Page 38 of Caretaker

His eyes were as blank as any I’d ever seen, rivaling even Clayton’s empty stare, but a telltale vein throbbed in his temple, and I was pretty sure I heard his jaw crack as he clenched his teeth.

“Last night,” he murmured. “You discovered this last night.”

I widened my eyes, mystified by his anger. “Yes…”

He opened his mouth, ran his hand over his face, then shook his head. “And you were too busy fucking Copas to save an innocent human’s life. I understand. Get out of my car.”

I gaped. “What the hell?”

“Get the fuck out of my car. I have a crime scene to take care of, if there’s anything left of it. And if we find her dead, that’s on you.”

I opened the door and slid out, but before he could take off, I leaned down to look through the doorway. “Check your messages, asshole.”

Then I slammed the door and strode away, punching in Rhys Graver’s number as I walked.

“Trinity,” he said. “I was just getting ready to call you. I have another house for you to look at. I think it’s exactly what you need.”

“Can you pick me up?” I asked. “I’m stranded in the city.”

“Absolutely. Where are you?”

“At Harry’s.”

“Perfect. Grab a cold drink, sweetheart. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I blinked back tears. “Thanks, Rhys.”

Before I went inside I lifted my nose to see if I could get a hint of Mrs. Bennett—and I did. But a hint was all I got, and I knew it was from the blood-splattered tree. I could smell her blood.

I could not smell her.

And that realization chilled me to the bone.

One of two things was happening. Madalyn was dead and I couldn’t scent dead humans, or I could only scent and track a human if she were bleeding or bloody.

Neither of those things was ideal.

I was meant to track vampires, not humans.

I got a large soda and a muffin and went back outside to wait for Rhys. I checked my phone a dozen times, but there was no message or missed call from Shane. I could have called him, sure, but I hadn’t been the one to disappear the morning after. And I wasn’t going to be the one to call.

Rhys sped into the parking lot, music blaring, the top of his elegant red Mercedes down. He parked, and before I’d left my seat he was jogging toward me, smiling.

He wasn’t the only one in the car. As I watched, Clayton left the front seat and climbed into the back.

He didn’t look my way.

I smoothed my hand over my hair and wished I’d at least had a little lipstick, then shrugged. Clayton and Rhys had seen me looking like death.

Rhys took my arm. “Good afternoon, beautiful.”

I snorted and looked at him, and his brown eyes sparkled when he grinned at me. Rhys was the most mysterious of my Bay Town supernatural friends, but he could also be the most charming.

And if I could believe Amias, Rhys was a killer for hire.

I slid into the front seat, and Rhys closed my door gently. As he jogged around the front of the car, I spoke to Clayton. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Trinity.”