Edge of the Night (Night #3) Read online

  “A cosmetic one,” Luca answered. Even upside down, he could see what Gregor had pointed out. Interesting. Several possibilities filtered through his mind—those that involved Asher being involved in the vandalism anyway and those that didn’t. Either way, this situation was more complex than it first appeared. He needed to get his hands on whatever information the FBI had on this guy. He hadn’t finished looking Kondan up yesterday, but his laptop was in his bag so he could clear that problem up after breakfast.

  Erin walked around the island and parked herself in the stool on Luca’s other side. She leaned forward to address both men. “He had plastic surgery? No way. Not Asher. He thought he was the prettiest thing to ever grace the planet.”

  “Not that kind of cosmetic.” Luca pulled the file away from the other vampire to read it properly. “It’s the latest fad for vampires—a full transfusion.”

  “You mean he had a blood transfusion for fun?” Incredulousness rang in her tone.

  It was a struggle to keep the smile off his face. “Some of the more—”

  “Idiotic, yuppie dipshit vampires,” Gregor interjected.

  “—think their blood becomes weakened by using elixir, and strengthened by vampiric blood-sharing, so they undergo a transfusion to replace all their blood with donated vampire blood.”

  The disbelief didn’t entirely fade, but the idea had piqued her curiosity. She shifted in her seat to read over his shoulder. “Seriously?”

  Luca touched a fingertip to the dates of the hospital stay, which clearly overlapped the day her car had been trashed. “The process takes a while to complete, so there’s no popping in and popping out. Usually you’re hooked up to needles for a good twenty-four hours with blood draining out of you and being pumped back in.”

  Suspicion shone in her gaze when she raised her eyes from the file to his face. “How do you know so much about this?”

  Right. As if he’d participate in this kind of bullshit. “I have a cousin or two who’ve undergone the process. They claim it’s invigorating.”

  “Morons,” Gregor muttered, using his toast to mop up what was left of his eggs. It looked as if he’d licked the plate clean when he was done.

  “That was my thinking too.” Luca nodded and finished his breakfast. “Some of my cousins qualify as ‘idiotic, yuppie dipshit vampires.’”

  Gregor’s gaze gleamed appreciatively at that, but he refocused on Erin. “Anyway. He’s not our guy for the vandalism.”

  “Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have an accomplice,” Luca said. “I’m not ready to rule him out as a suspect.”

  “Agreed.” Gregor got up to fetch himself some coffee, and brought steaming mugs back to Erin and Luca. “I’ve already got my contacts trying to run down everything on his friends, family and associates. Discreetly, of course.”

  Sipping the coffee, Luca sat back on his stool. “I’ll put some of my people on it too. Let’s see what kind of rocks we turn over.”

  The redhead toasted him with his mug. “And what kind of slimy crawlers are hiding under those rocks.”

  “That too.” He inclined his head to acknowledge the point. “We also need to look more closely at other possibilities though. Disgruntled customers, employees, friends, family.” He looked at Erin, saw the fear building in her blue gaze. “We’ll find whoever’s doing this to you.”

  “I just…was so sure it would be cut and dry. Asher did it.” Her hands trembled as she lifted her cup to her lips.

  Luca rubbed a palm up and down her back, hoping to give her some comfort, but there was no escaping what was happening to her. “It might still be him. We just have to make sure we don’t overlook anything. Your safety is too important to take this lightly or make assumptions.”

  Assumptions got people killed in his experience, but he kept that to himself. The look in Gregor’s eyes said exactly the same thing Luca was thinking. Erin was innocent of the kind of depravity Gregor and he had witnessed, and Luca wanted her to hold on to that innocence. He wished he could shield her from everything, but they’d need her cooperation as they dug into every aspect of her life—personal and professional.

  More than just her home was about to be invaded.

  What if it wasn’t Asher?

  Erin’s mind spun in sickening circles. It was easier to deal with all of this when she had a target for her rage, when she had someone to blame for stalking her. But this new evidence from Gregor meant her stalker might not have been Asher after all. Her heart constricted, her throat closing over the whimper that wanted to escape. It was even more terrifying not knowing who was doing this. When it was some nameless, faceless menace, it made her feel that much more vulnerable.

