I glanced at Chilton, anxious. “They said she’s alive.”
“Barely!” snarled Hardwicke.
“We’ve got the boy. Thanks to Bianca and the vampires.” Chandler folded his arms defiantly at the FBI agent. “Don’t need any trigger happy Feds killing one of the good guys.”
“Yeah? Well, all the werewolves are dead. And so are most of the Amperdyne ninjas. Care to explain that?”
“Self-defense.”
Hardwicke glared at me. Trembling. I’d never seen her that angry. Like me, she took a moment to gather herself together before speaking again. “We couldn’t find Blake Mansfield. Anyone else get away?”
I shook my head. Without emotion. I was too drained. Family betrayal cut deeper for me than other cases. Because I didn’t have one. “It wasn’t Mansfield. Maureen Edwards was behind it. She and Killian plotted it all.”
“Shit. Why Maureen Edwards?” The penny dropped. “Oh! The missing granddaughter. They were here?”
“She set the building on fire. Tried to burn down the evidence.”
“She may be related but she doesn’t have Gibraltar’s money. We’ll find her.” Hardwicke moved toward the vault, then froze. Staring at me. “What the hell are those?”
I stood taller. Tried to flex my shoulders. Felt the wings flare out, like new limbs. My brain and body were still trying to adjust to them.
“Apparently I have wings.”
Chapter Forty-Four
I stood beside Agent Wisniewski’s hospital bed anxiously. The doctor’s said she’d be fine. Depleted of electrolytes was the only official diagnosis they could give to what I’d done. Being a woman had saved her. She opened her eyes.
“How long you been hovering over me?”
“Not long.”
“Two hours.” Hardwicke pushed herself out of the chair on the opposite side of the bed. “How you feel?”
“Like a Mack truck ran me over.” She laughed, coughing as she did. “Need something to drink.”
“Here.” Hardwicke handed her a juice the nurses had left.
It had a bent straw and Wisniewski sipped from it before she tried to talk again. “We’re alive. Does that mean we saved the boy?”
“It does.” I didn’t have to force a smile.
She eyed me hopefully. “And Mansfield? We have him?”
“He wasn’t the one behind it. His sister was. Maureen Edwards.”
Her astonishment was eloquent. “Tell me we got her?”
“No. Killian did though.” Hardwicke grunted with approval.
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You didn’t say.”
“Not any of your business. My bosses made sure to let me know that in no uncertain terms. But I can’t help it if you overhear me explain to my partner.” She smiled and took Wisniewski’s pale hand. “Found her strung up and gutted in her apartment. Killian’s blood was at the scene. We sent people to their territory but he wasn’t there. They claim he never made it back.”
“You believe them?”
“He knew he’d be made for killing Maureen. For what they tried to do to Vincent. If it wasn’t for that blood, we’d have never known for sure.”
“When you winged him I was thinking, what a lousy shot you were.” Wisniewski laughed which made her cough again. “Guess it was just as well.”
“It was a lousy shot. My body was too busy giving me shit over these. I did a little spin and unfurled my wings. They nearly filled the room.
“Holy shit!” The Ukrainian-American agent made the sign of the cross before she could stop herself. “Sorry. Habits.”
“If I didn’t look like the devil before, I do now.” I pulled them tightly against my back. Made them barely visible from the front. “Thankfully an oversized trench-coat will hide them.”
“So what happened to me?” She eyed me shrewdly. Not exactly unhappy. Suspicious. “I mean, I take it that it was you that kayoed us.”
“It was. But not on purpose. My power sort of went out of control. Probably to grow these. I don’t know exactly. I don’t normally have that effect on women.”
She fought a smile. Changed the subject to help hide a laugh. “How’s Vincent. Did you have to shoot Thrace?”
“No. He held it together by sheer force of will. Long enough to get to them anyway.” I left out the part about him nipping Vincent. Barely broke the skin. Of course, barely was enough. “The doctors are still running tests on the boy before they’ll let the old man see him.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be there when that happens?” asked Hardwicke, giving me a look. She wanted to be alone with her partner.
