The editor had photoshopped enormous fangs on Ian and covered my beautiful blue dress in blood.
“Don’t wear white. I hear it’s a bitch to get blood out of it.” Ramirez jolted me from my thoughts.
“Park the car okay, honey?” I asked as Ian walked up behind Ramirez and put his hands on his shoulders.
Wilson stifled a laugh as Ramirez visibly paled.
“If I thought you were an actual threat to Leah, do you really think I’d let you live?” Ian asked Ramirez while winking at me.
“Aww Ian, don’t play with your food.” I quipped.
This time Wilson coughed over a laugh. “Why don’t you find out what’s taking the coroner's office so long to get here, Ramirez?”
“I-I was just joking.” Ramirez stammered.
Ian clapped him on the back and smiled. “Then we will see you at the wedding?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Ramirez flashed me a wary smile and then walked out of the alley to do as Wilson asked.
“Done playing now?” Wilson asked with a smile.
Ian shrugged.
“He started it.” I said.
“Yeah, well play time is over.”
“Another gunshot victim?” I walked toward the tarp-covered body on the ground.
Wilson shook his head. “I don’t know, Leah. There’s not enough left of her to tell.” He pulled a tarp off the body. Again, it was mutilated. This time the face was left intact. It was as if even Ambrose couldn’t bring himself to ruin the beauty of the young woman. I’d guess her to be in her late twenties, but with a vampire it was hard to tell. She could have been two hundred years old and still look twenty.
Jagged cuts slashed across her body. Blood had already ceased to flow from her and begun to thicken beneath her, turning a red so dark it almost looked black.
“You don’t know her, Ian?” Wilson asked.
“No. I had Mouse run the picture you sent me through my files though. Her name was Eden.”
“Anything else?” Wilson asked.
“Only that she was a relatively new vampire.” Ian looked around as he spoke, surveying the landscape. “This is an up and coming trendy part of town. Ambrose wouldn’t exactly fit in with the crowd that frequents these bars.”
I knew what he was thinking; why would a young vampire follow Ambrose out into a dark alley. Vamp tramps came in both sexes, she wouldn’t need someone his age to play with.
“So we need to find out who she hung around with.” Wilson scribbled in his notebook. “Any ideas, Ian?”
“No, but she may still have family alive. As a human she was Eden Parks. She lived in Philadelphia.”
“Shit. I’ll have to notify her next of kin, see if they knew who her friends were here. Can you find a soul, Leah?”
I pulled my gaze back to Wilson and pushed my hair out of my face. I scanned the alley and shook my head. “Nothing. She must have already faded.”
“Or perhaps the wolfsbane is preventing the soul from remaining?”
I looked at Ian and nodded. “Maybe.” Stooping, I examined the wounds again. “Why would he cut her up?”
“A crime of passion, hatred maybe? It would explain why the wounds are so vicious.” Sam walked up behind Wilson. “The bastard’s getting ballsy though. Hell, this part of town is busy from night into the early morning hours. Most of these bars don’t have a closing time anymore. Start asking around, see if anyone saw or heard anything. I want you at her back tonight. Don’t confront Ambrose, but if you see him call me.”
“Will do.”
“Not alone.” Ian flashed a look at me. “He may not consider you human anymore either.”
“If he tries to kill me then we can at least pin something on him.” I countered.
“I’m not using you as bait, Leah.” Wilson said sternly.
“Not alone.” Ian whispered through my mind.
“It’s my job, Ian. I thought you respected that.”
“I do, my love. I only offer my assistance.”
I took a deep breath, blew it out again. “Okay, I’ll take back-up.”
My cell vibrated in my pocket. I pushed the talk button but didn’t get a word out before I heard Joaquin.
“Is Tala with you?”
“What?” Why the hell would Tala be with me?
“I got a call, she took off last night.”
Ian cocked his head to the side, listening to the conversation.
“I caught her scent by the gate and followed it back to your old house. She must have been there but now she’s just gone.” I could hear the panic rising in his voice.
