“Do you want me to break in?” Danteasked.
“Yes,” Cassidy said at the same time Julianreplied, “What’s the point? We can’t enter the place.”
“No, we can’t, but Julie could,” Aidasaid.
“Call her,” Cassidy said to Dante.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to involveher in this,” he replied.
“We need help, and she can do it.”
Dante reluctantly removed his phone from hispocket and dialed a number. When someone answered, he spoke for acouple of minutes before hanging up.
“She and Preston will meet us here soon,” hesaid.
While they waited for Julie and Preston toarrive, Cassidy paced the hallway and tried calling Kyle five moretimes. Her calls were now going straight to voice mail, and shesuspected the phone was off.
She revealed this new development to theothers and, for the first time, saw a flicker of unease crossDante’s face. She tried to come up with other places where Kylecould be, but if he wasn’t here, home, or at work, then she was outof options.
This wasn’t the old Kyle who bounced fromwoman to woman and could be at any number of apartments in thecity. He wouldn’t be at some strange woman’s house. He’d found hismate and wouldneverbe disloyal to her.
She should have gotten Melanie’s phone numberfrom him, but she’d been so intent on trying not to be too pushythat she hadn’t gotten as close to Melanie as she would have liked.She’d planned to rectify that once Kyle told Melanie the truth, butnow she worried she wouldn’t have the opportunity.
Biting her nails, she tried not to dwell onthat possibility as she paced and nearly lost her mind. Butfinally, after almost an hour, Julie and Preston arrived.
“Sorry,” the pretty young girl said as sherushed down the hallway toward them. “It took longer than Iexpected to wrap up lunch with my mom.”
“No need to apologize,” Dante said. “Youdon’t have to do this.”
“You saved my life. I’ll help you out anychance I get.”
“That doesn’t mean you owe us anything.”
“I know,” Julie said. “But I want tohelp.”
“Do you think this is dangerous?” Prestonasked.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Danteadmitted. “So, I can’t say yes or no.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Prestonasked his sister.
“Yes. Besides, I have a bunch of vampireshere to help me if something goes wrong. You can give me your bloodor something.”
“Nothing is going to go wrong,” Prestonsaid.
“I know.” Julie switched her attention toDante. “How do I get in there?”
Dante gripped the door handle, and pressinghis shoulder into the doorframe, he leaned against it until thewood splintered before giving way. Keeping hold of the knob, hekept the door from flying open.
When he finished, he pushed it open and triedto stretch his hand into the apartment. An invisible wall of airstopped his hand from entering.
“That means Melanie and her roommate arestill alive,” Julian said.
“That’s something at least,” Cassidywhispered.
“But there is no one home,” Aida said.
“I’ll go inside and check it out,” Julieoffered.
