Page 93 of Betrayed in Blood
My last stop was the nightstand. There were three books but no phone or tablet. I grabbed the books and tossed them on the bed, then searched for her purse. It was in the closet. That was odd, but it told me something. Mom hadn’t left the house in some time and apparently wasn’t going to anytime soon. I took out her wallet and personal phone book. She was old school when keeping track of her friends and contacts, but there wasn’t any phone. April or Jasper most likely had it.
Simone had the suitcase packed, and I added the wallet and address book on top before she zipped it up.
“What’s next?” Simone picked up the bag.
“April’s room.”
I was in for a shock. April had always been ultra feminine. Lots of pink and lavender. Not anymore.
She’d gone goth and it was heavily reflected by the decor. Black and deep purple seemed to be her new colors. She hadn’t lost her fashion sense, but the dark colors made me wonder if this reflected a more angsty April after Christopher’s death—because there was no way he would have approved of this—or whether it was influenced by Jasper. Goth would have been more my style, if I had one.
Simone grimaced when she walked into the room. “This is different.”
“It’s not the April I knew.” I went to her closet to see if her clothes were different as well.
Simone followed me in, and we simply stared. On one side of the small walk-in closet were the clothes I’d always seen April wear—bright colors, a little preppy, and fitting for someone who went to a private school. The other half was the new April—all black with the occasional deep violet or red.
I sighed. “I wish I knew if this was a personal choice to change, a change because of her new boyfriend, or because she was mesmerized.”
“Mesmerizing could force a change if she was being directed to follow someone else’s preferences. But this wouldn’t come from Venizi.” Simone found the suitcase and picked it up.
“Based on the wardrobe he hand-selected for me, I agree. Maybe that’s why she’s kept her older clothes.”
“Maybe. Let’s get her packed.”
I went through the same ritual as I had for Mom, selecting undergarments before making a decision on the rest. Unsure which to choose from, I selected a couple outfits from the old-April side and some from the new. I couldn’t care less which she preferred. I’d gone through my own goth period, though it had been to irritate Christopher more than anything else. Wasn’t that what a rebellious teen was supposed to do? April wasn’t a teen, but she was still in her early twenties. Maybe she was all businesswoman by day and turned goth on her off hours. I wasn’t sure how things would go with April, and it depended on whether she was mesmerized or simply pissed at the world. Either way, she might as well wear what made her comfortable. It wasn’t like we couldn’t buy her something else if she was unhappy with my selection.
We dropped the luggage in the closet by the front door. It would be easy to grab on our way out.
Once that was done, it was a waiting game. Devon had someone check on the two vamps tied up in the hall closet every hour, and Sergi checked in every half-hour. All was quiet, and so far, no ferries had returned from the island.
“What if they’re staying overnight?” I asked.
“They’ll be leaving soon.” Devon had moved on from the magazines and was flipping through channels on the LCD panel. “I don’t remember there being housing for a large number of overnight guests.”
Simone had turned to meditation while the other vamps had found a deck of cards and switched between playing gin and poker.
I was tempted to ask Sergi to check on Mom but had to remind myself that he’d have advised me if there were a problem. It was still irritating not knowing.
At two thirty in the morning, Devon ran us through the plan, finishing moments before my earbud crackled. Sometimes, I truly believed Devon was psychic.
“To all teams, the first ferry has arrived, and the target has been spotted. Anticipate twenty minutes for arrival.”
The television was turned off. The cards were returned to the drawer and the furniture restored to order, down to how the magazines had been arranged. Teams Three and Four moved into position, and Devon and I went upstairs to the room across from April’s.
Twenty minutes later, as Sergi predicted, we received the anticipated update.
“All teams. Three SUVs have arrived, and the gates are opening. Teams Five and Six, stay alert. Teams One, Three, and Four get in position.
“Team One is in position.” I glanced at Devon, who leaned against the wall, alert and relaxed at the same time.
“Team Three is in position.”
“Team Four is in position.”
“Team Six is in position.”
“Team Five. The target vehicles have cleared the gate and are approaching the manor.”