  It could be anyone. Even someone she barely knew, who she’d never suspect if they passed her on the street. Bitter bile flooded her mouth, and her stomach heaved on the food she’d so recently consumed. She clamped a hand over her mouth.

  “Hey.” Luca ducked his head to meet her eyes. “It’s going to be okay. We will catch the person doing this. You’re safe now.”

  Safe. An ugly little laugh burst from her. It had been weeks, maybe months since she’d truly felt that way. Not since the first time she’d thought someone was watching her. She shivered, gooseflesh breaking out on her arms.

  “Erin?” Closing a hand over the back of her neck, Luca drew her close to kiss her temple.

  “Will I ever feel safe again?” She didn’t think so. Asher had taken that away from her the first time he’d stalked her, and she’d only just started to relax her guard a little—to not glance around every time she left a building—wondering where he might pop up next. This time, it was worse.

  “I hope feeling safe isn’t out of reach for you.” Luca’s telepathic words flitted through her mind. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. Gregor will do the same.”

  She just hoped it would be enough, that having these men near would do something to relieve this oppressive fear that threatened to smother her. Why her? What the hell had she ever done to anyone to make not one, but multiple people decide to stalk her? She paid her taxes, played nice with others, treated her employees fairly, loved her family. It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t, she knew that, but this was a special level of fucked up. And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. That was probably the worst part, and she hated it.

  Gregor’s head snapped up, his head cocking like a dog listening for something. “You should know, I was followed here.”

  “Oh?” Luca’s voice was mildly curious. “By anyone interesting?”

  She elbowed him. “Or dangerous?”

  “Interesting, yes.” A half-smile curved Gregor’s lips, but he still looked a little pinched around the mouth. “Dangerous, definitely. Dangerous to Ms. Bates, no.”

  “Who—?”

  A banging sounded on the front door, and she watched Luca close his eyes and curse.

  “What?” she demanded. “What’s going on? What do you know that I don’t?”

  “Erin, I can smell you in there!” Holly’s muffled voice came through the thick slab of metal. “Open this door right now!”

  “Cavalli?” This voice was lower, richer, with a distinct southern drawl. “I know that redheaded piece of scum is in there with you. The stink of cat piss is unmistakable.”

  Gregor winced, his mouth tightening. “Ah, Delta. Always such a pleasure.”

  Though he spoke no louder than a normal tone, there was a distinct hiss from outside to indicate the female vampire had heard him.

  Luca pinched the bridge of his nose, sending a thought to everyone. “So, who wants to answer the door? Should we draw straws?”

  “I’ll do it.” Erin slipped off her stool, leaving half her food uneaten. She wasn’t hungry anymore.

  “No,” both men barked.

  Luca glared at her. “You hired a bodyguard—you don’t answer the door. Your senses won’t tell you if it’s a trick, or if there’s more than what you’re expecting waiting on the other
side. Leave that to Gregor or me.”

  Yes, it made sense. No, that didn’t mean she liked being snapped at and ordered around. She glared back at Luca, folded her arms and jerked her chin toward the door. “Fine. Go ahead. Unleash the beasts.”

  More pounding sounded from outside, louder and more insistent. Delta’s voice was just as insistent. “Cavalli, I will use a charm to get through her security system if I have to. And don’t think I can’t pick this lock.”

  “Forget picking it, my cousin is in there with two bloodsuckers,” Holly growled. “Break the fucking door down. One kick is all I need.”

  “I think y’all are forgettin’ you’re standing next to a bloodsucker, and you wouldn’t have been able to tail Gregor’s slippery ass if it weren’t for me.” The drawl got thicker as Delta grew annoyed. “Mind your manners, wolf-breath.”

  Muttering from Holly answered that. Gregor sighed and raised his eyes heavenward as if seeking some divine intervention. “I should get hazard pay for this.”

  He stepped over to the door with the air of a man going to his doom, flicked back the lock and whipped himself out of the way as it slammed open.

