by M. J. Scott
Niko’s face turned somewhat sulky. “I am here at my lord’s command. I do what he tells me to do.”
Marco took a step toward him and the hairs on the back of my neck sprang to attention as the atmosphere went supercharged.
“Your lord answers to me,” Marco said with menace positively dripping from his voice.
We couldn’t afford a scene. I couldn’t risk giving away the real reason we were here. So I did something really dumb. I ignored every ounce of self-preservation I possessed and stepped between an Old One and the vamp he was pissed at. “What I need,” I said in my best nonconfrontational voice, “is to do my job.”
I looked from one to the other, my nerves screaming warnings from the tension vibrating from them both. “Lord Marco, please.”
Marco stared at Niko a moment longer then the sense of danger evaporated. “This can wait.”
I let out a breath. “Thank you. Nikolai, where’s the manager?”
“He’s not here.”
I crossed my arms, wishing I’d let Marco take Niko out after all. “Excuse me?”
“He’s detained,” Niko said.
“Detained by who?” I demanded.“Esteban said to ask for Arthur Dempsey. He should be here.”
Niko’s smile would’ve been pretty if it hadn’t been so smug. “I can show you what you need to know.”
“You’re a painter.” Or at least, so Marco had said.
“I was a painter, now I’m a fixer.”
“What’s that?”
“Someone who wastes your time,” Marco said curtly.
That earned us a shake of dark hair and an annoyed look. “I can show Ms. Keenan everything she needs to get started.” Niko shot a sideways glance from me to Jase.
I got the feeling I wasn’t the one he wanted to get started. The back of my neck tightened. The lack of a manager and Niko’s appearance to replace him was too convenient. He was obviously flirting with Jase and I doubted Niko did anything without Esteban signing off. The whole situation smelled of game playing and subterfuge. Or perhaps a setup. What if Esteban was involved with Tate and Smith?
So the choices were retreat and come back when the manager was here or stay and risk walking into a trap of some kind. I gritted my teeth. There was no point leaving. If Esteban was involved then he could set me up whenever he chose. If he wasn’t then I risked angering him if I delayed getting to work on his problem. Right now, that possibility worried me more than a threat that I had no real proof existed anywhere other than in my head.
I flipped a hand at Niko. “Let’s get on with this.”
Niko smiled happily while Marco’s face went studiously blank. It didn’t take long for us to be whisked upstairs to a suite of small rooms that were nearly as dingy as the rest of the place. The only difference was the carpet didn’t have the same beer sodden stick to it and there were desks and filing cabinets and a couple of computers instead of a bar and ratty small tables.
Despite the manager’s absence, there was one guy sitting at one of the desks, looking bored senseless, as his fingers flew over a keypad entering numbers. He leaped up when Niko ushered us into the room, eyes widening when he noticed Marco behind me. At least, I assumed it was Marco rather than me who brought the expression of shock to his face. I also figured from the reaction that he was a vampire.
“Lord Marco,” he said with a bow. Then he straightened. “Nikolai.” This time the bow was barely a bend. Apparently Esteban’s pet wasn’t terribly popular.
Nikolai curled his lip. “These are the systems people. You have created the account Lord Esteban required?”
The vampire nodded. “Yes, it will give them access to all the data. But I still don’t understand why we need new—”
“Because our lord wishes it,” Nikolai interrupted, voice chilly. “Do you think it’s wise to question his decision?”
The vamp swallowed. “No. Of course, whatever Lord Esteban wants.”
As a display of fawning, it was actually kind of pathetic. And said something about how Esteban ran his lineage. Iron fist all the way.
No more questions arose. The vamp gave us log-on details, sped us through a lightning speed tour of the systems and then scurried out when Niko suggested we wanted to work in private.
As the door closed behind him, Jason opened his briefcase and started connecting a portable drive to the server. In the interests of spending as little time in the clubs as possible, we were going to dump all the data and analyze it in more detail back at the office. It would also leave less trace of an investigation for anyone who might be monitoring the system.
