Edge of Night

by Crystal Jordan

  “Then they won’t mind waiting a few minutes longer, give or take.”

  “Ooh, aren’t you playin’ fast and loose with the leaders of our beloved Conclave?” Her grin showed a vampiric fang this time. “That’ll get their panties in a twist.”

  “Their shorts are permanently in a wad. That’s not my problem.” He shrugged. “What do you know about the Hammond boy?”

  “Jack said you’d want to know about that, so I put some stuff together for you.” Gesturing for him to follow her, she went to her desk and flipped open a file. “His pre-school and kindergarten teachers thought he was a good kid, smart, high marks in his classes. Too quiet and in need of more socialization.” She tapped a bright red fingernail against a page in the file. “One of them remarked that the father was a bit too strict. That’s it for the schools. Medical records were more revealing.”

  “And not in a good way.”

  “No, sir. Not even a little.” She slid aside the top file so she could open a much thicker one.

  He crossed his arms and propped a hip against the desk. “Tell me.”

  “There were a number of accidents, sir, but he was taken to different hospital emergency rooms each time.” She hesitated for a moment. “The mother—Cecily—has a similar record. I looked into her too.”

  “You think Robert is responsible.”

  She inclined her head in acknowledgement. “Much as it might put me out of favor with a lot of folks in the Conclave, yeah. It looks like pretty classic signs for a man who likes to rough up his family.”

  Not shocking, but Luca had to conduct this investigation thoroughly. Someone with as many political connections as Hammond would be slippery to convict. “Robert and Cecily will be coming in tomorrow morning for questioning. I want you to talk to her, get a feel for her mental state.”

  Delta was the team’s profiler and general psychological expert, so it wasn’t an unusual request. She looked doubtful though. “Elinor made it clear when she got here that both her son and daughter-in-law have lawyered up. I doubt I’ll get much out of Cecily. Probably too scared to talk anyway.”

  “Do what you can.” He narrowed his gaze. “Have Peyton and Jack question our main suspect.”

  Delta’s eyebrows arched. “A Normal and a wolf with a snobby ass vampire? Oh, he’ll love that.”

  “Exactly.”

  She took another drag from her coffee mug. “I’m sure he’d prefer to speak to you, as the agent in charge.”

  “I’m sure he would, but that’s too bad.” He flourished his hand toward his office. “As the agent in charge, I have to deal with Conclave members when they pop in, but I also get to decide if he has to deal with somewhat lower-ranking agents than my esteemed self. The wolf and Normal will handle him.”

  Her violet gaze sparkled with impious delight. “I am so watching that interview on the other side of the glass.”

  “You’ll be talking to Cecily, but Robert’s interview will be video recorded. Make sure you get a chance to chat with him before he leaves. I want your reading on his mental state.”

  “Yes, sir.” She gave him a jaunty salute.

  He turned for his office and her off-key humming of Jaws followed him as he went. He hated to admit it, but it was an apt theme song for the meeting he was about to have.

  Elinor rounded on him the moment he opened the door. “How dare you insist on dragging my son in here? He’s been through more than enough. You are supposed to make sure this is easy on him. You’re a vampire—you’re supposed to protect your own.”

  “Actually, I’m an FBI agent. I’m supposed to uphold the law, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.” Luca allowed the door to swing shut, then moved around to stand behind his desk. A position of authority. He’d need all he could get. “If your son has nothing to hide, then this will be easy on him. As I told him, I expect this investigation to be fairly straightforward. However, I’m glad you’re here, Elinor. I have a few questions for you. Have a seat.”

  Her mouth gaped, as if no one had dared contradict her in longer than she could remember. Which was probably pretty close to the truth. The elder Cavalli remained silent, but disapproval came off him in waves. Luca ignored it. There’d be hell to pay later, but he wasn’t compromising his work for anyone.

  He stabbed his finger at the seats across from his desk. “Sit. Down. If you please.”