  “Is it wrong that I enjoyed Gregor being scared of two rather petite women?” Luca whispered in her mind.

  Erin suspected that he sent the thought to her privately, and she winked back at him, doing her best to smother a grin. There was something humorous in watching one of America’s Most Wanted hesitate over dealing with Holly and Delta. Then again, Erin wouldn’t want to meet either woman in a dark alley when they were pissed off. Petite or not, a vampire and a werewolf were to be taken seriously—at least by a Normal. She suspected Gregor’s hesitance had more to do with Delta than anything else. There was a history there, though she didn’t know what it entailed. Maybe Luca knew. She wished she could project private thoughts back at him, but she’d just have to wait for a quiet moment to ask him.

  Her cousin swept into her condo and lifted her off her feet in a hug. It was like being caught in a vice, and Erin saw dark spots swim before her eyes. She patted Holly’s shoulder gingerly and gurgled, “I can’t breathe.”

  “Good, damn it.” Holly dropped her, and Erin sucked in a huge lungful of sweet, sweet oxygen. Staggering, she grabbed the back of the stool to steady herself while Holly paced. “You scared the shit out of me. What the fuck is going on?” Her finger shook under Erin’s nose. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”

  “I won’t.”

  Holly jerked her thumb toward Delta, who stood glowering at Gregor. The southern belle didn’t even look up. “This one came looking for him at Sugar Rush.” Holly pointed at Luca. “And then saw him ghosting around the place looking fishy.” Her finger aimed at Gregor. “And she freaked out, which freaked me out, and… What’s going on?”

  Weariness crashed into Erin with the subtle force of a tidal wave. “I wish I knew for sure, but I’m hoping Luca and Gregor can figure it out.”

  Luca frowned at Delta. “Why were you looking for me?”

  She shrugged. “You took a leave of absence, boss. It freaked all of us in the Magickal Crimes Unit, because…well, you never take vacation. You’re a machine.”

  “Thanks, Dubois, that’s flattering.” He scrubbed a hand over his sex-and-sleep-mussed hair. He hardly looked like a machine, or even a spit and polish agent. Erin thought he looked pretty delicious.

  Delta arched her pale eyebrows. “Well, it’s the truth. Or it has been. So I came looking to see what was up, and I wasn’t gonna stop looking until I found out.”

  Holly propped her hands on her hips. “How’d you know to come looking for him at our bakery?”

  The female vampire smirked. “Cavalli’s been looking way more relaxed the last while than anyone’s ever seen him. We all figured he was gettin’ some play from someone, but it’s not like we looked into it or anything. Until, you know, he up and disappeared yesterday and no one knew where he was or what happened to him.”

  “Did Jack look into it?” Erin cringed.

  “No, Jack told me to mind my own business and let Luca sort himself out after a rough case. If that meant he wanted to hole up with his ladybird, or just get out of town for a while, then that was his right.” Delta tilted her head, squinted. “I’m not sure if that means he knows the ladybird is you and he didn’t want anyone else to know, so told me to stay out of it, or if it means he doesn’t know it’s you, and so saw no reason to interfere.”

  “With Jack, it could go either way,” said Holly.

  “I know.” Delta’s nod was sage.

  Luca propped his elbows on the counter behind him, his eyes narrowed. “You can stop talking about me as if I’m not standing right here.”

  “Me too, thanks so much. Ladybird.” Erin raised her eyes to the ceiling as if that might grant her some patience. “Jesus.”

  “Right,” Holly replied briskly. “Back to the part where you actually tell us what’s going on. I’m assuming it has something to do with your car getting messed up the other day?”

  “I thought so, but then Gregor found out that it might not.” That quiver of fear centered in her belly again, and she swallowed hard.

  Luca laid a hand on her shoulder. “It still might.”

  “How?” She met his gaze, hoping he could offer her any kind of reassurance, but knew he couldn’t give her the answers she wanted so desperately. “He was in the hospital. So either it’s not him or the car incident wasn’t related.”

  “As I said, he could have an accomplice.” His thumb swept in soothing arcs over the back of her neck. “A friend…someone he paid…there are several possible scenarios that don’t rule out his involvement.”