While Jase downloaded, I opened up the accounting package and skimmed through transactions, looking for anything that caught my eye, familiarizing myself with the common names and amounts flowing through the club’s books.
It didn’t take long to see that there was some creative accounting going on. Not large amounts, but there was definitely a mismatch between the bank balance and what sort of money the place should be making based on inventory turnover and door takings. If those figures were correct, of course.
Now all I needed to do was figure out where the money was going. But at least I’d be able to tell Esteban he definitely had a problem here. I wouldn’t want to be in Arthur Dempsey’s shoes when I told Esteban what was going on.
I worked steadily through some of the major account balances, skimming over recent entries, as Jase kept downloading then turned my attention to the bank accounts. The list in the system matched the list Esteban had provided but there could be others. Out of curiosity, I opened up a browser and clicked to the history. Amid a scary number of porn sites and a smattering of other sites with names that suggested that vampires were embracing the web in ways I didn’t want to think about, there was an URL for a bank in the Cayman Islands.
Alarm bells clanged in my head. The manager of a tin-pot club like this one shouldn’t need off-shore banking facilities personally and there was no Cayman account listed in the info on the club’s accounts provided by Esteban.
I clicked on the link. Sure enough, it came up with a log-in page, requested my account details.
Someone had been a naughty boy. I beckoned to Niko. “I think you should get your manager in here. He’s got some explaining to do.”
Niko nodded and then crossed to the desk where Jase was working and picked up the phone. I noticed he took the opportunity to sit almost close enough to touch Jase. I also noticed that Jase made no effort to shoo him farther away.
Niko made a call—speaking so quickly I wasn’t sure if it was Italian or Spanish or French he was spouting. Not English, anyway. Did he have something to hide?
He hung up the phone, smiling smugly. “It is done.” He made no move to leave his position.
“The manager is coming here?” Marco asked.
I jumped. I’d forgotten he was in the room. He’d taken a seat in a corner when we’d first come in and kind of faded into the background as vampires do when they’re being very still.
Niko nodded.
I tried to pretend I hadn’t just spooked like a skittish horse. Queen of cool, that was me. “Where else would he—”
My cell rang. Probably Dan checking up on me. I found my earpiece, hooked it over my ear and pressed the button. “Look, I’m fine,” I said in a teasing tone. “Stop worrying.”
“But you insist on doing things that concern me,” the voice on the other end said.
I froze. Not Dan. Dan’s voice wasn’t cold and dispassionate. It didn’t make my mouth go dry. Dr. Smith. Fuck.
I broke out in a sweat, stomach churning as memories of Smith and what he’d helped Tate do to me flooded through me. A human, aiding a monster. Which made him worse than the monster in my books. In my nightmares it was just as often Smith hurting me as Tate.
I wanted to bolt. I wanted to throw up.
“Are you there, Ashley?” said the voice that I’d hoped never to hear again except in a courtroom or maybe standing outside a
jail cell with him safely inside.
“I’m here.” My voice shook and I struggled to breathe, bright lights dancing in front of my eyes. Pull it together. I couldn’t faint or lose it. Not yet. I was safe, I reminded myself. Surrounded by vampires who were on my side. I sucked in a deep breath.
“You sound a little breathless. They told me you were looking tired this morning at that unfortunate incident.”
He had someone watching me. This morning. At the suicide. Dan was right. This time I nearly did throw up, bending over as I fought not to retch. Jase and Marco were both by my side in an instant. I held onto Jase as I struggled for control, thoughts racing. Was he just watching or did he have someone here in the club?
Fear closed my lungs for a moment but then the wolf came to my rescue, anger and rage burning away the terror. Smith. We’d been tracking him for weeks and now the prey was in sight. Or hearing, at least.
