Page 73 of Dark Obsession

Cody drained the rest of his drink. “Add Paul the butcher to the list of unknowns.”

“From Ike’s Market?”

“Yep.” Cody told him what he’d learned from Alec earlier that day.

“Bastian seems focused on Ike’s Market. I wonder if his safe house is nearby?”

Cody’s eyebrows went up. “That’s a good point. I was thinking he’d be closer to The Rusty Screw, but first he turned Annie and now maybe Paul.”

“Unless Annie turned Paul,” Demetrius countered. “Someone she knew who wouldn’t be afraid of her.”

“Let’s talk through that.” Cody crossed his arms and put his head back. “Turning someone takes time and patience. From what we know, it’s three bites to drain someone, and then making them ingest vampire blood.”

They locked eyes.

“Is that what Bastian is doing?” Demetrius said. “Is that his grand plan? Get people hooked on his blood so when he drains them they just turn right away?”

“Could it work like that?” Cody asked.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s usually a long process, and unless they’re planning for it, they aren’t the most delicate.” A wince flashed across Cody’s face. “We saw what happened to Andy.”

Demetrius’s throat closed. “You’re right. Leo didn’t turn him. At least not that we know.”

“I think Andy’s gone for good.” Cody’s brow furrowed. “I’d like to understand what Marlowe meant when she said they’d handle his body and his car.”

Demetrius typed, adding that to his list.

“We also need to understand how Bastian is selling Fang,” Cody said.

“Do you think Zenona bought it from him?”

“I don’t want to think she did. But we’re going to need to have another talk with her.”

“Yeah.” Demetrius picked up a pen and clicked it a few times. “I’m worried about her.”

“Me, too. I wish she would have talked with us or someone in our group.”

“She reminds me a bit of Tracey.”

Cody nodded slowly. “Yeah, she does.” He cocked his head slightly. “Did you go see her over the weekend?”

“Oh, yeah, I did.”

He frowned. “Did you tell me about it, and I forgot?”

“No.” Demetrius gave him a tight smile. “We had an argument about me investigating on my own.”

“Oh.” Cody nodded but kept his eyes on Demetrius. “How was Tracey?”

He made a face. “She’s struggling. And she was even more, um, herself than usual.”

“That must have been tough.”

“It wasn’t easy. She said she feels abandoned by us.”

Cody’s eyebrows went up. “You and me?”