“I am. I just wanted to say, I’m sorry. And that I’m glad you’re okay.”
Wisniewski let her chin drop to her chest. I could barely hear her reply. “Thanks.”
I started to the door and heard her clear her throat. I glanced back and she was watching me. “Something wrong?”
“No.” She cleared her throat, again. Actually smiled all the way to her eyes. “Just the opposite. Nice working with you. Sorry for being such a judgmental bitch.”
I laughed and waved as I left. It was a good laugh. I felt it to my core. Like I’d made a new friend. Made up for being such a bad one. Only time would tell, but I was optimistic. I’d helped save the boy. That had made it all worthwhile.
Vincent Gibraltar was five rooms away. The doctors had promised to get me before they let anyone else see him. The only credit I got for keeping him alive. Chandler was watching the door just to be sure.
I paused halfway and went into Yuri Kamaguchi’s room. The Feds had brought us all to the same place. I’d just recovered faster than the rest.
The Amperdyne security chief hadn’t done as well as the others. But he’d awoken sooner. Some quirk about his body chemistry and what I’d done to him.
“There she is. The woman who almost killed me.” His eyes glinted with humor. “Gibraltar called. Said you gave us credit for keeping Vincent alive. Keeping you alive to rescue the boy.”
“It was a team effort. No sense in you losing your livelihood because of what Maureen Edwards did.”
“What is this livelihood. Some kind of jacket?”
I tilted my head and frowned at him. “Now I think you’re punking me.”
He grinned broadly. His color bad. “Hah. She’s smart and beautiful. The job offer is still on the floor.”
“Table.”
“Yes. The table is also on the floor.” He laughed at me. Still making fun. “Thank you for not making problem for our earlier mistake.”
“I haven’t forgotten you tried to kill me. But I can overlook it. For future favors.”
“We must all pay the price for our mistakes.” He closed his eyes. Suddenly tired. “They say I almost died. Why did I not?”
“Your high-tech body-armor. The electromagnetic fibers woven in to disrupt electrical charges or whatever it’s purpose. It deflected some of my power.” I touched his arm with my gloved hand. “I’m glad.”
“Me, also! Dead isn’t so much fun!” He sighed, dozing off. Then his eyes opened briefly. “We will meet again, Bianca Savage. Now let me sleep.”
I slipped out of the room as his snoring began. The next room was Anton Thrace. I was reluctant to go in. I wasn’t sure what to tell him. I hadn’t made up my mind about telling the FBI about the bite. The doctors weren’t testing for lycanthropy. As long as he wasn’t a vampire, and alive, Henry Gibraltar was happy. Honestly, I think he’d forgotten what I’d told him about using the werewolf to kill his grandson.
“Anton.” I pulled the curtain back and stared down at him on the bed. He was fully recovered. The IV on his arm merely a precaution. Mood stabilizers and Gibraltar’s drug forced him to remain a man. There were at least four more hours of the full moon to worry about.
“Miss Savage.”
“Bianca. Please.”
“Is Vincent okay? No one will tell me. My memories are muddy. But I thought—I thought—is he okay?”
> I nodded. “He’s alive. I haven’t seen him yet. But you kept control of your beast better than they hoped.”
“So I didn’t bite him?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t say that. I think that he might need your guidance over the next few years.”
“A relationship? He’s only seventeen. A boy.” He looked terrified of the prospect.
“I didn’t say sleep with him. Teach him how to deal with what he is.”
He grew sad. “So I did bite him.”
“You also have more experience being gay than he does.”
“That was real? I thought I dreamt it in my fever. He said I’d invited him to run away with me. That I felt the same. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.”
“He’s been smitten with you for some time.”
He grunted. “Killian said I’d finally do something good for the pack. Just before they locked me up with Vincent. What did he mean? Was I supposed to convert the boy?”
“No. You were supposed to kill him.”
