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Azriel caught my hand and tugged me into his arms. “While I am alive, you will remain so. I promise you that, if nothing else.”
I melted into his embrace and listened to the strong, steady beat of his heart. “If death is my fate, even you cannot change that.”
He didn’t answer, and my stomach dropped. I looked up quickly and caught the flash of . . . something dark—perhaps even a little guilt—in his eyes. Then it was gone, and all that remained was tenderness.>“Yeah. Ilianna’s gone missing.” I sat in one of the spare chairs and scooted it across to his “bridge” of computer screens. “I need you to hack into either her car’s GPS signal or locate her via her phone.”
He gave me the sort of look a father might give a child that was being exceptionally dumb. “And have you tried using Latitude?”
“Um, no?” Mainly because I was of the opinion that if my friends wanted to find me, they could damn well ring and ask me.
He sighed. “Did I not tell you all to sign up for it some time ago?”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts. I told you, it’s the easiest way ever invented to uncover where your buddies might be hiding, and it doesn’t even require GPS.” He swung around, swiped one of the screens across to Google, and logged in. A map of Melbourne appeared, dotted with arrowed face pics. He leaned forward a little, studying all the names, then grinned.
“Here you go,” he said, enlarging the screen. “She’s at South Bank.”
Which wasn’t that enlightening given how big the place was. Although, if I remembered right, Carwyn had booked a table at Harvest Time—did this mean she was headed there? That she was okay, despite being incommunicado? “Where in South Bank?”
He frowned, zoomed the screen in a little more, then said, “According to this, she’s at Wilson’s Parking, just off Freshwater Place.” He glanced up at me. “It’s the riverside quay area, if you don’t know it.”
“I don’t, but we’ll find it.” I jumped up and dropped a kiss on his unshaven and definitely scratchy cheek. “Thank you.”
“No probs. Just give me some warning next time you decide to drop by.” He gave Azriel another dubious look. “Despite what your friend here says, my heart really can’t take surprises like that.”
I grinned. “I’ll send some more champers to make up for it.”
He snorted. “I haven’t got the last lot yet.”
“You will.”
“And I’ll need it if you keep popping into existence willy-nilly. Now, go find Ilianna so I can get back to my gaming.”
“Done.”
I stepped into Azriel’s arms and he whisked us out of there. We reappeared on the center strip that divided the two lanes of Freshwater Place, the eight-story parking garage in front of us and the remaining wall of an old brick warehouse behind us. Several cars zoomed past, briefly spotlighting us before sweeping on.
I grabbed Azriel’s hand and ran across the road. “Can you sense her?” I asked, as we headed into the garage via the exit lane.
“No.” His fingers squeezed mine lightly. “But that does not mean she is not here.”
Didn’t mean she was, either. I ignored the fear that rose with the thought and hurried on. The garage had eight levels, and we found Ilianna’s car on the seventh.
She wasn’t in it.
I swore vehemently and punched the roof of her Jeep hard enough to actually dent it.
“There are security cameras dotted around this place,” Azriel commented. “I would suggest you avoid such outbursts unless you wish company.”
I flexed my fingers, somehow managed to control the somewhat insane desire to continue to take my frustration out on Ilianna’s car, and peered in through the windows instead. And there, sitting on the front seat, were not only her phone, but her purse and coat as well.
Ilianna might have left her phone behind if it had gone dead, but she sure as hell wouldn’t have left her purse.
Something had happened to her.
“Damn it!” I all but exploded. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know—”
