Page 100 of Tethered Souls
He’s been frequenting the brothels multiple times a week for the past three months, but he still hasn’t managed to bag Rei. I’m getting impatient. We need to know what kind of weapon the wolves have, if it’s a virus that can transmit to us.
“Yes?” I say as I place the phone to my ear.
“I’m meeting Rei this afternoon. Cid is currently out of town.”
“Does it smell like a trap?”
“Nah. She’s just really keen to suck my cock.”
He’s boastful, arrogant, and I wonder if he’s being overly confident to hide his real feelings. He’s always been a bit cozy with the Death Hunt, bonding over a mutual hatred of bloodsuckers. He’s gone there pretending to be sympathetic to their cause, but I wouldn’t put it past him to actually fall for their shit hook, line, and sinker.
The hairs on my arms rise as my paranoia digs its claws in. Talon was close to Vinny, and these past few months, he’s been becoming more distant as he deals with his grief. If he’s siding with them, will he come for me eventually?
Ignoring my suspicions to deal with later, I focus on the importance of the call. “Then fuck her well,” I say. We need this to be more than a one time thing so he can work on loosening her tongue. Asking questions the first night he’s with her will get him killed.
“Always do.” He laughs, still cocky and sure.
“You able to get her DNA yet?” I demand.
“Nope. I’m stripped right after I enter. Then I’m hosed down every time I leave. They’re very thorough.”
“And she never leaves the property?”
“Nope. All the girls work and sleep here.”
Dammit. We need to get her DNA for Khalid. Cid might not break under the threat of his family if he has a regular extra on the side.
“She sneak out?” I ask.
“She might do. And if not, I’ll try to convince her.”
“We don’t have time to build her trust.” That could take months or years. The Death Hunt has nearly halved the Blood Fangs’ number in only a few months, and they’re getting more efficient at it. Seven more vampires have just been reported as not having been seen for the last three days. Aleric is staying tight-lipped about whether they’re dead or just out of the state, but I suspect it’s the former.
“Figure something out soon,” I say, “but don’t get caught.”
“Aye, aye, captain.”
“And come for dinner sometime this week.”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment, then he sighs. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”
“I mean it, T. It isn’t good to grieve alone.”
“Says the man who can’t let anyone in.”
My fingers tighten on my phone. But he’s right. Not even Micha, outside of that one night, has been allowed to see my festering pain. I haven’t even shared the real reason Caden walked out with my brothers. They’ll look at me with pity, thinking I feel guilty over learning that I really did tear this family apart, and –
They’d be right, I admit in the back of my mind. Our father left because Mother had kept a secret from him, but it was my face he couldn’t bear to see. He would’ve forgiven her, had always forgiven her. He could have lived with what he’d done while trapped in a nightmare if I’d just died.
“Yeah, well, do as I say, not as I do.”
He laughs dryly, then hangs up.
Dropping my phone on my desk, my shoulders tight, I lean back in my chair. I focus my thoughts, dragging them away from my guilt.
It’ll take my brother a few sessions with Rei to get her to talk about Cid. He’s charming and able to learn all kinds of shit from the workers he visits. Plus he knows how to dig out information without seeming to be searching at all, so I doubt he’ll be in any danger.
Still, I’ll get him some backup for this afternoon. Maddox hasn’t given me any reason to doubt his loyalty lately. I can get him to spy on Talon at the same time, make sure he isn’t getting too cozy with the wolves.
