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Darius searched the second listing and shook his head. “What am I missing?”

“Let me put them up together.” Bram pulled up a side-by-side image.

“I’m still not picking up on the problem,” Darius said, hearing the frustration in his own voice. What did Bram notice that he didn’t?

“I didn’t see anything either. So I did a more in-depth search on some of the key players. This popped up.”

Another click and a photo appeared. The picture of two young women with their arms linked in front of the girls’ dorm at the town’s prestigious private university. “Serafina Costa and her college roommate, Cecily Anderson.”

“Not getting it,” Darius growled. Why was Bram playing games when his Little girl’s life was at risk?

Bram clicked back to the comparison photo of the families and drew a circle around two names, linking them together. Serafina Costa and Cecily Anderson Mattson.

Darius spun to stare at Bram. “Fuck! The bank president’s wife was Serafina Costa’s college roommate? How did you put that together? Cecily is a relatively popular name for women of that age.”

“It’s a gift,” Bram said modestly and pressed another key. A picture of James and Cecily Mattson at a recent charity function appeared on the screen next to the older college photo. Cecily’s hair was the exact style with a subtle softening of the color. Wrinkles and other aging signs were understated. The two photos displayed the same woman.

The vampires in the room straightened and turned to acknowledge the arrival of their clan Elder. Alaric clapped. “You found the connection. Good job, Bram.”

“That bastard Enzo isn’t out of our business yet,” Marcus growled. “I think he needs to meet an unfortunate end.”

Alaric shook his head, disagreeing. “Enzo is a good opponent to have at the moment. Anticipating his next move is becoming easier as we learn more about him. Thankfully, Mara’s sharp eyes noted the accounting problems, and she contacted us. If we remove Enzo, another human will step into his place.”

“A known enemy is preferable to a faceless foe,” Marcus said. “We already have run into the players and their weaknesses.”

Darius hated that they were correct. His hands itched to rip Enzo, Serafina, and this new arrival, Cecily’s heads off. He curled his fingers to his palms, struggling for control as he searched the room for shadows. He could quickly drag Enzo and his collaborators into the abyss in between.

Daddy? Are you okay?

Mara’s hesitant thought calmed his rage. His priority had to be his mate.

I am well, Zoí mou. Bram has solved the mystery. I will share the details with you tonight when I pick you up.

Her mind closed off from his, and he guessed someone had approached her desk or a phone ringing had interrupted Mara’s focus on him.

Darius tuned back into the conversation as his clan debated what to do next. Those who endangered his mate would pay. He would ensure that happened.

“Mrs. Mattson, are you looking for your husband?” Mara asked, smiling at the president’s wife who’d appeared at Mara’s desk in the open bank lobby. “I saw him around here a few minutes ago. Maybe he stepped into the vault?”

“Call me Cecily, Mara. I came to steal my husband away for lunch, but he informed me he is too busy to leave today. Would you like to take his place? I have a reservation at Le Bon Marché and hate to let the table go to waste. My treat, of course.”

The high-end restaurant was definitely beyond the amount Mara usually budgeted for lunch. While she’d always wanted to experience the exclusive café and her heart leapt at the chance to go, Mara’s stomach churned. The rich food was sure to make her sick again.

“Oh, how nice of you. I’m afraid I’m dealing with a bit of food poisoning. Nothing contagious, of course, but I’m sure eating such delicious food would be a bad idea. Could I ask for a rain check?” Mara held her breath. Would the bank president’s wife accept her excuse, or would she be insulted? She crossed her fingers, hoping she hadn’t just lost her job.

“Oh, how horrible. Of course, I understand. You are so dedicated to be here today. Please take care of yourself,” Cecily said and wandered off with a wave.

Had Mara not spotted the tightening around Cecily’s mouth, Mara would have considered the conversation as positive. But the thinning of Cecily’s lips told Mara that the president’s wife was not pleased. She crossed her fingers under her desk that she hadn’t jeopardized a possible job advancement.

Sometimes a smoking gun was simply a used firearm, she reminded herself and buried herself in work to help the hours go so her Daddy could come pick her up.

After she’d eaten a few crackers at her desk for lunch instead of heading to the breakroom or going across the street to the nearby park, Mara’s stomach continued to improve. She’d really overindulged in the popcorn. Shaking her head, she vowed “Never again!”

A few hours later, Mara checked the clock on her computer. How could time crawl so slowly? This day had felt like three. A throat clearing made her glance up with a smile.

“May I help….” The last word froze in her throat as she took in a heavily tattooed man in front of her. He looked like the type of character a director would cast for the jaded, repeat criminal. Quickly, Mara plastered her professional smile on her face as she gathered herself. He had an official bank employee’s badge. She hated that she had reacted so badly to his tough-guy appearance.

“Hey. Mara, right?” the man said, ignoring her reaction.