Page 71 of Call of the Blood

Barely two hours into the night and they had finally found the vampires he’d spent weeks trying to hunt down.

“Load them up, please,” Maria said, tapping his shoulder to follow her. Once they were outside, she looked over her shoulder at him. “Remind me never to ask you to do hostage negotiations.”

He didn’t reply because he couldn’t deny it and didn’t feel like agreeing to give her the satisfaction.

28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Iwoke up with a single-minded focus and a plan. I was going to learn everything about Henry and whatever secrets he had. I threw myself together to get to that as soon as I could, trying to work even as I fed. The only thing that caught my eye was Alexius’ text that he was safe and had easily gotten through the day, which was good news.

Since he doesn’t need my help right now… time to be very nosy.

I was going to get into Henry’s properties tonight if I thought I had the chance. I hadn’t put together a good plan for that before passing out with the sunrise, so it was time to do so. I checked his work schedule, smiling to see he was, in fact, at work for the entire night. Maria needed him from shortly after sundown to an undetermined time before sunrise. Maria, as Mistress of the nest, could keep him all night and make him sleep in a nest location if I asked, and I considered it, but not yet.

Then the thought came to me.

What if he found me there? Would it be that bad? It would give me a chance in a private place, standing in the middle of his lies, to confront him. It would rob him of any more reasons to try lying to me because I would prove that nothing could hide from me. Obviously, I couldn’t pass out at his property without protection, but with the entire night to do whatever I want…

I looked at the addresses, smiled, and knew I was going to do just that. I would take my laptop in case I needed it for anything and go dig through my uncle’s life.

I sent Alexius back a text message and got into the car, single-minded. I just needed him to know I was about to break into Henry’s home, and if he needed me, he knew how to track my location. As I drove, I also got three texts and four calls from my brother. When I looked, he was asking to hang out. Lexi was over, and he wanted peace. He missed me.

Later, Declan. Not tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you all of it.

Henry’s house was easy to find, and I looked for a moment at the park where I had sat beside him for the last time. The place where Alexius had told me to come home and talk to him.

I thought of the betrayal I had felt hearing Alexius’ words.

What was that? Two days ago? I learned. The next night, yesterday, I went to Wren and got the file from Maria. Yeah… Feels like longer and like it was ten minutes at the same time.

I let out a breath and went toward Henry’s house, parking boldly in the empty driveway. He was at work, as he was supposed to be, so the house was mine to shuffle through.

It would be protected, that much I was certain. He didn’t have cameras, and his security system was actually a bit out of date. It was easy, though. Everything could be sabotaged. I found each line I needed and started cutting. It was honestly shameful that my uncle’s security was as lax as it was, considering who his boss was. But after a moment, I remembered how vulnerable Jacob’s had been. I was the one who had done the vast majority of improvements to that nest based on what I saw growing up and learned while I was in college.

Once I knew opening a door wasn’t going to alert some company or alert Henry himself, I went through the back door. I had a flathead screwdriver in my work kit, along with a few other simple tools that were useful for repairs and things. It wasn’t difficult to get the door unlocked.

Wow. That’s pathetic.

I got into the house and started looking around, keeping the lights off. Declan called again, and I finally answered, getting tired of the incessant calling.

“What, Declan?” I asked, exasperated off the bat.

“Oh my God, she actually takes my calls!” Declan said, laughing. “What are you doing? Come over. I’m a few drinks in tonight. Lexi agreed to a party game. We just need you. Time for peace. Get over here.”

“I can’t tonight, Declan.” I stood in Henry’s kitchen, which only had token food to look like someone used it. His blood was stored haphazardly in a mini fridge with a keypad. I didn’t know the code or care, but I could see it, which was lazy.

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be on vacation, not working. Remember? Are you mad at me?” Declan almost sounded pitiful at the end.

It had me smiling and rolling my eyes.

“I am supposed to be on vacation, but right now, I’m breaking into someone’s house.”

“You’re doing what?”

He was loud enough that I pulled the phone away from my ear for a second. When he was done, I tentatively brought the phone back to my ear.

“You heard me.”