I straightened, biting back a snarl. “I’m just fine.” I needed to keep him talking. I had no idea whether the FBI were actively monitoring my calls or not. If they were, I could expect agents racing through the door any second. If not, well, this was about to be a very interesting conversation and I was pretty sure if the Taskforce weren’t actually listening to my phone calls, they were, at least, recording them. “Where are you?” I demanded.
“That doesn’t concern you. What should concern you is your own location. And what you think you’re doing there.”
Another wave of ice chilled me. He knew where we were now. I reached for a piece of paper. It fluttered as my hand shook. “I don’t think what I do is of any interest to you at all,” I said proud that my voice was steady.
“You disappoint me, Ashley. You’re not nearly that naïve.”
I scribbled frantically on the paper, underlining SMITH several times then held it up so Jase could see. He snatched the page, fury lighting his eyes.
“And you’re not naïve enough to think you can just call me with no repercussions.” I slipped my hand into my pocket, wrapped my fingers around the panic button. Should I push it? Was calling the FBI in on what was supposed to be an incognito exercise a smart idea? It boiled down to who did I least want pissed at me—Dan or Esteban? Or the lunatic talking on the other end of the phone?
I realized I hadn’t heard the last thing Smith had said properly. Something about wolves and pride.
That decided me. The FBI arriving to save the day would only cause more trouble, angering Esteban and maybe triggering Smith into acting against those close to me—the way Tate had killed one of my Pack to draw me and Dan out. If Smith had anyone actually in the club, they would’ve tried something by now, surely? So we were probably okay. I wasn’t quite ready to blow everything up and bring more pain raining down on everyone around me just for a threatening phone call.
Beside me, Jase was dialing his cell and I made frantic ‘cut-it’ gestures at him.
He scowled at me. “I’m calling Dan,” he mouthed.
I shook my head and mouthed, “Dial and you’re dead,” as I tried to think. Jase lowered his cell and I took a deep breath. Keep Smith talking, that was the first step. “What do you want, Doctor?”
“I want you to stop poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, Ms. Keenan. I would regret having to cut it off your pretty face.”
I knew he wasn’t making idle threats. Smith was ice cold. He would’ve killed me at Tate’s without a second thought. Tate had stopped him. Who was going to save me this time? “I thought doctors were meant to do their best to protect human life?”
“I never said I’d kill you. Believe me, there are worse things than death.”
Yes, there were. I’d met at least one of them. But Tate was dead and now the people who’d held his leash were warning me off again. Only a crazy person would bait them. Or someone who needed to keep one of them on the phone just in case the FBI were listening and could trace the call. “I don’t tell the FBI what to do.”
“I think you underestimate your influence with Special Agent Gibson. I have faith in your skills of persuasion, Ashley. I hope you put them to good use. Or I can guarantee you won’t like the results.”
The phone went dead and I snarled in frustration.
“I’m calling Dan.”Jase was already hitting the button on his phone.
I grabbed it and hit the screen to disconnect the call. “Don’t.”
“He needs to know. He needs to know now.”
Anger and menace roiled off Jase and I almost moved back. But I forced myself to stay still. “I’ll tell him.”
“When?” He reached for the phone, tugging it toward him.
I held on. Vamp versus wolf. A pretty even match though Jase was bigger than me. A muscle bulged in his jaw as he gritted his teeth and I held on tighter.
“When we leave,” I snarled. “We don’t need a busload of agents descending on this place. It’s hardly going to keep what we’re doing a secret.”
Jase looked like he didn’t much care about keeping Esteban happy. Niko, lounging against the desk, looked relieved for a brief moment then slipped back into his default ‘I’m gorgeous’ half-smile. Marco was doing a pretty good imitation of a statue again. I tried to match his level of casual. Which was probably pointless in a room full of three vampires who could hear exactly how fast my heart was pounding.
“What did Smith want?” Jase’s grip let up a little but he obviously wasn’t going to let the subject slide.
