by Lisa Edmonds
7
Bell Industries was a metal-fabrication company headquartered next to the river. It was a major supplier of commercial construction materials in the city and one of Darius Bell’s most profitable businesses—was being the operative word.
Earth mages had razed Bell’s compound, but it was water mages who’d destroyed Bell Industries and a one-block radius around it. They pulled the river over its banks and into the company’s facility, then used the force of the water to demolish all three main buildings.
Most of the employees had already left for the day, but early reports listed more than three dozen people missing and presumed dead. The damage was estimated to be in the tens of millions. The new police chief had already made a statement condemning both incidents and offering a substantial reward for information, a reward I was pretty sure would go unclaimed.
I doubted Bell had been there, so my grandfather’s attack was probably designed to cripple Bell financially as well as send a message that any and all of Bell’s assets and people were fair game.
Sean and I looked at news articles about the attack online. “These cabals are run by psychopaths,” he said as we watched aerial footage of the widespread damage caused by the water mages. “They don’t care about collateral damage or how many people they kill in their wars.”
“No, they don’t,” I said bitterly. “Cabal leaders only care about money and power. People are expendable.” I stopped before I gave anything away about my past involvement with cabals.
He squeezed my hand. “Are you going to be all right while I help with the security system installation?”
“I’m fine. Go help your people. I need to make some phone calls.”
He kissed me and left the office in search of Ben’s crew.
My first call was to Adri. The phone rang twice and then she answered. “Hello, Alice.” Her cheerful tone seemed forced.
“Hey, Adri. How’s Bryan?”
“I’ll let him tell you himself. Hang on.”
There was a rustle, as if Bryan was still recovering in bed. “Miss Alice.” His voice was a shadow of its usual deep rumble.
“Hey, Bryan,” I said, my throat tight with unexpected emotion. “It’s really good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear yours. The werewolf keeping you safe?”
“Yes, he is.” I was so glad to talk to him that I didn’t even chastise him for referring to Sean as “the werewolf.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.”
“Don’t worry about it. I hear you’re back at work.”
I blinked. “Wow, the vamp grapevine sure works fast.”
“We’re all very concerned about your safety, so of course we’re keeping up with what’s going on.” A long pause. “I’m sorry I let him get away from me, Alice.”
“Stop that right now,” I snapped. I thought of the six bullets Stevens had put into him and couldn’t stand to hear him blaming himself. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Whose fault was it, then?” he retorted. “We should have captured him at the house. I shouldn’t have let him get the drop on us last night. I underestimated him completely and now Fortune is dead because of it.”
“We all underestimated him. There’s a lot of blame to go around on this one, but I think you’ve more than paid your penance.”
He did an impressive imitation of a werewolf growl. “Not until he’s in a cell at the Vampire Court and facing justice for Fortune’s murder and for shooting you.”
“And for almost killing you,” I said. “I hope you get him soon. I’m hip-deep in werewolves over here and they all think they’re the boss of me.”
Bryan snorted. “I’d pay real money to see them try to boss you, Alice. I appreciate you checking in on me. Was there something else you needed?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. Could you ask Charles to call me when he’s up and about?”
“Can I tell him what it’s regarding?”
“Magical objects.”
“Well, that will definitely intrigue him.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I sighed. “I guess I’ll see you when this is all over. I doubt Charles will be leaving wherever you guys are holed up, unless he’s thinking about trying to draw Stevens out?”
“There are several options on the table,” Bryan said, demonstrating he hadn’t lost his ability to be cagey.
“Well, whatever you decide to do, be careful.”
“In the meantime, stay close to the werewolf. Let him do his job.”
I huffed. “I do want to stay alive, you know.”
“I know you do. I also know that sometimes you do what you think needs doing, and that’s not always compatible with staying safe.”
I started to protest and then had to admit he was right. “Well, with any luck, the Hunters will find Stevens soon and we can put all this behind us.”
“You and I will raise a toast to that. Take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
Once we’d disconnected, I scrolled through my contacts and called a number I hadn’t used in some time. The call went to voice mail. There was no recorded message, only a beep.
My message was terse. “This is Alice. Call me back.”
My phone rang less than thirty seconds later. “Alice Worth,” I said briskly.
“Girl, why you callin’ me this early?” It was a familiar scratchy male voice. “Sun ain’t even down yet.”
“Sorry if I interrupted your beauty sleep, Phil. I’m on the trail of some hot merchandise, and the faster I find it, the bigger my payday. Thought I’d give you a call and see what you knew.”
“Answers cost money. Fast answers cost more.” There was no trace of Phil’s good-ol’-boy persona now.
“You know I’m good for it. Cash or a favor?”
“Favor. I got some folks bothering me and I need some wards that bite.” Phil was a pawn-shop owner and a fence. I wasn’t surprised that he needed wards for protection.
“Done. I’m going to send you a couple of pictures. If you hear about anyone trying to buy or sell them, will you tag me in?”
“You got it. How hot are they?”
“Like a sidewalk in the summer.”
“I’ll call you if and when I hear something.”
