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“Pretty!” he cries, horrified.
“Yup,” I tell him, popping thePat the end of the word. “Very beautiful. Almost as pretty as Ren.”
The guys roar with laughter, startling everyone in the otherwise peaceful dining room. Even Illren chuckles. It may be the first time I’ve ever seen him laugh.
My phone rings, and the guys all quiet down so I can answer it, going back to their plates of food. I frown at the unknown number flashing across the screen and answer the call cautiously. “Hello?”
“Nora.”
My anger spikes with just that one word. “Henry.”
The men around me still, the jovial mood at the table vanishing in an instant. Every single one of my guys glares at my phone.
“Don’t hang up.”
“How’d you get my number?”
Henry doesn’t answer me. “We need to talk.”
I grind my teeth. “I have nothing to say to you. Don’t call me again.”
I’m about to end the call when he says the one thing in the world that would keep me on the line. “I’ll tell you the truth about your mother.”
My stomach flips, and my blood roars in my ears, pounding with each beat of my shocked heart. “What about my mother?”
“I have information about the rogues that killed her. Meet me at the main bar in the casino in twenty minutes. I only want to talk.”
I clench my phone so hard my hand hurts. I can barely think outside the memory of the night I lost my mother. “I’m not meeting with you in person. Tell me now.”
Of course the bastard doesn’t relent. “The casino. Twenty minutes.”
He hangs up before I can respond. The following silence is heavy.
“You’re going to meet him.” It’s not a question.
I meet Terrance’s stare. Most people would only see a pissed off glare, but he’s not angry, he’s concerned. “Yes,” I tell him.
“It could be a trap,” Rook murmurs.
It probably is a trap. But he’s dangled the right carrot. “I have to know.” I make eye contact with every man around the table, silently pleading for their understanding. “I’ve wondered my entire life. I’ve grown up terrified of the monsters that killed her, afraid they’d realize they left me alive and come after me to finish the job. Henry’s seen the rogues in my memories. He’s the most powerful vampire in this city, and he was long before the rogues killed my mom. If anyone knows something about them, it’s going to be him. If he’s willing to tell me…” I shrug helplessly.
A long silence stretches out between us until eventually Terrance flags down our server. “Check, please.”
. . . . .
The drive to the casino is short, but it feels like an eternity. By the time we reach the building, I’m bouncing with nervous energy. I have no idea what to expect. As we pile out of the cars in the parking structure, the guys immediately surround me. They’re all on high alert, which does nothing to ease my anxiety.
Illren and Rook lead the charge, with Terrance taking up the rear. Oliver stays close to my side, and Charlie is glued to my other side, looking near terrified. “Are we really meeting with the master vampire of Detroit?” he mutters.
“Unfortunately.” I give his hand a squeeze, and he laces our fingers together in a tight grip. “Henry and I have a…complicated relationship.”
“He’s obsessed with her,” Rook grumbles.
“Crazy obsessed,” Oliver adds with a grimace. “He’s kidnapped her more than once.”
Charlie’s eyes widen. “And you guys think it’s a good idea to meet him on his own turf?”
“Of course it’s not a good idea,” Terrance grumps.
