The Fire Within

by Dana Marie Bell

  Beth stood, closing her notebook. “Thanks, Kensington. Can’t say I’m happy with you—” she frowned over her glasses at him, “—but I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I didn’t murder Jen.”

  “I know.”

  “How?”

  She glanced toward the two-way mirror, aware they were being recorded. “Because you’re not a grizzly.” She ignored his thanks as she walked out of the precinct.

  Why had Cranston lied about the money? It was time to go talk to him and see what was what.

  “Well?” Dante’s impatience had him practically vibrating in his seat.

  “Cranston lied to us.”

  His brows rose. “Figlio di puttana.”

  “You think he’s the Shem?”

  Dante took a deep breath. “There’s no way—unless he’s a Chameleon like Diana—that he could hide from me.”

  Beth’s mind was running a mile a minute. “Camouflage.”

  “What?”

  She waved her hand impatiently. “You’re the one who’s obsessed with poo gas, remember? Is it possible a Shem can use the stench to camouflage their presence?”

  Dante paled. “I hope not, or the Neph are in deep shit. We rely on that stench to hunt. If they’ve found a way to use it to their advantage...” Dante shuddered.

  She pulled away from the precinct. “Call whoever you need to. I’m going to drop you off at home and go speak to Cranston.”

  “The hell you are.” He managed to get his phone out of his pocket and up to his ear. “Call Gabriel.” He punched a button on the phone and she could hear it ringing. He’d set it on speaker for her.

  “Dante—”

  “Stai zitto! You are not facing a Shem alone, and that’s that.” He turned his attention back to the phone when a voice came over the speaker.

  “Good morning, Dante.”

  “Good morning, Gabriel.” Dante’s tone was growly.

  “What seems to be the problem?” The voice of the man who ran the Nephilim was deep and smooth, soothing to the ear. His tone was serene, as if he’d been expecting Dante’s call.

  “I’ve been shot.”

  Silence. “A Shem?”

  “No. A human, but one that may have given us a lead on the Shem that killed Jennifer Blake.” Beth remained silent as Dante filled Gabriel in. “Elizabeth managed to question the man who shot me, Robert Kensington. It seems one of Todd Blessing’s accountants may have been responsible for her death. Cranston lied to us about contributions Piotr made to the Blessing gubernatorial campaign.”

  “What about the miasma? Was it present around Cranston?”

  “The whole office reeked.”

  “Ah.” Gabriel didn’t sound surprised. “He hid himself in plain sight.”

  Beth and Dante shared a confused look. “How so?”

  “Is that Elizabeth?” Gabriel sounded delighted to hear her voice. “You’ll have to bring her to meet me.”

  “I will. I look forward to introducing you to her.” Dante smiled fondly at her. “But what did you mean about hiding in plain sight?”

  “I think the Shem decided that if he couldn’t hide the miasma from us, he’d make sure the entire office was saturated in it.”

  “Like a fog, so we couldn’t see who was giving off the stench?”

  “Yes, Elizabeth. Exactly like that.”

  Beth smiled. “Call me Beth.”

  “Thank you, Beth.” The warmth of Gabriel’s tone seeped through her. It was different from Dante’s warmth, more comforting and far from sensual. Dante’s inner fire threatened to burn her with his passion, but Gabriel’s quiet warmth was like roasting marshmallows in the backyard as a kid. She’d sit in front of the fire pit, holding white pillows of yummy goodness out on a stick, soaking up the warmth of the banked coals while dreaming of a Halloween costume she’d probably never get.

  “So you’re basically saying he hosed down the entire place so we wouldn’t be able to detect which of the office workers was him?”

  Dante choked on a laugh.

  “Hosed?” Gabriel sounded amused. “I guess that would be an appropriate way to phrase it, yes.”

  “How is that even possible?” Dante was obviously confused.

  Beth was too. “It’s never happened before?”