“She’s not—”
Ian’s head shot up and I cut off my words.
“Come on out.” Ian called into the dark alley.
I heard a soft sob then as the silhouette of a small woman stepped from the shadows.
“Is that what they did to my father?” Tala sobbed.
“Shit. She’s here Joaquin. You better get your ass down here.” I gave him the address then disconnected the call and shoved my phone back in my pocket.
Wilson flipped the tarp back over the body.
Tala kept walking forward with slow, tentative steps. “Is that what they did to my dad?” She said, louder, her voice quivering.
“We don’t know.” Sam took a step toward her, gauged her mood, and then took another. He held out his hand slowly, as if waiting to see if the dog would bite or not and I guess that’s really what he saw. Tala was a wolf. If she lashed out in fury it would cause more than a couple of scratches. One bite could infect your blood with the DNA and infect you with lycanthropy. It wouldn’t be long after that before you had your first shift.
“Ian?” I whispered through our mental link.
He stepped in front of Sam, already reading my mind.
Tala’s body trembled and her eyes were riveted to the tarp-covered body on the ground. I knew she wasn’t seeing the young woman underneath. She was envisioning her father.
The clanging of a gurney bouncing down the alley caught our attention. “I didn’t tell them she was a vampire.” Wilson said as he and Sam went to meet the coroner’s office. They would have to tell them now.
When Joaquin got there, Tala was huddled on the ground. She had her knees pulled to her chest as tears streamed down her face. He knelt in front of her, brushed her hair from her face and starting whispering reassuring words to her. She seemed so fragile and he looked so gentle with her. It was a tender moment that left me feeling uncomfortable. Joaquin and I had shared many moments but nothing as intimate as what was happening in this alley. I wasn’t jealous or angry. It just didn’t seem like something that outsiders should witness. It was too personal to share in public.
I had many of those moments with Ian and couldn’t think of a single one that I’d shared with Joaquin. That single thought erased some of the doubts that nagged at me. I never doubted that I loved Ian. I just doubted whether or not I deserved him. Whether I could be the kind of wife he wanted. If my love for him justified keeping him all for myself.
But what had he asked of me?
Nothing. He didn’t ask me to change like Joaquin had. He had no expectations of a family and a white picket fence. He just wanted me, ghosts and all.
I walked over to Ian and pulled him down for a kiss. I hope I put all the love I felt into that kiss.
“What was that for?” He asked.
“Just because.” I turned and walked over to Sam. While there wasn’t much we could do, it would still be handled as a case. If nothing else, we could file away the information to use on future case studies. It wasn’t much, but at least it was something to do.
* * * *
We got to our house and Joaquin led Tala upstairs. After he had Tala settled, he came downstairs and wanted to know what we had planned to take care of the Ambrose problem.
“Legally, we can’t do anything until he harms a human.” And I was getting pretty damn tired of it myself.
“That’s not good
enough!” Joaquin snarled. “We have to do more than wait and watch.”
“What do you suggest, Joaquin?” Ian asked.
“Ambrose might not consider me human but the law does.” If he took a shot at me, he was fair game. “I can troll the bars in the area of the last kill. If I find Ambrose, then I’ll call Sam and leave it up to him.”
There was only one problem with this scenario.
“I will not allow you to go unguarded!” Ian’s anger flowed off him like heat off blacktop in August. The fact that he wasn’t doing anything to shield it from me told me just how pissed off he was.
I gave him my best dagger-throwing look. “Not allow me?”
He held up his hands in surrender, his anger slowly ebbing. “Poor choice of words, my love. I have no desire for you to be in that kind of danger unnecessarily.”
“I think it’s a solid plan.” Joaquin put in, and then quickly shut up as Ian glared at him.
“What else can we do, Ian? Keep everyone we care about locked away? What about the boys? If Ambrose got a hold of Cody or Quinn…” I bit back the rest. I couldn’t bear to think of one of the boys being hurt … or worse.
