Page 130 of The Vampire's Thirst
Like running into Chiara. What were the odds? Crossing onto Earth near her cabin. The female being a Blood Coven descendant. His forming a bond with her.No. Damn.This was not the time to be thinking of the little witch.
Dax felt the weight of Matty’s hand on his shoulder. “What?” he grumbled. When he turned around to glare at the human, he knew the guy had been trying to get his attention again.
“For the third time, what are we looking for?”
“Let’s check out these rooms. Kole said to look for evidence of where Arisen Dawn might have fled. An added bene would be finding out who Cerberus is.”
Matty walked through an inside doorway. “This is a big-ass bedroom.”
Dax strolled into an adjoining room, kicking at rubble to see if anything of value was beneath it. “Office in here. I’d say whoever had these quarters was high up on the food chain. Luxury.” It was a suite with a kitchen and a sitting area. These were not foot-soldier quarters.
When Matty entered the office, he rifled through the desk drawers. “Jackpot.” He scooped out some papers, handing them off to the vampire Firebrand.
Dax shuffled through a few sheets. “Looks like Boden stayed here.”
“Who’s he?”
“Director of the Ministry of Compliance. They control the manufacturing and distribution of portal jumpers.”
When Matty’s brows nearly met his hairline, Dax said, “Yeah. That’s how the assholes are crossing to Earth.”
“Good to know he’s helping the bad guys.”
“These are hard copies of some of the files from his ministry. Looks like he was in a hurry to vacate. Course, he likely had a dragon breathing fire up his ass.” Dax handed back the paperwork. “Hold these. Let’s explore the other rooms.”
“I’m with you.”
From the hall, they entered another suite. “This makes the other place look low-rent. Somebody higher up than Boden.” Dax did a three-sixty, fists on hips.
They swept through the kitchen, sleeping quarters, office, living room, and outdoor garden. The dragon had missed this area. No papers to give away the occupant either. The apartment was pristine. Hardly looked lived in.
Two other quarters were in the same building, but they were in rubble. No evidence.
Dax brushed concrete dust off his pants before he lumbered out into the mid-afternoon light.
****
Whilehe read e-mail on his laptop, Cerberus tapped the fingers of one hand on an antique horseshoe-shaped mahogany desktop, furniture befitting a male of his importance. The accommodations in the new garrison were acceptable.
Beneath his desk, his soft-booted feet sank into the thick pile of a dark blue, decadent wool carpet. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with volumes he had never read, lined one entire wall. Original paintings decorated the walls. He had given Lort a list of famous artists to hand over to a decorator. Most were Earthers. Picasso. Chagall. Miro. Some were Aeternals. Acryl. Parch. He could not recall all the names. Frankly, he didn’t know one from the other. And a few of the works looked like a child’s scribbling to him.
The windowless room suited his desire for safety. Of course, no one was aware of the escape tunnel which ran beneath his quarters. He had wiped the minds of the construction team.
The living room, dining room, and bedroom also reflected a lush, warm richness which spoke of wealth and success while his kitchen gleamed with cold polished stainless-steel appliances. Of course, he would not be cooking for himself. Someone else was assigned the task.
The quarters, while lavish, were temporary. Soon he would have his pick of any place on Earth. He envisioned a modern glass and concrete house perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Spain? France? Italy? If not one of those places, maybe he would reside in a Covenkirk mansion built on the rocky shores of the Aleam Ocean.
But this apartment would do in the interim. He was a patient male.
A knock.
Cerberus flicked his wrist to see who stood outside seeking entry to his chambers. His general. A male as cruel as his thin-lipped sneer.
“Enter, Lort.” With another wave of his hand, Cerberus unlocked the door.
The haughty vampire pushed into the room. He hesitated, his eyes widening with recognition, before he resumed his soldierly walk forward.
Cerberus leaned an elbow onto the desk with his chin planted in his palm. “General, you seem startled.”
