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Brien’s green eyes narrowed. “You trust this PI?”
Cain jerked his chin in assent. “He’s being paid double his usual fee, and I ran a background check on him before hiring him. I suppose for enough money, he could be convinced to lie to us, but he’s smart. He knows his life wouldn’t be worth fuck-all if we found out.”
“So someone helped Esposito sneak onto the island,” said Brien. “A supernatural, probably a vampire.”
I nodded. “Whoever it was would have to be strong to bring a human with them into the shadows.”
Cain’s knee was moving double-time. “They had to have been on that ferry with Esposito. I’ll talk to the captain, but if a vampire entered and exited in the shadows and stayed out of sight the rest of the time, the crew would’ve never known they were on board.”
“Agreed,” Brien said. “But we have to consider the possibility that the vampire was already on Lilith Island, that they met the ferry when it docked and brought Esposito off that way. Which means it could be one of us.”
His shoulders were tight beneath his T-shirt, his fingers digging into the couch back. We’d thought we’d purged the syndicate of the traitors who’d tried to block his ascension to primus.
“It’s possible,” Cain allowed. “But I’m betting it’s someone from off-island—a member of the Quebec City Syndicate, for example. Régis isn’t happy about you and Twilight going after one of his top people.”
Brien’s lip curled. “Fleur had it coming. Régis should’ve handled it himself.”
Fleur had been keeping blood slaves, along with Lemaire, another QCS member. Twilight herself had been caught in their net. If Brien hadn’t bought Twilight at an illegal underground auction, she might still be enslaved.
“Doesn’t mean Régis doesn’t want revenge,” Cain said, “especially if he can blame it on Esposito somehow. But my money’s on Lemaire. He still hasn’t surfaced.”
Brien nodded thoughtfully.
“And then there’s Nazaire,” I pointed out.
Nazaire was an enforcer, a cold SOB who’d somehow found out that Brien was moving on the slavers in the QCS. When Brien and Twilight had broken into Nazaire’s lair, he was nowhere to be found. We’d tried to locate him, but there was only so much we could do against a QCS enforcer.
Régis had turned a blind eye when Brien and Twilight had come into his territory to take out Fleur and Lemaire, but they were soldiers, relatively low in the hierarchy. Régis couldn’t let us hunt one of his enforcers without retaliating. If Brien wasn’t careful, he was going to ignite a full-out war.
“So, Esposito comes to the island,” Brien mused, “because QCS or some other syndicate got their hooks into him.”
I nodded. “Mom said the last time she saw him, he was riding high on a big win. That’s when he’s at his most vulnerable. He starts thinking he can’t lose.”
“So they use that,” said Cain. “They wait until he’s deep in the hole, then send him here.”
“But to do what?” asked Brien.
“That,” I said tightly, “is the million-dollar question. But don’t worry, I’ll find him.” I met Brien’s eyes. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Why? Nobody’s blaming you.”
I shook my head. “I fucked up. Should’ve handled the guy a long time ago.”
“Hey,” he said, “I wasn’t worried either. I thought the man was harmless.”
Cain unfolded his arms. “So what now?”
“You alerted the war room?” Brien asked him.
“I did. They know what Esposito looks like—they have photos and videos. If he tries to get in here, they’ll let us know immediately.”
“Good,” said Brien.
I rose to my feet. “If we’re done here, I think I’ll pay a visit to my mom.”
Brien nodded, but Cain was shaking his head. “She’s not going to take your side against Esposito,” he said. “She’ll protect him—you know she will.”
“Maybe,” I returned. “But I have something she wants, something to bargain with.”
