors. Your friend will most likely be on the second floor, but it’s possible they could be on the first. The third floor was for storage. There’s a door toward the back of that floor. It leads to one of the entrances to the cave.” He pointed to another structure halfway between the prison building and the manor. “This is the pump house. There’s a door in the basement that leads to the second entrance.” He tapped his finger on an X on the far side of the manor’s back gardens. “There’s a small path at what used to be a hedge of roses. Not sure what’s planted there now. If you can find it, it leads to a stone statue of an angel. The statue is probably grown over with vegetation by now. It was the weakest entry point and was too exposed. Venizi might have had that entrance boarded over. All three tunnels converge at the cave that opens to the cove.”
“He might have decided the tunnels are too risky and boarded them all up.” Remus continued to study the map.
“Maybe,” Cato said. “For all his bluster, Venizi falls back to the old ways. His strategy is textbook, and one thing you can be sure will never change—Venizi always keeps a backdoor open for a quick escape. That you can bet on.”
Devon and Remus remained quiet on their way to the car. When they were inside, Devon stared at the house.
“He seemed pretty normal to me.”
“Today, yes.” Remus stared along with him. “Tomorrow, who’s to say?”
“Well, luck must be with us that today was a good day.” Devon picked up his cell he’d left in the console. His brows knit. “I have several urgent messages.” He scrolled through them and found the last one from Simone.
“I have several as well. All from Elijah. Your safe house was hit.”
Devon spun the car out of the driveway. He hit a button on his cell. Dread filled him at the sound of endless ringing that played over the interior speakers.
ChapterThirty-Two
Simone strodethrough the front door, the cadre on her heels.
“What’s happening?” Cressa asked, having to jog to keep up with her. “Is the safe house under attack?”
“Yes,” she snapped.
“What can we do?” Elijah had come up quickly from her left.
“Stay here.” She stopped at the first of several sedans pulling in front of the manor. She glanced around. “Lyra.”
Lyra was dressed in khaki cargo pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Colantha was only steps behind her. “I’m here.”
“Protect the manor. There might be a secondary attack coming. Elijah, can you stay and help?”
He nodded. “Where do you need Decker?”
Decker seemed at odds. It was apparent he wanted to go to the safe house, but his glances at Elijah told her what she’d always known. He might be a rogue, but his first loyalties would always be with the shifters.
“Keep him with you. He knows the manor well. You’ll lead security while we’re gone.” She turned to Lyra. “If that’s alright with you.” Lyra was still the current leader of the House.
She nodded vigorously. “Of course.”
Simone scanned the cars, the security detail filing into them. She snapped at Cressa, “Get in.” When Ginger followed Lucas to the second car, she was about to stop her but thought better of it. Ginger had shown grit during her training that Simone hadn’t expected. Taking her into a full attack was dangerous, but so was her role in Hamilton’s upcoming rescue. If Lucas had a doubt, he wouldn’t have allowed her to go, so she turned her thoughts to the safe house.
Giving the manor one last glance before sliding into the front passenger seat, she closed the door seconds before Sergi stepped on the gas, leading the caravan down the drive.
The safe house was five minutes away, but it took five minutes to get everyone in the cars. Ten minutes was a long time in a vampire attack. Simone texted instructions to the teams during the drive. Before they reached the house, which was on a ten-acre property at the end of a dead-end street with several acres of nature reserve behind it, three cars diverted down a road to the left, which led to a little-known trailhead. They would park the cars and run to the back of the safe house.
The two other homes on the street, almost a quarter mile away from the gate to the safe house, were owned by older couples that Devon paid well for their silence. The safe house itself had been built at the backside of the property.
Sergi led the remaining cars well past the other houses until they were almost on vampire land before pulling the cars into a blockade formation. Vampires scurried from the cars, scattering and immediately racing off into the woods in pairs. The drivers stayed with the vehicles to catch any vampires running away. The exception was Sergi, who ran with Simone straight up the drive.
On an average day, there could be up to ten vampires, maybe a couple more, in residence. It was meant for vampires who had been on missions for the House but needed a place to heal from an assignment or hide until the heat was off. But since the tenuous relationship between House Trelane and House Venizi had deteriorated in the last few months, the number of vampires at the safe house had more than doubled, leaving the current count closer to twenty-five.
Three headless bodies lay inside the main gate, which had been pried open. She recognized one head as part of their security detail, but she didn’t recognize the one she stopped at. She glanced at Sergi, who stared down at the third one and shook his head. Not one of theirs.