He jerked his gaze upward. Stared at my glasses. Stunned. “Why?”
“Maureen Edwards. The firstborn cousin who should’ve inherited instead of Vincent.”
“That’s messed up.”
“Yeah, it is. She’s dead now. Killian killed her. He got away.” I studied the man’s expression. “Will he come for you again?”
“No. He’s too smart for that. And there’s no profit. He’ll run. You won’t catch him.”
“Not my job. I did my job. Vincent’s alive. That’s what matters.”
He grinned sheepishly. “Save the boy, save the world.”
“And the werewolf.”
He laughed softly. Sadly. “I don’t know if I can be what Vincent needs. Not if he’s in love with me.”
“Who else does he have?”
I left the man with those thoughts. A nurse stood at the doorway, motioning. Vincent was ready to talk. Which meant I had about ten minutes before Henry Gibraltar would barge his way in. And with him, Joseph.
Chapter Forty-Five
Chandler opened the door for me, watching the hallway like real security. “I’ll rap on the door the moment Gibraltar appears. But, Bianca, why do you need to talk to him first? And alone?”
“It’s private.”
I stepped inside, hearing the sounds of machines tracking his vitals. Another IV drip for dehydration. He was on the bed shirtless. No bite mark or scar visible.
“It’s you.”
I moved my gaze to his face. He watched me with eyes as big as saucers. Maybe it was the horns. Or the wings. No point in hiding them until I’d updated my wardrobe.
“It is. It’s me.”
“They said you saved me. That you’re—.”
“A succubus. Yes. Don’t worry. As long as I don’t touch you skin on skin and you don’t look into my eyes, you’re golden.”
“Is Anton okay? Is he mad at me?”
“Why would he be mad at you?”
He grew shy. Embarrassed. “I thought he was in on it. I thought he wanted me to come. The FBI said Maureen tricked me before the doctors took over.”
“She did. He cares about you.” I made my voice as gentle as I could. “But he’s not in love with you. You’re a little young.”
He didn’t look up. Instead, he stared at the blanket gathered in rows at his narrow hips. “I know. Everyone keeps telling me that.”
“Not too young to be loved. But he’s been looking out for your grandfather for years. You were a little boy. In his mind, you still are. But he can help you.”
“Help me how? My grandfather will ground me for life once he finds out I’m gay.”
I smiled. Teenage priorities. Being gay was worse than becoming a werewolf. “Well, he should probably learn about that from you. But he doesn’t have to know about the other.”
“The other?” He eyed me cautiously. Shrewdly.
“You aren’t as foolish as people think. The bite healed awfully fast.”
“What bite?” He stared at me defiantly. “Anton didn’t do anything.”
“I’m not gonna narc. I’m just telling you, Thrace knows what happened. He’ll try to help. If you don’t try to get into his pants while he’s doing it.”
Vincent blushed and grinned sheepishly. “I’d settle for cuddling in front of the TV.”
“That might be a bit much as well. But that’s between the two of you. Legally, I’m supposed to report anything that might endanger you. I must’ve been mistaken when I thought I saw a bite. The blood could’ve been from anything.”
“Right.” He blinked. Then his face lit up. “Right!!! Nothing happened. Vincent kept it together without his meds and didn’t hurt me. Grandfather can’t fire him, right?”
“I’ll put in a good word. A very good one.”
“What happened to cousin Maureen? No one will tell me.”
I hesitated. Saw the earnest, needy expression on his young face and nodded. He needed the truth from someone. He’d been sheltered too much already.
“She’s dead. Killed by the werewolf she hired to kill you.”
He went silent. Tears welling in his eyes. “I’m tired. I’d like to be alone if you don’t mind.”
I nodded and went outside. Chandler closed the door, surprised. “That was fast. You get what you needed?”
“It was more about giving. I think the matter’s resolved.”
“Speak of the Devil.” Chandler motioned. Henry Gibraltar was walking stiffly toward us. Joseph close behind.