“Sooner or later he will slip up. He is becoming more impertinent, his aggression growing.”
“Hell, he’s getting out of his house without us knowing it. We need to attack this on our terms. I’ll hang out around the bars where the last victim was found. If he’s trolling the bars looking for shifters and finds me, alone and, in his eyes, vulnerable, he might not be able to resist.”
“It’s too risky.”
“It’s the only chance we have to put an end to this.” Joaquin closed the distance between him and Ian, getting in Ian’s space. “I am not willing to risk my pack’s lives when we have a chance to end this.”
“This is not your call to make.” Ian’s voice was so low I don’t think we would have heard him without enhanced hearing. “I am not surprised that Leah’s safety isn’t your primary concern.” Ian continued. “But it is mine.”
“This is the life she chose for herself.” Joaquin challenged.
“I’ll do it.” A small voice came from the stairway. Tala. “I’ll go with Leah.”
Joaquin spun around, a look of shocked terror on his face. “No Tala! I won’t risk your life.”
“Ambrose won’t be able to resist that much temptation. I’ll be the bait and Leah can protect me.” She insisted as her green eyes flared.
Ian’s body went rigid; his eyes flashed with anger. “Nobody can protect you from a bullet laced with wolfsbane.”
“Wolfsbane?” Joaquin froze. “Where did you hear about…?”
“They found it in Adam Nolan’s bloodstream. Why?” I asked.
“They found it in Louis too.”
“And when exactly did you plan on sharing that little piece of information?” I demanded.
“I didn’t know it was relevant.” Joaquin walked over and placed his hands on Tala’s shoulders, lowering his face to meet her eyes. “We will find another way.”
“He is correct. We will find some other way to end Ambrose’s crusade.” Ian took a protective step closer to me. “It is not worth the risk.”
“If Ambrose shows up mysteriously dead or missing, SINS is going to be all over this community, Ian. I know what you’re thinking but that cannot happen. We have to stop Ambrose legally.” I grabbed Ian’s fingers with my left hand. It was a subtle reminder that the ring on my finger represented a future worth protecting.
“It’s no longer worth the danger.” Joaquin stood, feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent, like he was ready to pounce on an unseen enemy.
“It was worth the risk just moments ago.” Ian reminded him.
“Leah knows how to take care of herself!” Joaquin spat.
“That’s right, I do! And if you want to shove your tail between your legs and whimper away, you go right ahead but I’m going to do this!”
“And she can guard me as well.” Tala added. “Are you telling me that your instinct isn’t screaming for you to find this bastard and protect your pack?” Her eyes narrowed, her hands were planted on her hips and everything about her stance challenged Joaquin to tell her that he didn’t have a physical need to kill the man that murdered his alpha.
Joaquin tensed and his fingers tightened on Tala’s shoulders. “My instinct is telling me to protect you.” The words came out slowly; barely a brush of air passing through his lips, but the intensity was searing.
“I’ll be protected.” She looked up at me for reassurance. “And both you and Leah will be near.”
Ian stood still as a statue. He knew I was right and it was pissing him off royally.
“Joaquin,” Tala leveled her eyes with his. “I am doing this with or without your help.”
Ian squeezed my hand. “My love, do not do this. She is not experienced and even I cannot predict when a bullet will be discharged. Are you certain that Ambrose is the only killer?”
“He is the best suspect we’ve got.” Silence hung between us for a moment. “Yes, I’m sure it’s Ambrose. Besides, do you have another plan to put an end to this?”
Ian narrowed his eyes, silence looming between us. Finally, as if it caused him physical pain to say it, “I do not.”
I looked to Tala. “I agree.”
Chapter 7
The closest we got to reliable information was a waitress who stepped outside for a cigarette and thought she heard a loud “pop”. She told the officer canvassing the area that she’d taken a smoke break at about four-thirty in the morning. We decided to wait until three to “go out”.