  She huffed out an insulted breath, but sank gracefully into the chair he’d indicated. His father looked almost amused while he sat as well. Luca lowered himself into his own chair, taking a moment to decide how far to push this conversation.

  He folded his hands on the top of his desk. “Thank you. I was hoping you could tell me a bit about Dillon.”

  She sighed, looked away. “Oh, all right. I hate to say it about my own flesh and blood, but the child was…defective.”

  The inflection of her words, the generations of purebred classism and Magickal racism that were reflected in her tone, made Luca fight not to bristle. One of the many reasons he stayed away from Conclave politics. “Defective how?”

  Her shoulders rolled in an uncomfortable shrug. “He was clumsy, bumped into things, bruised easily.”

  Perhaps that explained the condition of the boy’s body. “Did he have some sort of illness?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” She jutted her jaw when he gave her a pointed look. “He was Normal. Like his mother.”

  He blinked. Cecily didn’t have very little magical ability, as he’d assumed, but none at all. “Robert didn’t turn her when they married?”

  Elinor’s chin lifted. “No, he didn’t.”

  Luca sat back, tapping his fingertips together as he absorbed possible ramifications. “Was that her choice or his?”

  “His, of course.” She looked startled. “Who wouldn’t want to be a vampire?”

  Luca didn’t meet his father’s gaze. They both knew very well that some people wouldn’t want to become a vampire. Luca’s first love hadn’t. He tried not to wince. His track record with women sucked. Tucking those ugly memories of pain and failure away, he blew out a breath. “But because he didn’t turn her, his children had a fifty-fifty chance of being born Normal.”

  Her mouth formed a moue. “Really, everyone knows the vampire gene is the dominant one. The child was born with some unfortunate recessive…conditions.”

  “Like bruising easily. And clumsiness.” Or just not having the advanced abilities that magic leant a vampire. Poor kid. Luca clamped his mouth shut on words he shouldn’t say, struggled to keep the rage off his face. Hammond had married a Normal and kept her weak and helpless when he didn’t have to, and then his family had turned their backs on a child who’d dared to be born weak and helpless as well. What a fucked up, horrible situation.

  “Yes.” Elinor brushed at the sleeve of her silk blouse. “Well, of course, we would have turned him when he came of age, but the law forbids turning children.”

  “I’m well aware of the law.”

  Her glance was both indulgent and condescending. “Of course, you are, dear. You’re a Cavalli.”

  “I’m also an FBI agent. My job is to help enforce those laws.” His eyes met his father’s when he said it, and by the way the older man’s gaze went steely, Luca knew his message had been delivered. Don’t think he’d look the other way on this case. Don’t think that because Robert was a vampire, he’d have any leeway with Luca.

  That wouldn’t please his father, the Conclave leaders or most vampires he knew. So be it. It wouldn’t be his first unpopular decision. He doubted it would be his last.

  Rising to his feet, he offered a hand to Elinor. “Thank you for your help. It’s put a great deal into perspective. I’ll still have a few questions about details of what happened this morning for Robert and Cecily, but we’ll try to keep it brief.”

  Until they had conclusive evidence, that is. Then all bets were off.

  His father and Elinor stood, and she didn’t look happy, but didn’t look inc
ensed either. An improvement, if a small one. “Step carefully, young man.”

  “I will.”

  “See that you do. Everyone in the Conclave will be watching.” The threat in her tone was a real one. For vampires, familial and racial loyalty meant everything. Those who went against those fundamental principles were destroyed, both figuratively and literally.

  She turned to leave, but Luca’s father hesitated before she exited the office. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute, Elinor. I need a word with my son.”

  Her final glance was one of satisfaction, likely thinking that Salvatore Cavalli was about to let his son have it. She probably wasn’t wrong. Salvatore closed the door behind her.

  He met Luca’s gaze, disquiet showing in eyes that looked much like his. Because of the delayed aging of Magickals, the man could have passed for Luca’s brother. Appearances were deceiving.