The vampire caught my eyes. Glanced at Chandler. Expression disappointed. Somehow he knew about me and the human. Maybe some of the vampires still talked to him.
“I want to see my grandson!” Gibraltar shouted as if addressing us. But there was a nurse trying to slow him down.
“We need to talk before you go in.” I unfurled my wings which froze him in his tracks. Joseph didn’t blink. Yep, someone had already filled him in. I smiled reassuringly at the old man. “Yeah, I was surprised at first, too. Let’s step into an empty room.”
He reluctantly let me steer him to the closest available doorway. It hadn’t been cleaned yet and smelled of urine and blood. Joseph stood watch outside. Didn’t try to speak to me. Unhappy with my choice. Made things easier for me. I didn’t have to explain.
“I’m grateful you saved him, but I want to see for myself that he’s not a blood-sucker!”
I glanced at Joseph. The vampire didn’t react to Gibraltar’s derogatory remark. “He’s not. The doctors confirmed it. But he is upset. He knows that Maureen’s dead. And why.”
The man snarled with pain. “She tried to kill him! Why should he be sad she’s dead?”
“She was your granddaughter, too. Don’t you care?”
He grumbled and glanced around the room to avoid his reflection in my glasses. “She was always aloof. Independent. Argued about her rights. Wouldn’t listen to logic or reason.”
“It’s logical for a girl not to inherit?”
That drew his gaze back to me. Angry. “To preserve the name? Absolutely!”
“Why not just keep the name. Even if she married. She was the first born. ‘Gibraltar’s just as good as ‘Edwards.’”
“It’s not done that way.”
“Better to have a—a grandson who might not meet your expectations?”
“Vincent’s a good child. He’ll do fine. Once he grows a backbone. That comes with age and experience.”
I wanted to prepare him for the fact that Vincent was gay. But it wasn’t my place. It might backfire. I’d done enough to save the boy. The rest was really up to him.
“Two things before I let you see Vincent.”
He glared but I’d already broken him once. He nodded reluctantly. “Go on.”
“First, Anton Thrace proved his loyalty to you. Again. By keeping Vincent from harm. I think he should get a raise. Maybe extend his job to protecting Vincent, as well as you.”
“Fine. I wasn’t goi
ng to fire him for being kidnapped. I know how hard it is for him without the drugs we developed. He put my grandson’s welfare above his own. It might be good for Vincent to understand preternaturals. Since werewolves almost killed him.” He was impatient. But I could see he was trying to listen. “What’s the other thing?”
“Killian’s pack is going to be held accountable for his actions. Most of them didn’t know what he was up to. There are children among them. Infants. I need you to use your considerable resources to make sure the innocent aren’t blamed.”
He rubbed his chin. Grunting and breathing loudly. “Can’t make any promises.”
“I want a promise. I promised I’d do everything I could to get Vincent back and I did. My two requests aren’t that much considering what was at risk.”
“Fine. I give my word. Now can I go see my grandson?”
“Be my guest.” I motioned with a flourish and he took a final glance at my wings and rushed out the door. Joseph marched off after him. Not even a glance my way. I hated being contrary but it bothered me. Just a smidgeon. I sighed and shook it off.
I had one more difficult task. To talk to Chandler. Make sure he still wanted to try this dating thing. I still hadn’t found a way to tell him how the totem made me feel. Like kissing a boy instead of a man. He didn’t stir my passion. No more than Joseph would’ve.
I stopped myself, looking into a full-length mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. “No, Bianca Savage. You’ve taken care of enough people for one day. The rest of the night is for you.”
I stepped into the hospital hallway. “Good night, Paul.”
I walked away without waiting for his response. Left him staring at my back in the hall as confused as I was.
Chapter Forty-Six
It was an hour before dawn when someone rapped at my door. I was still awake. Lying in bed hadn’t put me to sleep. I was fretting over Vincent’s fate. Wondering what would happen to Killian’s pack. And hungry. Almost enough to go to the office for that goat.
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