Joaquin went ahead of us by a good hour. Ian tried to change our departure until he could join us. Tala wasn’t willing to wait and I agreed with her. If Ian and I were seen together, it might be too much temptation for Ambrose to resist and he may just kill us both. As Ian himself said, even he could not predict when a bullet will be discharged.
Joaquin would find an inconspicuous place to park the car and keep his nose to the wind, searching for Ambrose’s scent. He'd keep out of sight and downwind.
My car was filled with silence as Tala and I drove into town, both lost in our own thoughts. We had said little to each other after our tenuous agreement to use ourselves as bait for Ambrose.
On the contrary, Ian and I had said a lot. He didn’t like the dress that I’d chosen, a micro-mini black dress with enough flare to conceal a gun on my thigh, or the black strappy stilettos. I explained to him that Tala and I needed to look like average twenty-something women out for a night on the town. I appeased him by assuring him that the heels were wood core laced with silver and would provide an excellent weapon if the need arose.
“You can’t seriously think that I wouldn’t rather be in jeans right now.”
“I would rather have you not go at all.” But his sigh told me that I was right. Jeans were not the outfit of choice for going out on the town. Not that it ever stopped me, but tonight, I was fishing.
Our biggest contention, however, was whether or not I should wear my ring.
“I’m going to have a hell of a time looking like bait with an engagement ring on my finger, Ian.”
“I do not wish for you to be bait.” He zipped up my dress. “At least, not for anyone else.” He added seductively as his fingers lingered on the bare skin of my nape. “I, however, will be happy to play chase with you.” He kissed the back of my neck.
“You’re distracting me, Ian.”
“That is my intention, my love.”
I took a step forward and immediately missed Ian’s touch. I turned to face him. “Later.”
Ian frowned. “My love, if Ambrose has an accomplice, it is likely he will know who you are.”
“And if he knows who I am…”
“Then he will know you are to be my wife.” Ian’s mouth split into a smile that said he knew he’d won the argument.
He had. I wore the ring.
Smoke—cigar, cigarette and oth
ers not quite so legal—assaulted me the moment we stepped into the bar. Music drifted from hidden speakers, loud, but not so much that you couldn’t have a conversation. It was the kind of place that was trying to be trendy, and failing miserably. They went for a lounge setting with oversized sofas set in conversation groups around small, round glass tables. There was no way in hell I was sitting on those things. God only knows what types of fluids were embedded in the upholstery. Tala and I chose a smaller café seating that was raised on a small platform and allowed a decent, albeit smoke-hazed view of the entire club. A built guy in too tight pants, no shirt and a bow tie took our drink orders. It was an all-night place that took advantage of the recent change in laws that put an end to closing time.
“Thanks for backing me up on this.” I said to Tala after our drinks had arrived.
Her green eyes flashed to me and in the instant I felt hostility so thick it was like maple syrup oozing over my skin. “I am not doing this for you.”
“Hey, whatever you’re doing it for, I appreciate it. I would have had a hell of a fight on my hands coming in here by myself.”
“I’m sure you would have.” Again, the hostility.
“What is your problem?”
“Look. I’m not your friend and I didn’t do anything for you. I just want to kill this bastard and take my pack home.” Tala took another sip of her drink then turned away from me.
“Well I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to come over here and talk to us. You’re just a regular Susie fucking Sunshine.” I resisted the urge to cross my arms across my chest and turn away. “In case you didn’t notice, we kind of have to look like we’re friends. When this is over I’ll be only too happy to see you take your mutts up north.”
Tala turned then. The smile she plastered on her face was as plastic as a Barbie doll. “They are not mutts.” Her body language said we were having a friendly chat. The venom in her words said otherwise. “I’m sure you’ll find another way to get Joaquin down here. Another emergency perhaps?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I leaned over the table, invading way too much of her personal space and smiled a sticky sweet back at her.
Justified (A Leah Wolfe SINS Novel) Page 7