  Dante shrugged. “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “It has.” Gabriel’s tone was confident. “It’s a tactic that’s more frequently used when a Shem hunts in an area surrounded by Neph, like in a city. Most times that Shem runs before the Neph can accurately pinpoint which of the people he’s investigating is the target.”

  That made a certain kind of sick sense. “Like a skunk that’s been startled.”

  “Exactly.” Gabriel sounded pleased with her. “So this Shem should be running soon.”

  “We can’t let him do that.” Beth would hunt him down herself if she had to.

  “No, Beth. We won’t let him get away.” Gabriel’s tone was gentle. “Dante. I’m calling in Seth and Damien. Meet them at your house. I want the three of you to confront—”

  “No.” Oh, fuck no. “Dante’s injured. Get someone else.” She wasn’t budging on this one.

  “Of course, Dante won’t be hunting the Shem. But Damien and Seth are his partners, and will need at least his information.”

  “If I have to, I’ll take Dante’s place.” The thought frightened her, but she’d have Seth, who was practically Superman, and Damien. She’d be almost as safe as if Dante were there.

  “No. If need be, I’ll accompany Damien and Seth. You stay by Dante and protect him until he’s healed.” The stern command in Gabriel’s voice was hard to ignore.

  Dante’s relief at Gabriel’s order was written all over his face, so she couldn’t bring herself to argue with Gabriel. “Yes, sir.”

  Dante grinned. “I’ll keep an eye on Elizabeth as well.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Gabriel’s tone was back to that gentle warmth. “Seth and Damien should be at your place soon. Tell them everything, and we’ll see what we can do about hunting down your Shem.”

  “What about the Shem Angelus that threatened Elizabeth? Do you think he’s tied in with Cranston?”

  “No way to tell, but if you’re right and the Shem are starting to work together we’ll need to keep a watch on all the mates.”

  Dante’s head tilted. “All of them? Does that mean...”

  “The others will find their futures soon, yes. And the Angelus’s threat may be to all of them.”

  “Damn.” Dante started to laugh. “I don’t know who I want to see fall first, Damien or Piotr.”

  “When the time comes, your brothers will need all of us. Especially Piotr.”

  Dante’s laughter died. “You’re serious? Their women are in danger?”

  “Yes. Piotr’s most of all.”

  Dante muttered viciously in Italian. “Then I’ll be there for him.”

  Beth smiled.

  “For now, keep Beth close.”

  “Hey! I can take care of myself, you know.”

  Gabriel laughed, and it was as if the sun had come out from behind thick clouds. “And you keep Dante close as well. Dante? Stay safe, my brother.”

  Dante grunted. “Stay safe, my brother.” He hung up, wincing as he put the phone back in his coat pocket. “Let’s get something to eat. If I know Gabriel, Damien and Seth will be there as soon as work lets out.”

  Beth nodded and began the drive back toward Dante’s. “Want to pick up some take-out?”

  “Nah. Let’s hit the diner.” He shifted in his seat. “Beth?”

  “Yeah?”

  The look he shot her was full of concern. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  She shot him
a startled glance. “That can’t be good.”

  “No.” He sighed deeply and took hold of her hand with his good one. “It’s not.”

  Before long they were seated at a booth in the local diner. Elizabeth picked up her menu as Dante sat across from her in the booth. At this early hour, the place was fairly quiet. “I know Gabriel told us to stay behind, but I want to hear Cranston’s explanation on the whole Romanov file.”

  “Damn it, I knew you were going to say that.” Dante sighed. “Okay. But not without one of my brothers going with you.”

  She smiled sourly. “Yes, Mom.” She looked up at the waitress as she returned to their table. This one, at least, had never dated Dante. “Cheeseburger, Coke, fries, same as always. How are the kids, Dinah?”

  Dinah grinned. “They’re little demons. Too smart for their own good too.” She turned to Dante. “Cheeseburger, fries and Coke, right, Detective?”

  “Got it in one. How’s Harry?”

