Page 34 of Betrayed in Blood
Mom was in trouble. I didn’t know how, but it had to do with April. And if I was standing at a roulette wheel in Vegas right now, I’d put all my money on red.
Vamps.
ChapterTen
Devon stormedout of the solarium and gave a quick nod to Sergi, who marched through the building just a couple of steps behind. He didn’t need to look back to know his security detail monitored every door and hallway they passed.
Once he was inside the limo, he noted Lorenzo’s flashy Rolls drive up. Venizi wouldn’t be happy to hear about his discussion with Isabella. And maybe that was what the vampire was waiting for. With House Trelane on lockdown, it was more difficult to attack. Not impossible, but it wouldn’t go unnoticed. And now Venizi could point to House Trelane as unwilling to make peace.
He would have preferred Sergi riding with him in the limo so he could discuss the meeting, but this wasn’t the time to grow lax with his own orders. So, he took the time during the drive home to review the meeting. When that made him irritable, his thoughts turned to Cressa and whether she’d gotten a hold of Colantha. It was more important than ever to finish the translation of theDe første dage.
When he arrived home, he pulled his tie off as he ran up the steps. “Get everyone in the office, and I want an update on our security teams. Fifteen minutes.”
Sergi, who was still right behind him, responded with a “Yes, sir.”
Devon almost chuckled. He rarely got a “yes, sir” from Sergi anymore, but it told him everything. Sergi might not know what the discussion with Isabella was about, but he understood it had pissed Devon off. He took the stairs to the second floor two at a time, stripping off his jacket and tossing it on the bed along with his tie. He changed into something more comfortable—a pair of black chinos and a black button-down shirt. Might as well keep his dark mood going.
He was back in his office in less than ten minutes and was surprised to find Simone and Decker already there.
“Decker. I wasn’t expecting you today, or did I miss something on my calendar?” He dropped into his office chair and pulled the blinds shut.
Simone and Decker glanced at each other. Shutting out the sunshine was another sign of his temper.
“Simone and I’ve been discussing adding more rogues at Oasis. Maybe one or two at the safe houses.”
He nodded, and a tightness around his chest relaxed a notch. “When can that be implemented?”
The two glanced at each other again, and this time Simone answered. “I have names of several that could start immediately at the safe houses. I interviewed them for Oasis, but they wanted to stay in the city. I think we can work out a schedule that would be acceptable on both sides.”
“Get it done. What about for Oasis?”
“I have a few in mind.” Decker pulled a bag of licorice from his pocket. “But we might want to talk with Remus. There’s a small pack not far from Oasis that’s struggling to find work. The Alpha’s young, and he’s slowly building a strong pack, but there’s limited space.”
“Why didn’t he move farther out to a mid-sized city?”
“His mother lives in the local town and won’t move away from her other pups. Her health isn’t good, and he wants to stay close—at least for now. Remus gave his permission.”
“Let’s see what we can do to help them out.”
Simone nodded as the rest of the cadre filed in, followed by Cressa, Ginger, and Lyra. He glanced at his watch. Two minutes to spare. No one said anything as they found their seats, and whether it was the tension already building in the room or Sergi had given them a heads up, it didn’t matter. Most of them were used to his swift mood changes, and they knew he’d just returned from the Council.
“It appears the Council is getting nervous,” Devon began. “I’ve been asked to back down from my conflict with Venizi and make peace.” He explained the crux of the meeting. It was obvious by the immediate glowing eyes of the cadre’s and Lyra’s beasts, and the thinning lips and reddening faces of the others that they weren’t any more pleased with the request than he’d been. Another notch loosened around his chest.
“What was your response?” Simone asked once she’d quieted her beast.
“I told Isabella that I wouldn’t back off and I wouldn’t make peace.”
“Was Venizi in the building?” Lucas asked.
“No, but he arrived as we were driving out.”
The room fell silent, and Devon let them organize their own thoughts.
“Venizi must have stirred up the Council after our raid at Shadow Island.” Bella sat near the bar rather than her normal seat, and would probably start pacing soon.
“But why did it take so long?” Lucas asked.
“He’s preparing something.” Sergi was reviewing something on his tablet, his brows scrunching together. More bad news?
