Page 127 of Live To Tell

“I’m not stupid, Grayson. I shall wait until he leaves in his van.”

“And if he doesn’t?” he replies.

“Then we return tomorrow with Dorian’s investigators.”

I shove hair from my face. “Will Dorian listen to you this time?”

“I hope so.”

“What if Viktor disappears because he knows you’re onto him?” asks Leif.

“What’s more likely is he’ll resist any investigation into his mind if caught,” she says. “Annabelle said he’s a strong mental magic user. If Viktor approaches Dorian and offers him the chance to look into his head, then walks away having revealed nothing, he’ll think he’s got away with this again. Then, Dorian’s people can follow him. He’ll slip up and we’ll get proof.”

“About Madison’s death? Dorian isn’t interested,” I say.

“No. About Viktor killing and reanimating shifters. Threatening Kai who’s still in danger. His connection to Sawyer.”

“And threatening Holly,” says Grayson quietly.

Leif tenses. “He did?”

“In a roundabout way. That’s his attempt to make me back off.” I nod. “We’ll need to ensure we keep an eye on Holly, especially outside the academy.”

“That’ll be fun for you.” I smirk. “Nights out with Holly and Chase. Afternoons at the mall with the girls.”

She presses her lips together. “Not for long. We’ll catch Viktor soon.”

“Did you recognize the guy’s voice from your memories of the night Wes died?” I ask Leif.

Leif’s jaw hardens. “No. You know the witches screwed with my head. I might not remember.”

“Can one of you stand somewhere the van and road are visible? Tell me when Viktor leaves,” puts in Violet.

“This is not a good idea, Violet,” I say.

She snaps her head around. “And what if we never see Trent again? This could be our last chance.”

“Someone would notice if Joe’s ‘apprentice’ disappeared,” says Grayson.

“Nobody would give a shit,” says Leif gruffly. “Trent exiled himself and nobody tried hard to get him back, despite what the guy said. Humans wouldn’t care either.”

Unlike Leif.

Since that day he came back from his visit to the elders, Leif’s changed. Nothing I could do that afternoon pulled him from the mire he now struggles to escape. Leif still jokes around, the guy who thinks about others in a way the total opposite to Violet, but he left something behind at that place. And if the elders already have part of him, it could be easier to get the rest.

“We really can’t wait,” urges Violet.

“What if Viktor killed Trent already?” asks Leif flatly.

“There’re too many witnesses that put him at the scene,” says Violet. “Us. The Brightgroves must know he’s here too.”

“Yes. But your presence at another ‘dead shifter’ scene wouldn’t look good,” I tell her.

“Trent’s already dead, remember?” puts in Grayson. “Why bother?”

Violet’s eyes go wide. “You sound exactly like Dorian.”

“Trent would’ve killed Rowan that night and might try again,” Grayson continues. “Best he dies.”

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