  Luca rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Father, you need to stay out of this. As far out of it as you possibly can.”

  “That’s an impossible thing to ask.” His father flicked an elegant hand. “The Hammonds are staying at my house.”

  Shit. “Elinor is your new lover.”

  “We have a certain…relationship.” Salvatore had had several in the years since Luca’s mother passed, but he was usually discreet about it. Normally, they didn’t move in with him.

  Luca swallowed as the significance of the older man’s actions sank in. Was his father thinking of remarrying? The idea weighed down like a lead balloon in his stomach. It had been…gods, two decades since his mother passed. More than enough time to grieve, but to see his mother replaced with a woman people called Medusa was an insult to her memory. That his father had ambushed him with it today didn’t sit well with him either. “How serious is your involvement?”

  The older vampire twitched his shoulders and sidestepped the question. “I never met the boy. Dillon. His parents didn’t bring him with them the few times we’ve had dinner together. If there were any problems there, I don’t know about them, and I never witnessed anything.”

  Luca let the topic of Elinor drop. For now. He doubted he could take many more emotional blows today. His relationship with his father had never been a close one, and had been even more distant since his mother died. Then again, Luca had always been a disappointment to Salvatore. He’d never had any interest in power or wealth, never taken part in Conclave politics, hadn’t followed in the older man’s footsteps. Instead, he’d become an underpaid, overworked civil servant. He let that roll off his back, having made his peace with it long ago. He was who he was, not who his father wanted him to be. But they were still family, and that meant a great deal to both of them. “Do I have your word not to let them entangle you further? I have no guarantees my team won’t find signs of foul play. This could get very messy. You don’t want that mess to stick to you and smear your reputation.”

  Salvatore’s eyes narrowed in a dangerous look, and Luca arched his eyebrows in return. “I don’t have to tell you that if you find out anything and don’t tell me—it’s obstruction of justice. Don’t make me arrest you.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” His father scoffed.

  “A child is dead and it’s clear his family disliked his Normalcy. Perhaps that dislike went further than we know, or perhaps this was just a horrible accident. Right now, only Cecily and Robert know for sure, and it’s my job to make sure the truth comes out.” Luca smiled, and he knew it was closer to a baring of teeth. “Plus, Uncle Vito is pissed at you right now, so he would be happy to swear out a warrant for your arrest.”

  Having a brother who was a judge usually benefited his father, but not this time. Salvatore’s displeasure was palpable, but he didn’t contradict what Luca said. “I don’t know anything, and I assure you I won’t find anything out.”

  “That’s wise.”

  Salvatore paused for a long moment, wavering. “I don’t like the idea that a vampire would harm an offspring they sired. It goes against everything we stand for.”

  “I know.” Whether vampires were born or turned, they shared the blood of their sires, which meant those sires had a blood oath to protect their kin. Harming one’s kin was repugnant beyond anything a Normal could understand, which was why a turned vampire was thoroughly indoctrinated into vampire culture. A blood oath was consecrated, almost spiritual, and could never be broken. The idea that Robert Hammond might have killed his child was something those in the Conclave would fight, because none wanted to consider that a vampire would do such a thing, break such a vow.

  Despite their differences, Luca knew his father’s loyalty was unshakable. If Luca had to arrest Hammond, Salvatore would stand with his son, no matter what it cost him personally. But Luca would pay privately for whatever influence and prestige his actions lost the family. His case had to be airtight, and even then, it might not be enough to stop the Cavalli honor from being tarnished. Unfortunately, that was something neither Luca nor Salvatore could control. They could only do their best with less than ideal circumstances.

  Luca stepped around the desk and clapped the older man on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, Father. It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

  “This time the pleasure was all yours.” Salvatore looked weary, shaking his head. He drew himself up and straightened his shoulders before he opened the door to step into Elinor’s view. Not wanting to show weakness in front of her. His sniffed, brushing a hand down his tie. “Son, I expect to see you for Sunday dinner.”