“He wanted me to—” I realized Dan’s displeasure would only be increased if I gave away details about an investigation in progress to outsiders and stopped talking. Maybe Marco and Niko had heard both sides of the conversation anyway, given vamp hearing but I would take that risk over being the one who actually gave them anything that might hint at the real situation with the anti-vaccines. I didn’t know how much Dan had told Marco about what Tate had been up to but I knew for sure he wouldn’t want Esteban to know any of it. I yanked the phone out of Jase’s grip. “Let’s talk about this later.”
“You’ll be talking about this with Dan later.”
“Then I’ll tell you after that.”
Jase frowned, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. His face went kind of blank, as though whatever made him Jase wasn’t behind his eyes anymore.
It was actually kind of spooky. “Jase?” He didn’t respond, just kept staring at me. My head buzzed suddenly—an unpleasant sensation like static—and suspicion bloomed.
“Jase, what the hell are you doing?” It better not be what I thought it might be. I shoved him, rocking him back a few steps. “Jason!”
He winced and blinked, expression flowing back onto his face in a way that was only slightly less spooky than the blankness.
“Tell me you weren’t just doing what I think you were doing.”
He rubbed his chest, avoiding my gaze. “What do you think I was doing?”
“Trying to read my mind.” Okay, now that I was saying it loud, it sounded kind of stupid. But I knew telepathy worked for werewolves and vampires had all sorts of psychic powers wolves couldn’t even begin to imagine. Marco’s interest in Jase wasn’t because of his pretty red hair. I stared at Jase, hoping I was being dumb and that my best friend hadn’t just tried the mental equivalent of mugging me.
A faint hint of pink hit his cheeks. Pretty red hair goes with pale skin and easy blushing—even if you’re a vampire.
Fuck. I was right. My stomach heaved again and I had to sit down. “You were really trying to read my mind?” Jase knew how I felt about mental control. He knew Tate had thralled me. “How could you?” I whispered.
“I was—”
His guilty tone only confirmed it. I snarled at him, as a bitter taste rose in my mouth. My best friend had just betrayed me. “Do not even try to make excuses.” I whipped my head around and nailed Marco with a glare. “You taught him how to do this?”
Marco shrugged. “Jason shows promise.”
“Promise? What the hell does that mean?�
�� How many more vamp tricks did Jason have in his bag? Was this even the first time he’d tried? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was worse even than Esteban’s sexual lure. That at least was mostly physical.
This was my mind. My privacy.
I’d vowed never to let someone into my head uninvited again. I’d let Tate in under duress and Marco only to get rid of Tate’s influence. The telepathy I shared with the pack in wolf form was different. They never knew what I was thinking—well, apart from the fact most werewolves were pretty darn good with body language—they only heard what I wanted them to hear. “I said, what the hell does that mean?” I repeated when Marco didn’t answer me.
“He has certain abilities.”
Okay, so Marco wasn’t going to tell me what the hell was going on. But I was sure as hell going to make Jason tell me. Just as soon as we left. Which was going to be now. I was done for the night.
“You and I are going to talk,” I said, turning back to Jase. “So pack all this up.”
“You’re leaving?” Niko said.
“Yes,” I snapped.
“You are overreacting, cara,” Marco said mildly. He moved from the chair he’d been lounging in to the desk I was using alittle too quickly and I flinched.
Which made me madder and I surged to my feet, locking eyes with Marco. “Oh really? Anyone read your mind lately? Against your will?”
Jase flinched. I glared at him then turned my attention back to Marco. Keep your eyes on the biggest threat in the room. Jase had powers but he was no Old One.
Yet.
“Jason, why don’t you go find Ashley a cab?” Marco said smoothly.
Hesitation, then resignation, flowed across Jase’s face. He put down the cable he’d been winding and went to the door. Niko trailed behind him after a glare from Marco.
“Where do you get off ordering my employee around?” I snapped as I slammed my laptop shut.
“I am head of his lineage, I have as much right as you to order him around.”
“I don’t order him around.”