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To the left of the exit, a sign announced that the shop recommended an interior decorator. Without slowing, Vann plucked up one of the business cards and slipped it into his pocket.
While she buckled in, he was already in gear and navigating traffic.
“Sorry for listening in, but did she say animal attack? Did she say where?”
“I’ll leave it to someone else to investigate. My job is the victims.” Oh god, the investigators. If they got too close, the wyverns would have a field day.
Vann followed her directions to the employee entrance and parked out front. “Call me when you’re done.”
“That’s okay, I’ll call Lexi.”
“If you’re getting called in for the survivors…”
Eryn looked at the lot, the slammed emergency entrance. “Shit. You’re right. It might be the middle of the night.”
“Anytime, two in the morning, whenever, call me. I don’t mind. Really.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Eryn leaned over the center console and touched her palm to his cheek, sinking in for a soft kiss.
10
Someone needed to investigate, and neither local law enforcement nor Fish and Wildlife could handle this. Something was accelerating. More reports of victims of animal attacks. More obscure, violent deaths. But to what end?
Vann parked and called his only lead. “I helped you; now I need your help.”
“Thank you for yesterday. We took care of the bodies. Weird, seeing vampires around here. Not local, huh?”
“Meh. Vampires have ruined a lot of my nights over the years. Like bad pennies.”
“I’m so sorry to have interrupted your evening,” Lexi said, her voice thick with sleep.
“Sorry to wake you.”
A thick yawn filled the call. “You didn’t. I got called into work. Wait, I thought you were out shopping with Eryn.”
“Interrupted. I just dropped her off at the hospital. Animal attack so big they’re on divert. Trauma victims only.”
The silence on the other end swelled.
Vann’s skin prickled. “Lexi? What do you know?”
Her sigh ached through the phone. “Just that people have died.”
“Sort of my job.”
“This is too big.”
Vann kept one hand on the wheel and rubbed his forehead with the other. “I didn’t move here for the scenery. Or not just the scenery. Six experienced vampires—like last night—would have been a tough fight for a lone hunter. Impossible for most. I didn’t even break a sweat. This isn’t ego; I’m different. If you know something about this, trust me, I can take it. If it’s too big for me alone, I’ll call in my team. Some of them are even tougher than I am.”
“I… dammit, Vann. It’s not about how tough you are.”
“Who or what are you protecting?”
He shifted into gear and took off, letting Bluetooth take over the call.
“I am so fucking serious, Lexi. Money? Trust exercises? What is it going to take for you to tell me? I need to know before anyone else gets hurt.”
“It’s not about trust. If you get involved, you’ll only make it worse.”
