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The pulse on the side of her neck is beating wildly, a sign that pushing her further is probably not in my best interest, but still, that’s exactly what I do.
“You have moments before I take the deal off the table.”
“Some deal,” she mutters.
I arch my eyebrows.
She pushes her drink away from her as though that will make her concession easier. “Fine. I don’t know exactly who you’re looking for, but I’ve heard the rogue witch rumors. I believe they’re frequenting a place on the other side of town, a place called the Caposso.”
Now we’re getting somewhere; although, still, I watch her carefully for any vestige of deceit before trusting what she’s said. “I know where that is. Do you know where they’re staying when not in the clubs?”
Willow shakes her head and takes a small sip of her drink. “I’ve told you more than any self-respecting witch should have said. That’s all you’ll get from me, vampire. Go bother someone else now, and leave us alone.”
I toss some bills on the table and stand. “Thanks for your help.” I turn on the heel of my dress shoe and make my way out of the club and toward my car as it approaches. The backdoor unlocks as it reaches the curb in front of me, and I slide into the luxurious grey leather seats.
My eyes meet my drivers in the rearview mirror. He gives me a head nod. “Where to, boss?”
“Caposso.”
He arches one brow. “You know who owns that, boss?
I nod at his worried reflection in the mirror. “I know it well. At least we’ll have the element of surprise on our side. It had to be the fucking syndicate hang out.” That right there should confirm what I’ve suspected for a very long time. Overmaster Descallia may want to believe that only a few of the syndicate elders were responsible for the issues the vampires have faced recently. I, on the other hand, bet every single one of the no-good fuckers is in on the plot to run the vampires into the ground. Try telling Descallia that when he and the new Don seem to be in sync.
This encounter could get messy, and even though I couldn’t ascertain any deceit in Willow’s voice, she is a witch, a cunning and evil little enchantress. I send a text and pocket my cell. “I sent for back up; they’ll meet us there. Let’s roll.”
Chapter4
Willow
The minute Campaniawalks out the door, my friends flock to my side. Glenda’s eyes swirl with excitement. “Spill! All the deets! Don’t you dare leave a thing out.” She slides in beside me as the others join us, piling in around the table.
“Master Campania isn’t after us; he’s after the rogues.” They all let out dramatic sighs of relief, but my guess is that this night is far from over. I hate to ruin their night with what I have to say, but they need to know. “The vampire led me to believe that Devora sanctioned his seeking us out to get information about the witches who defected from the coven with Isala.”
Glenda almost chokes on her drink. “Bullshit!” The others turn to me with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious. From where we were sitting it looked like you were getting a little googly eyed for the pureblood.”
I narrow my eyes at Glenda. “After three horrible relationships? You think I’d spend one minute contemplating a fourth, especially with the likes of him? A pureblood who wants nothing more than to torch our souls. No, not any man. I can survive on my own just fine, thanks. No relationships, no headaches, and no broken hearts especially with the likes of a dark souled vampire who would like nothing more than to send us to a fiery hell.”
She leans in and pats my hand. “I’m sorry; I was just kidding, but seriously, Devora allowed him to come after us? I thought we had finally gotten ourselves free of that controlling witch.”
It is harder for Glenda than it is for any of us. I feel horrible that now she has this worry on top of everything else she’s been through. “It’s true. Campania knew about the bauble and our ability to communicate with it. He pretty much told me to call her and confirm it. How has she strayed so off course that she would sell her own out for those bloodsucking beasts?”
Glenda tips her glass and lets the rest of the fruity concoction she’s been drinking run down the back of her throat as if gaining courage to say what’s on her mind. “Well, it just confirms what we already knew about Devora. Her interests aren’t all that pure. Better that we left the academy when we could and that she hasn’t wanted to go head-to-head with the vampires and syndicate in this town in order to drag us home. Not that they would protect us from her, but they’re not willingly going to let her and a coven of witches come trapsing into town with the bad blood between the two of our groups.”
Letty, usually the quiet one, pipes in. “It was a damn smart move hiding in enemy territory where no one knows who we are.” She looks around the club and then leans in. “Maybe we should just get out of here and go home. At least we’re all safe there.”
I shift in my seat uneasily. “About that…” I silently curse the vampire for ruining our short-lived freedom. Now it means starting all over, just after we’ve been settled. At least none of us have found jobs yet. Damn that vampire!
All three pairs of eyes stare at me as I try to find the words. “Master Campania knows. Who we are, where we’re staying, who we’re renting from and worst of all—that the owner hates witches. The vampire held everything over my head to get information about the witches who joined Isala. He didn’t give me a choice but to tell him something to get him off my back and out of the club.”
Glenda’s eyes swirl. “Son of a b!”
I sigh, resigned in the fact that we need to move yet again. “Yeah. It’s not safe here anymore. I don’t trust that vampire as far as I can throw him. He comes in sanctioned to find us by Devora? Something smells to high heaven, worse than the bloodsucking beast himself.”
Belinda takes a long swallow of her drink. “How does Devora even know we’re here? We were so careful to cut off all the pathways, our baubles, and not tell a soul outside of us.”
It’s not like I haven’t been racking my brain, trying to figure out the same thing. I shake my head, at a loss for the answers. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe Devora has known where we were the entire summer and just hasn’t tried to force us back for other reasons? Who really knows what’s up the crafty and controlling witch’s sleeves.”
All three sets of eyes are spinning with a gazillion unasked questions as they watch me. I don’t have any explanation for them yet. “I don’t know, okay? If Master Campania knows where we are and is on speaking terms with Devora, we need to move. Like pay next month’s rent, pack up, and leave by tomorrow night. We can’t get caught up in a vampire war. Agreed?”
