Page 85 of Betrayed in Blood
This time, a color photo popped up with a very clear view of Jasper. It was the same vamp. Now we were getting somewhere.
“Being a rogue wouldn’t tie him to Venizi,” Decker said.
“No,” Devon agreed. “However, two of our security detail know this vampire. Though he retains his rogue status, he’s been known to work on the payroll for three Houses—Pearson, Larkin, and Wakefield.”
“They’re all Houses under the protection of Venizi.” Bella began to pace. “And we know Venizi tends to use other Houses for his dirty work.”
“That still doesn’t tie him directly to Venizi,” Sergi added. “These particular Houses have been known to perform tasks they expect will please Venizi, but not necessarily with his approval. It’s a fine line, but nothing they’ve done in the past would be of interest to the Council based on speculation that Venizi is pulling the strings.”
Devon waved a hand at Lucas, who moved to the next picture. “In this case, it’s not the Council we’re worried about. This is a House matter. But Sergi is correct. While we might suspect Venizi of being behind this, the only concern we have at this moment is the safety of this woman—April Underwood. She’s the daughter of Christopher and Willa Underwood and Cressa’s half-sister.
“We believe that Christopher brought April into his business arrangement with Venizi. Either on purpose or by accident. The question now is whether April has been mesmerized to continue working for Venizi through this rogue. Also at stake is this woman.”
The photo shifted to my mother. It was a photo from the day I’d surprised her in the spa, back when Christopher had been frantic about finding my medallion. We’d spent five uncomfortable minutes talking in a coffee shop, and though she’d confirmed Rasmussen was my dad, it hadn’t been a friendly meeting. Someone must have taken a photo of her leaving the shop after me. Had she been crying? My heart clenched.
“This is Willa Underwood, Cressa’s mother,” Devon continued. “Her closest friends haven’t heard from her in the last three weeks, and, in that same time, she’s missed her weekly appointments. We have no reason to believe anything has happened to her and assume she’s being sequestered in her home.”
Another picture came up. A sprawling mansion in the Woodbridge estates northwest of the city.
This time, Bella took over. “We’ve been monitoring the Underwood estate for the last couple of days. There’s plenty of activity with SUVs, all with heavily tinted windows. We’ve been able to obtain visuals of two drivers who we believe belong to House Venizi. Whatever is happening in that house, it’s under vampire control. And while Jasper might be rogue, we’ve been able to confirm the drivers belong to House Venizi and not the other Houses.”
The next photo was an aerial view of the estate. The manor sat toward the back of the three-acre estate, heavily landscaped with trees. Bella continued, “A six-foot wall runs the entire perimeter. There are two vampires stationed at the front gate. There’s a back gate that leads to an ally, and there’s at least one vampire there. It’s impossible to tell how many others are at the house. We’re working on getting updated satellite images, but we’re not sure it matters at this point.”
The next picture was the layout inside the manor. It was the typical floorplan one would find in a sales brochure for a newly built house and reflected the various rooms, including all entry points. The screen was split in two. One picture showed the ground floor and the other the upstairs.
“Cressa needs to review the floorplan and revise for any inaccuracies in addition to adding any details pertinent to our mission.” Bella nodded to Devon then went back to her corner where she’d be free to pace.
“This is all great information.” Decker pulled out a bag of licorice bits and chewed one as he glanced around the room. “What exactly is the mission here?”
I knew what his plan was, but it seemed he hadn’t shared it with many others.
“We’re going to extract both women.” When the room went silent, Devon added, “And if we’re lucky, we’ll take Jasper Hunnicutt as well. All other vampires are expendable.”
Someone gasped, and I assumed it was Ginger. He’d modified the plan. Was that based on my earlier lunch meeting?
“We need to move quickly on this.” Devon scanned the room, stopping to meet everyone’s eyes. “We’re going in on Friday night for one specific reason. Venizi is holding a party on his island—Family only. He might have been hoping to show off his new acquisition,” Devon glanced down at me. “But I imagine even without luring Cressa out, he won’t cancel the party.”
“Of course not,” Sergi sneered. “It would only show weakness.”
Devon’s smile was predatory. “Exactly.” He glanced around the room. “I’ve invited all of you here in support of this mission. Each of you will have a role to play, assuming those outside the House Trelane Family wish to participate.”
There were a few head nods, but no one walked out or said no.
“A table has been set up on the back patio for dinner. There’s also a bar for drinks. Dinner is in an hour. Afterward, I’d like to regroup here to work through a high-level plan and determine tentative assignments. From this point forward, Cressa will be the mission leader.” He smiled at me as the impact of his statement rolled over me. “We have a lot to do to prepare. Until then, let’s adjourn to the patio.”
The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only Devon and me in the solarium.
I was still sitting, not sure what to do. I was thrilled I was being given the lead, but how was I supposed to tackle this in less than forty-eight hours?
Devon pulled me up and wrapped his arms around me. His kiss was tender, then he whispered in my ear, “You’ve got this. We’re all here to support you. I know that head of yours is already spinning with possibilities. Remember to listen to the experts before making a final decision. You know this. No one is better suited for this mission.”
I hugged him so tightly I thought I might have cut off his oxygen, but he let me stay that way for a while. Then I stepped back. “What if they’re not the ones behind the texts?”
“Then we’ll know who isn’t involved, but we might discover that it is Venizi, and he’ll continue to try. Either way, your mother and sister will be out of his reach. And there’s really nothing more important than keeping you safe.”
My heart swelled at his concern for my family. “Does being the team lead mean I have to stay outside while others go in?”
He chuckled. “To use a human vernacular, you mean benching the most valuable part of our strike team? No, Cressa. You won’t just be the team lead. You’ll lead the strike team as well.”