  “Still sick, but recovering. Wishing he was back on active duty, but you know how cops are.” Dinah shrugged. “As soon as he’s over the flu, he’ll be back to work and out of my hair.” She winked at them, then turned away and headed for the counter to place their orders.

  “Dinah and Harry are good people.”

  Beth grinned at him. “Yes, they are.”

  He took hold of her hand again. Ever since they’d spoken with Gabriel, it was like he needed to touch her, make sure she was with him and, therefore, safe. “Mind if I join you when you talk to Cranston?” When she frowned and opened her mouth to once again tell him hell no, he held up a hand to stop her. “You can keep an eye on me and make sure I’m taking it easy if I’m with you.”

  “And if it comes down to a fight?”

  His gaze burned briefly with his inner fire. “Then I fight.”

  She sat back in her chair. “I can hold off on this until Seth or Damien can join me.”

  His grimace of distaste had her frowning. “No.”

  “Don’t you trust them?”

  Dante looked distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s not that.”

  The way he clung to her hand, how he refused to let go even when she tugged, was telling. “I’ll make sure I’m not alone when I speak to him.”

  “That’s not the point.” His damaged arm jerked, and he grimaced in pain. “I want... No. I need to be the one with you. If anything happened to you...”

  His voice trailed off, but she heard the pain, the loneliness. “Then I wait for you.”

  The smile he gave her was sweet. “Thank you.”

  She snorted out a laugh. “You just want in on the interview, Detective Zucco.”

  “Got it in one, Rand.” His smile faded away. “I want to know why he didn’t think it necessary to fill us in on the Romanov file. If he’s not the one we’re looking for, why did he lie about it?”

  “He could be a puppet, like Kensington.”

  “He could be. We won’t know until we get him out of the office and question him.”

  “Will you be able to tell once he’s out of that office?”

  “Yeah. He won’t be able to hide then, not from me and certainly not from Damien.”

  “Good.”

  Dante nodded his thanks as Dinah placed two Cokes down on the table and moved off. “So. Would you want to make living with me official?”

  She choked on the sip she’d just taken. He let go of her hand long enough to pound her between the shoulder blades.

  “What?” She was stunned. How long had he been thinking about this?

  “I want to know if you’ll give up your apartment and move in with me full time.”

  She stared at him as if he’d just grown a second head. Live with him? On a full-time basis? “I’d have to think about it.”

  She watched as his big hand curled around his glass. “There’s nothing to think about, as far as I’m concerned. I want you to live with me.”

  He was serious, and she couldn’t just dismiss what he’d said. She had to admit, the thought was tempting, but she needed some time to think about whether or not they were ready for such a serious step so soon. They both deserved to have her be certain that this was what she wanted. “I tell you what. Let me think about it, and I’ll give you an answer tonight.” She pointed at him. “But if I say yes, I get to decorate your beige boredom of a living and dining room. Capisce?”

  His nod, when it finally came, was slow. He was disappointed, but accepted her decision. “Capisce.”

  They ate their hamburgers in an uneasy silence. She didn’t know what was going through his head, but she knew what was going through hers.

  Disappointment. She was surprisingly disappointed that he’d only asked her to live with him. But what more could she expect? They hadn’t been lovers for all that long, and in the grand scheme of things, if you counted the time when they’d hated each other, they’d known each other less than a year.

  And, she decided, it showed that he wanted some kind of a commitment from her. It would mean that they were more than just exclusive.

  They’d be a couple in every sense of the word.

  Of course, a living arrangement could be dismissed much easier than a marriage. All she had to do was move out. End of relationship. Game over. End score: Dante one, Beth zero. It would shred her if she lost Dante, but if she didn’t take the chance she might lose him anyway, before she’d really had him.