“You’re a decent human being, Phil.”
“Don’t tell nobody that.” He ended the call.
I took quick photos of Esther’s missing items and sent them to Phil the fence, and then I made calls to two of his competitors and made similar deals with them for information. I’d just hung up from the second call when Sean came into the office.
“How goes the installation?” I asked him as he dropped onto the sofa next to me.
“Smoothly. We’ll be ready to go soon. You running down some leads?” He laced his fingers with mine and kissed my knuckles.
“Putting out some feelers with some of the city’s more upstanding citizens and waiting on a call back from my best potential source of information.” I glanced at the sliver of fading daylight visible through a gap in the curtains.
Sean saw me look, put two and two together, and frowned.
“He’s a broker,” I reminded my disapproving bodyguard. “If those objects come on the market in this city, he’ll know about it.”
“You’ll be asking him for a favor,” Sean reminded me. “Vampires never do anything for free.”
“All things considered, I think I might have some favors coming my way.” That hole in my shoulder had to be worth something.
He squeezed my hand. “Speaking of sundown, we’ve been invited to dinner with Karen and her husband Cole tomorrow evening at their house. They’ve also invited Felicia Lowell, her mother, and her brother. I told them it would depend on how things are going with the case, so we’re not locked into accepting.”
Felicia had been kidnapped by the West-Addison harnad, who had attempted to manufacture a new drug using werewolf blood. Luckily, we’d taken them down befo
re they were successful and rescued Felicia.
“That sounds nice,” I said.
“We don’t have to go. You’ve got an important case right now. We can always take a rain check for another time.”
“Your pack is important too, Sean.” I bumped him with my shoulder. “If we’re not running down a hot lead, we’ll go. Tell them we’ll be there.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Who are you, and what have you done with my girlfriend?”
I lunged at him and he pulled me close, laughing. “That’s better,” he said, kissing my hair. “For a minute there, I was worried about you.”
“Jerk.” I tried to pull away but he kissed me quickly before letting go and scooting over a few inches.
The reason for his quick movement became evident a few seconds later when I heard two sets of heels clicking briskly toward us. We got to our feet just as Esther Aldridge entered the office, followed by her assistant.
“Do you lovebirds need a few more minutes alone?” Esther asked as she strode over to her desk.
At our startled expressions, the older woman waved her hand dismissively and sat down. “It was rather obvious from the moment you arrived in Aaron Riddell’s office that you’re not merely her personal security. Do give me some credit for not having been born yesterday.” She looked at me with an arched eyebrow. “I can’t say I blame you, dear. He’s quite a catch.”
Before I could reply, Sean spoke up. “It’s me who’s lucky. She’s the catch.”
Esther let out a very unladylike snort. “If you weren’t a werewolf, I’d call you ‘silver-tongued,’ young man.”
I was taken aback that she knew Sean was a werewolf, but to my surprise, he chuckled.
She settled back in her chair and appraised us. “I understand from the nice young man out front that your installers will be done shortly. I appreciate your quick response and excellent service. What do you know about how the thieves got past the old system?”
“They’re professionals with cutting-edge equipment,” Sean told her. “The existing system had a flaw they were able to exploit. I’m sorry to say that your safe in here is woefully inadequate for its purpose. I would strongly recommend replacing it with a more modern version. I can make some recommendations, if you would like.”
“Send me a proposal,” Esther said.
I spoke up. “If and when the magical items are found and returned, you should have wards set around the safe to obscure the magical trace. Otherwise, anyone with magic will be able to sense exactly where the items are in your house and get a good idea of what they are, even without seeing them. That might be how you got on the thieves’ radar; Kendall would have been able to sense the trace.”
“Thank you. I will certainly consider it.” Esther glanced at the drop cloth and chalk circle on the floor. “Ms. Harris tells me there was some excitement regarding the anchor.”
“Joseph Kendall is a poor example of a mage security consultant,” I told her frankly. “His wards were insufficient, in my opinion, but worse than that, instead of using his own magic, he trapped a ghost inside that statue and used her to power them.”
Christina gasped. Esther stared at me. “There was a ghost inside the statue?”
“Yes, ma’am, there was. He’d had her in there for years, probably, using her for various purposes, until he brought her here.”
“Is this sort of thing common?” Esther demanded.
I shook my head. “No. Most mages consider it reprehensible. Cabals use ghosts like that, but they’re not really known for their morality. Please don’t judge all mages by what Kendall did.”
“Where is the ghost now?” Christina asked, scanning the room as if looking for the spirit.
“Once I released her, she passed on,” I said, opting for partial truth. “She’s gone. I am sorry about the mess in here, but I had no choice.”
“You did what had to be done.” Esther looked shaken. I couldn’t blame her. “Do you have everything you need to begin looking for the stolen items?”
I nodded. “I think I do.”
Christina handed me a card with her name and a phone number. “If you have any questions, or need to return to the house, please give me a call.”
I put her number into my phone, then tucked the card in my bag. “With your permission, we’ll take off. I’ll keep Aaron posted on our progress.”