  “A friend?” She laughed and it sounded like a sob, but she couldn’t help it. “Sure, because it’s one big fucking joke to mess with a Normal’s head. Woo, fun. It’s what all the Magickals are doing for kicks these days.”

  Holly rounded on Luca. “Details, please. Which Magickals are messing with her head?”

  “We believe Erin is being stalked.” His voice had all the neutrality of an agent giving a press conference. “We have some ideas about who may be behind this, but we’re still exploring all avenues.”

  Erin sat down on her stool again. “I’ve been getting a lot of heavy breathing hang up calls, I’ve been followed, and I’m pretty sure there’s someone watching me. Like that creepy, eyes-are-on-you feeling.”

  “Is it that fucker Asher again? I will rip his lungs out.” Holly’s fangs bared, and sharp claws extended from her fingertips, making the pixie-like wolf look like something out of a horror movie.

  “We don’t know. I thought it was, at first, but he was in the hospital for the car incident, which was the first real thing rather than just feeling like I was being watched or followed. So I’m not sure of anything anymore.” She startled when Balthasar jumped into her lap and began purring. She hadn’t even known he was at her house, but the familiar came and went as he pleased, so it didn’t surprise her. She petted him, his warm body vibrating under her palm, and she hoped it would grant her some calm.

  “He was getting a transfusion?” Holly asked, her brows puckered in confusion. Apparently, she hadn’t heard about this new vamp fad either.

  Delta chortled. “I can’t believe people actually do that. Too bored and too rich to do anything better with their time.”

  Gregor gave a grunt of approval, the first sound he’d made since Delta and Holly entered the condo. It seemed the redhead was doing his best to blend into the shadows.

  Delta slanted a glance in his direction, cold dislike molding her features. “You better make sure nothing happens to either of them.” Her gesture indicated Erin and Luca. “Or I will hold you personally responsible. You understand me?”

  “Perfectly.” His expression was more sober than Erin had ever seen it, the perpetual cheer wiped clean from his face. But the way he stared at Delta had a hungry edge to it, as if he’d been starved for the sight of her.

  The fem
ale vampire no doubt noticed, because her eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t think that because you saved Selina from your twisted serial killer of a brother, it does anything to redeem you. You’re still a bastard and a pathetic excuse for a human being.”

  One coppery eyebrow arched. There wasn’t an ounce of sarcasm when he answered. “You’re absolutely right about that. But I’m a bastard who never got over you, who still dreams about what it was like to—”

  “Shut up!” She hissed, fangs bared. “It was one time, one night, and it will never happen again. You turned me illegally. If I ever press charges against you, you’d be put to death in a hot second. Don’t you forget it.”

  His smile was sad, but the hunger in his gaze never wavered. “I know, and it doesn’t change my dreams. Takes pathetic to new heights, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes. It does.” She sniffed, turning away, but not before Erin caught the turmoil in her gaze. She didn’t hate Gregor quite as much as she claimed, which clearly bothered her. But he’d illegally made her a vampire? That was an automatic death sentence in the Magickal world. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200, just straight to the execution. But Delta had never pressed charges. How interesting. Erin didn’t even know someone had to press charges for an illegal vampire turning or werewolf Change to be taken to court.

  Luca said he’d never pried into what happened, but she bet he knew more than these two had just revealed. She was definitely prying all the juicy details out of him later. Vampire gossip wasn’t something she got to hear much about, since her family consisted of wolves, a Normal and an elf.

  Plus, it was nice to have a diversion, even for a little while, from her own problems.

  Silence stretched into awkwardness, with no one meeting anyone else’s gaze, until Holly cleared her throat and turned to Luca. “Um…back to Erin’s stalking. I’ll get you all of our employee records, every piece of information we have on suppliers, vendors, anyone who has regular dealings with us. We don’t keep a ton of information on our customers, but I can give you what I have.” She straightened her shoulders, a determined glint in her eyes. “It breaks about a million policies, but I’ll deal with the consequences if anyone ever finds out. You just figure out who’s doing this and stop them.”