  She’d definitely have to think about it.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was obvious she was still thinking about it when they pulled up outside of Blessing headquarters half an hour later. Her pensive expression hadn’t changed since he’d first asked her to move in with him. He was hoping she’d give him a positive answer that night, but he was frightened that maybe he’d pushed too soon. Now he ran the risk that she’d turn him down, and he’d be left out in the cold.

  The sky was darkening, the wind blowing as they got out of the car. The snowstorm that the weathermen were calling for was about to hit. He could smell the snow in the air.

  Shivering, Elizabeth hugged herself, breathing hard on her hands and rubbing them together to generate warmth. Dante wanted to warm them, but surrounded by the coming and going of the people around them he didn’t dare unleash his flame. Instead, he ushered her into the Blessing office as quickly as he could, considering his lack of an arm.

  He looked around the office and wasn’t surprised to see it shutting down for the day. Blessing was running back and forth, telling people to go home, urging people to put their coats on, and reminding one elderly volunteer that she had a ride if she needed one.

  He watched Blessing move around the office, strong and charismatic, and understood what Jennifer Blake had seen in him.

  He was strong, a natural leader. Others gravitated to him, around him, drawn to his innate charisma. The man seemed to care about all of his office workers, and Dante couldn’t see any sign that Blessing’s attitude was all an act.

  Elizabeth strode right toward Blessing. Dante had the pleasure of seeing his faint grimace before he smiled. Good. He didn’t like anyone who thought it was all right to cheat on their spouses.

  “Mr. Blessing. Is Mr. Cranston still here?” She kept her tone pleasant, a smile on her face.

  “Yes, he’s still here, but I believe he’s going to be leaving soon. He’s from Florida and finds the snow storm frightening.” He sounded confused over the question, as if he’d been expecting something else. Perhaps a confrontation on his cheating ways?

  One thing was for certain, a man who could cheat on his spouse, with his friend’s wife no less, would have no problems cheating his constituents. He was definitely not getting Dante’s vote, that was for sure.

  “Cranston finds the thought of sharpening a pencil frightening.”
With a brisk nod, she moved past him and into the accounting offices.

  Cranston was there, scurrying around like a rat, muttering to himself under his breath as he tried valiantly to gather together all of his belongings. Dante watched him for a moment, trying to see the miasma that should have been there. But the Shem stench was so thick he couldn’t see whether or not Elizabeth was human, let alone Cranston.

  Gabriel was right. Whoever it was, the Shem was clever to hide this way.

  Cranston darted to his briefcase, hesitated, muttered again and turned toward the coffee maker. He paused, his lip caught between his teeth, then headed for Oates’s office. Cranston stopped just outside the door, returning once more to his desk.

  “Mr. Cranston?” Dante’s voice boomed through the mostly empty office.

  Cranston jumped. “Oh. Detective Zucco, isn’t it? And Ms. Rand.” He glanced down at his desk with dismay. “Did we have an appointment this afternoon?”

  Elizabeth nodded and stepped into the room, Dante right on her heels. “If you have a few moments to talk to us, we’ll get out of your hair as quickly as possible.”

  With a nervous twitch, Cranston sat behind his desk, knocking his desk calendar to the floor in the process. He jumped again at the sound of Beth’s cell phone ringing.

  Something was making Cranston extremely nervous, and Dante doubted it was the snow storm.

  “Give me a moment, please?”

  “Of course, Ms. Rand.” Cranston’s sickly smile seemed out of place with Elizabeth’s professional tone.

  Elizabeth waved Dante on, moving back to the main office doorway to take the phone call. Dante followed, refusing to leave her. He glanced around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation as Elizabeth answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Hello?”

  It was Sam. “Guess what?”

  “My stock portfolio has decided to go up instead of down?” Elizabeth quipped.

  “I decided to do a cross-reference of people who’ve worked with the Blessing campaign, had access to funds and had something to do with Romanov, seeing as how it was his money that was stolen, and guess what I found?” Sam sounded giddy. Dante could picture her literally dancing in her chair. It seemed like something the bubbly Sam would do.