“Thank you.” Esther rose from her desk to give us each a handshake. We said good night and headed for the front door.
“So, where to?” Sean asked as we walked. “Looking for Kendall?”
I shook my head. “The goal is the missing items. I don’t want to tip him off that we’re snooping around. I think we head home for now.”
Out front, two Maclin Security installation vans were parked beside our SUVs. Ben stood next to one of them, phone in hand. He looked up as we exited the house. “I was just about to message you that we’ve tested the system and everything’s green across the board.”
“Good work.” Sean clapped Ben on the shoulder. “I appreciate the people who stayed late. If any of them want to go out for beers after, the first round is on me.”
Ben grinned. “I’ll make the offer. I’m sure a couple of them will take me up on it. I bet you get that Boss of the Year mug you’ve been wanting.”
“Been waiting on that for a while,” Sean joked. “You got it from here?”
“Yep. We’ll button things up and head out.” He held out his hand and we shook. “It was great to meet you, Alice. You coming to the pack’s cookout next week?”
My eyebrows went up. The werewolves were having a cookout?
Part of me was apprehensive at the thought of facing the entire pack at once, but I was curious as to how many hamburgers a werewolf pack could eat. I’d seen how many Sean could put away at one sitting. It might be worth it to go just to get an answer to that question.
“I’m not sure yet,” I told Ben with a smile. “My schedule is pretty erratic, but I’ll be there if I can.”
Ben’s smile widened. “Awesome. My girlfriend Casey is helping coordinate the food. If you think you can make it, let me know so she can put you down for something.”
“Will do.”
Sean and I headed for our SUV. Once I was inside, he stopped to talk to the mobile team and then got in beside me. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon.
I cleared my throat. “So, there’s a cookout?”
He sighed as he turned the key in the ignition and headed down the driveway with the other SUV right behind us. “I was going to wait to ask you about that until you’d had a chance to get used to the idea of being around the pack. I thought if we went to dinner at Karen and Cole’s tomorrow night and it went well, that would be a good time to float the idea, but Ben stole my thunder.” He glanced at me as we paused at the end of Esther’s driveway. “This is all too much too soon, isn’t it?”
“Well, it’s a lot for someone who’s been on her own for a while, but Karen and Ben have been very friendly and from what you’ve said about Felicia and her mother and brother, they seem like a nice family. It might not be so bad.” I picked at a loose thread on my khakis.
“And?” Sean prompted.
I scowled. Sean was getting increasingly attuned to my emotions. That wasn’t uncommon for a shifter, but it felt intrusive sometimes. “My birthday is coming up in a couple of d—” I caught myself. “Months.”
Sean nodded. “I had it on my calendar, but I wasn’t sure if you celebrated birthdays. It’s a milestone, though, huh?”
“The big 3-0.”
He reached over and squeezed my hand. “Are you having an existential crisis?” he teased. He saw my face and his smile vanished. “What’s wrong?”
When I didn’t say anything right away, he didn’t press me for an answer. A few minutes later, as we were approaching a stoplight, I said, “I guess I’ve been thinking about family lately, or my lack of one. It’s probably a direct result of my impending birthday becaus
e usually I don’t dwell on that sort of thing. When I see big, happy families, it’s hard. Your pack is like a family. Part of me wants to stay away because it hurts, but there’s a part of me that wants that for myself.”
“That’s understandable.”
I shrugged and stared out the window. “I’m sure it’s just a temporary thing. Once this birthday is over, I’ll go back to being my old solitary self.”
“I don’t think you will. You’ve changed since I met you. As rough as these last few months have been otherwise, look at all the connections you’ve made, the people you’ve gotten to know. You’re not a loner anymore. You actually lit up at the idea of going to dinner at Karen’s house tomorrow. When Ben mentioned the cookout, I thought you’d get that deer-in-the-headlights look. Instead, you looked like you were thinking about whether to bring potato salad or a dessert. I can tell you’re intimidated by the thought of meeting the whole pack, but you didn’t say no instantly like you would have done before.”
“If I did volunteer to bring the potato salad, do they sell it in five-gallon buckets, and if so, how many are we talking?”
He laughed. I smiled and reached over the console to rest my hand on his thigh. It was something I’d never done before. There was something wonderful and comforting about such a casual intimacy.
When he didn’t react, I started to pull my hand back, suddenly self-conscious.
“Leave it,” Sean said. “Please.”
I did.
When we got back to my house, we let Rogue in from the backyard and Sean fed him in the kitchen while I went upstairs to change into jeans and a T-shirt.
My phone rang as I was coming back downstairs. I glanced at the number, then answered. “Hello, Charles.”
In the kitchen, Sean grumbled.
“Good evening, Alice.” A shiver went down my spine at the sound of Charles’s voice. I scowled. I was still feeling the effects of drinking his blood. “What a lovely surprise to hear you called. I can think of no better way to begin my day than by hearing your voice.”
A low growl from the kitchen.
“My people tell me the werewolf is providing your protection detail,” he continued. “If your security situation is not adequate, my invitation to join me remains open.”
