AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Julianna’s husky laughter focuses me back on the date, and I catch a fast frown cross Harris’s face. During every other date I’ve witnessed, Harris has kept the women on their toes. He seems to take pleasure in it. But even with the desperate need I’m sure is motivating her every action, when Harris attempts a verbal jab, she manages to dodge or redirect it immediately. He wants her physically—I can smell it on him—and he doesn’t like that she isn’t playing his game.
Harris’s cell phone rings, and my pointed ears perk up at the sound. He immediately cuts Julianna off, holding up a finger as he turns away from her and pulls the phone from his pocket. This is the second call he’s taken in her presence, his fifth call tonight, none of them relevant to finding the Keystone. Until now.
His voice drops to a hushed whisper. There is hesitation where there was none before. “Freddy? …Yes, yes, of course, it’s a gift… We’re friends, Freddy…”
I’ve seen that name before, I’m sure I have—in Stiel’s dossier on Harris. If I remember correctly, Freddy,or Frederick Fisher, is the elusive head of one of the highest grossing studios in Hollywood. He greenlit a number of Harris’s films and is a fellow collector of artifacts, boasting an even larger and likely even more illegal collection than Harris.
I tense, the Pull striking hard against my chest, forcing me to lean forward over the skylight.
“Well… I just thought… after our little misunderstanding at your last event where you unveiled the triptych from Basque, a beautiful, stunning piece, by the way… well, yes… my sincere apologies. Of course, I had no idea she was with you…”
Even through the glass of the skylight, Harris nearly reeks of sweat. Freddy clearly has him on edge.
“Yes, of course, all my fault… That’s what the gift is for… fourteenth-century carvings must be enough to make up for my mistake… granite taken from the Black Forest… no, of course… Really?”
Fourteenth-century carvings…Black Forest…
It only took forty-eight hours of round the clock vigilance and thorough scouring of every hackable account traceable back to Harris, but I finally have a lead on the Keystone. The Pull—and there is no doubt it’s the Pull this time, even as I continue to be tempted to look Julianna’s way—burrows deeper into me in anticipation. It’s a desperate, controlling sensation that forces every one of my senses to narrow down on the phone call.
Harris’s eyes light up at whatever Freddy just said, and he snaps his fingers to get Julianna’s attention. If she’s irritated, she’s smart enough to not show it. Instead, she hands him a couple napkins and a pen from the bar.
“Yeah, okay… repeat that… Saturday, two weeks from now… a 400 BCE ceremonial vessel… of course I’ll be there. Thank you. You won’t regret it.” Harris quickly scrawls out something on the stack of napkins. His hand blocks it. Even with my superior eyesight, I can’t see through flesh and bone.
When Harris finally hangs up, he gestures with the napkin in Julianna’s direction.
“Not just anyone can get this invite,” he gloats.
She in turn smiles a little too big for it to be authentic, and the desperation shines a bit too brightly in her eyes. I hate that look, and the ache grips my chest tighter.
Harris sticks the napkin into his jacket pocketand excuses himself to go to the bathroom for the third time since his date with Julianna began. Once he’s left the room, I watch as she takes the top napkin from the stack Harris left behind. She grabs the pen too. I frown, subtle shifts in my rock face forming a furrowed brow, and lean forward, my claws digging into the roof, as I watch her trace the indentations of Harris’s words on the napkin. Her hand moves over the napkin, obscuring the words, but I know it has Freddy’s whereabouts and, therefore, the last known location of Keystone, on it. Julianna shoves it into her purse.
Good girl.
A smile curves around my fangs, and the Pull picks up its pounding tempo. I tell myself it’s all for the Keystone, but as her brown eyes flick up to the skylight, I can’t be sure.
Julianna has the information I need, I reassure myself. That familiar, haunting desperation I see in her means she might happily give up what’s on that napkin for the right price, especially if that information has no other value to her. And if it does, well, then I want to have a longer conversation with her.
As the Pull quiets, a new feeling rises to the surface, this one darker and deeper, far away from what I feel for the Keystone. Desire. I want to discover what might come of meeting Julianna face to face and wonder if I can quell that look in her eyes. I know the pain of it too well to wish it on anyone.
I jump from the roof. Cool air catches beneath the membrane-like webbing of my wings, and I glide gently to the ground. The large square-cut emerald ring that hangs on the chain around my neck slaps hard against my chest as I land. Drusila and her coven of witches spelled it, and I can feel the power zing against my stone skin. I would’ve used the ring’s magic to confront Harris if I needed to, but now Julianna will be the one to see it in action.
I grab the cell phone out of the satchel attached to my leather loincloth and call the brotherhood’s headquarters, cursing the tiny human buttons so ill-equipped to handle my large claws.
“Bruder Security,” Stiel answers. He’s the only one on duty at the penthouse while the others are searching Harris’s Malibu home.
“I need you to do something for me tonight,” I respond automatically.
Stiel had included a copy of Julianna’s online conversation with Harris in his dossier. I picture her photo on that sugar dating site, so polished and perfect, so different from the look I’d seen in her brown eyes tonight.
“What is it, Titan?”
“Make me a profile on Sweet Arrangements.”
ChapterTwo
JULES
This has to work.