  Since Uncle Vito was hosting this week, Luca could agree. “Of course. I assume your lady friend won’t be joining us.”

  “No. I think it’s best she doesn’t.” Salvatore sighed and left.

  Erin had started twitching any time the phone vibrated. Balthasar had hissed at it for about an hour before he’d swatted the thing into a pot of boiling water. She was pretty sure he’d used magic to make sure the cell hit the mark and didn’t survive the drowning. It was sad that its death upset her less than having to remake the ravioli in the pot. She’d called Holly and told her to use the landline if she needed anything. The silence after that had been a blessing, and she’d overfed the cat in appreciation. He was currently lolling on her bed, belly up.

  Whoever had been calling—and she assumed it was Asher the Asshole—had had a lot of fun today, ringing her every half hour and hanging up. From a different number. He’d either run around to every pay phone in Seattle or he’d bought a bunch of those pay-as-you-go cell phones. Vampires and werewolves sucked at casting spells, or she might have suspected he’d done some complicated hocus pocus to make it look like he was calling from lots of different phones, but that was beyond a bloodsucker’s capabilities. Any way she looked at it, it was an idiotic waste of time and money. And that pissed her right off. Vampire or not, he was lucky he hadn’t decided to come knocking, because she had a really big knife with his name on it.

  She didn’t have any proof, but she suspected he had been watching her last night at the restaurant too.

  Three sharp taps sounded on her front door. “Erin?”

  Luca’s steady voice made her chest squeeze and relief flooded her. The intensity of the feeling startled her, making her realize how alarming it had been to get those harassing hang up calls when there was no one around to take her mind off it. It had just been her, Luca’s cat, some pots and pans and the need to be creative. Being alone had probably not been the best plan. It had been a struggle to focus every time the phone rang, until Balthasar had taken matters into his own paws. She’d managed to get two of the three recipes she wanted to debut sorted out, but was still working on the last one.

  She should have been done hours ago.

  After wiping her hands off on a dishcloth, she tossed the rag on the counter before she went to open the door for Luca. He looked worse today than he had yesterday, more tense, with an edge of pissed-off vibrating around him. Most people wouldn’t see past the unflappable, sophisticated persona he showed the world—sh
e hadn’t when they’d first met—but she’d learned to read the subtle cues the longer they’d been around each other.

  She considered him for a moment. “You want to talk about your day or be distracted?”

  “Distracted.” His lips quirked, a relief that matched her own flickering in his gaze. Neither of them wanted to deal with their day. She knew she’d rather forget, and it appeared they were on the same page. Worked for her.

  Nodding, she stepped aside and waved him through the doorway. “Come on in.”

  “Did your prank caller ever stop?”

  She fought a wince as she shut the door, but managed a casual shrug when she faced him. “Your familiar killed my phone, so I have no idea.”

  There was a moment’s pause. He knew she was hiding something—he was too good at his job not to sense a lie when he heard one, but he let her slide and she was grateful.

  “That would explain why you didn’t answer when I called to tell you I was on my way over.”

  “Yep.” She started toward him, reaching out to run a fingertip down his tie. When she met his gaze, his expression was warm. He brushed back a curl from her face, then slid his thumb over her cheekbone. The intimacy of the moment made her want to confide in him, tell him she suspected her ex was behind all the phone calls. Luca was an FBI agent—he would know how to handle the situation. The urge to lean on him was so strong it scared her. No. That wasn’t how things worked with Luca. They had fun together and that was all. If she let it get heavy, allowed him into her life on more than a superficial level, there was no going back. And then where would they be? She’d have opened herself up to a man who was in love with another woman. No good could come of that for either of them. No, no, no. She kept her worries to herself.

  All he wanted was to forget his problems, not to take on more than he already had. He’d made that clear. So it was time for some distraction…for both of them.