Catastrophe (14 page)

I had honestly never thought much about it. It wasn’t my business. They committed crimes then ran away, and I found them and returned them. That was my job.

“Do you not feel the vampires should be allowed to govern their own race? They are perhaps somehow more corrupt than most.”

I closed my eyes. “I am not saying that either.” It was probably true, but I wasn’t saying it. I wasn’t sure what I was saying. I just wanted to stop feeling like my actions made me as bad as he was. I’d let him believe I would help him then stabbed him in the back. It was beneath me.

“Perhaps you believe all of this is about you, then?”

I opened one eye. “What do you mean?”

“You are the one who exposed him for what he was, correct? It is because of you the vampires hunt him.”

“No. They are after him because he is an asshole who tried to sell people to rich vampires to feed on, and apparently betrayed a lot more than that. There is no proof that Thomas has ever made a good decision in his whole life.” Besides for the one when he warned me about the plan to sell me, turning his life upside down and having to go on the run, because in the end he couldn’t betray me, not on a life-or-death matter. Not like I had betrayed him. “I put a stop to what he was doing and I am proud of it. This is different, though.”

“How?”

“I’m hungry.” I laid my head against the steering wheel. I turned to look at him. “I know it isn’t my place, but I don’t want to be the reason he dies.”

Quintus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Life is rarely comprised of easy paths. But I have no doubt you will find your way.”

I rolled my eyes. That was fucking helpful. “That’s it? That’s the best you can do? Chin up.”

He smiled. “It’s not your fault, nor is it over. Appeal to Corbin’s goodwill.”

If that was all I had going for them then we were all sunk. “Come take a look at this ghoul with me. Tell me if you see anything at all. I’m missing something.”

I took him back to the remains. I didn’t bother getting a flashlight; the light Quintus naturally emitted was bright enough. The pieces were where Amos had left them, and we squatted around them: two fingers (the other one was still in my hotel room), an ear, and half a leg.

“This is all that’s left?” Quintus asked.

I nodded. “It is leaving behind pieces with anything man-made.”

He picked up the rotting leg and looked over it. “This isn’t much to go on.” His hand hovered over the skin as he inspected it with a frown. He put the limb back down and stood, meandering around the gravestones.

“Decided to take a walk?” I asked, catching up with him. “Did you see something?”

He shook his head. “Graveyards are rarely as empty as they look. There’s always at least a ghost or two, if not some other undead being. Have you spoken with them?”

I hadn’t sensed any of other presence, but I hadn’t thought about it. He was right—something else should have been here, but instead it was empty. Completely empty.

“What doesn’t like man-made items and has the power to scare off the undead?”

He put an arm over my shoulders. “Figure that out and you’ve found your killer.”

****

Quintus left to make some of his own inquiries while I headed back to the hotel. It was time Amos and I had a nice, long chat about the council. There was no way he or Leilah or anyone who saw the bodies believed they were a werewolf attack. Also, the vampires didn’t suddenly get the notion to use me as leverage against Thomas. All of this somehow fit together, and that was where I’d find the real reason they sent me here.

I hadn’t been in my room for more than a few seconds before there was a knock on the door, utterly confirming that my room was being watched.

“I know you are there, Femi,” Amos said from the other side. “We need to talk.”

“My sentiments exactly,” I said brightly, opening the door. Amos stood in the hallway scowling at me. “How was your day? Productive? Mine was.”

He came into my room and I shut the door behind him. “Well, I spent most of it looking for you or being yelled at about how had I lost you. So there was that for starters.”

“Really?” I batted my eyes. “I can’t imagine how the council would know you lost me, unless you told them. Or even why they would be so bent on knowing exactly where I am or what I am doing when I am working for them. In fact, it’s almost like they are impeding my progress, which makes me question—why send me here at all?”

His hands fidgeted as he shifted his feet. “It’s more general concern. They just want to make sure you take their secrets seriously.”

I scrunched my nose. “Well, I did sign the contract.”

Amos gave me a helpless shrug. “We are all servants to a higher power.”

“And who do they serve?” I asked.

He smiled before it quickly fell from his face. “The people of the Abyss, of course.”

“Oh, of course,” I echoed. “Those same people who aren’t allowed to know anything about them. That makes perfect sense.”

Amos struggled not to smile. He wasn’t completely behind the council, that much was clear, which meant he might be still be useful. I needed him on my side to help deflect them until I had the information I needed. And this room obviously wasn’t the best place to talk.

“What did you find?” he asked, glancing around the room hopefully, like I would have the werewolf hog-tied on my bed.

“You first,” I said. “Actually, let’s put a hold on this. You know I haven’t eaten almost the whole day. It’s no wonder I’m feeling sluggish. Come have dinner with me. We’ll chat over food.”

His eyes flickered toward one of the ceiling vents. “We could order in?”

“No. I want to go out. Is there a reason we shouldn’t?”

His tongue darted out at the corner of his mouth. “Well…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve heard that the vampires might want to chat with you. It might be best to stay under their radar.”

“Hmph. Interesting. I heard they already knew where I was staying.”

And there was the confirmation that the council already knew about the vampires. “But I’ve never had problems with them in the past. I’m sure it will be fine.” I waved his concerns off. “Let’s go.” I charged toward the door, and he reluctantly fell into step with me.

“They won’t like this,” he said under his breath as we waited for the elevator.

“I don’t care,” I said, smiling up at the security camera.

I picked the smallest, oldest restaurant I could find that definitely did not have security cameras. As soon as we were seated, I leaned forward. “You’re going to tell me exactly what your mission is in all of this. No more lies. No more bullshit. What have I gotten myself into?”

“The council isn’t what it seems,” he said in a hushed tone.

“A bunch of people too powerful for their own good and more interested in feeding their personal bias than the well-being of the people of the Abyss who they claim to represent?” I asked.

He smiled. “Maybe they are exactly as they seem.”

I laughed. “Seriously. Why was I sent here?”

“It’s a test,” he said. I opened my mouth to argue, and he shook his head. “Not the test you think it is.”

I pressed my lips together.

“The test isn’t yours. The vampires—” A sudden smile spread over his lips, and he sat back slightly. “They really do have the best crawfish in town.”

I didn’t look to see who came in, but obviously we weren’t alone. If the vampires weren’t testing me and it had to do with the council, then it either meant that they were testing Paolo or Corbin. “Great. I’ll have that,” I mumbled.

The waitress came over and we both placed our orders.

He gave me a subtle yet meaningful look as she walked away. “However,” he said, “I hear that the crawfish aren’t as good as they used to be. The owner lost one of his suppliers and none of the others have lived up to expectations. So really, the restaurant is slipping and everyone says if the supplier doesn’t come back then the owner will go bankrupt. The situation is quite desperate.”

I nodded slowly. “It’s not easy running a restaurant.” So it was Paolo they were testing. The council must have sensed weakness in him and were worried that the vampires would lose their small sense of government. I could see where that would pose a problem. Without something to hold vampires accountable, anything could happen, and the Abyss wasn’t equipped to govern. That would mean either the council would have to find another race to absorb the vampires or they would have to be contained like the werewolves before them.

It did explain why Paolo was trying so hard to get Corbin back as he had been. He needed Corbin by his side because together they were strong enough to keep the vampires in check, which would matter to the council—but why did it matter to Paolo?

But then why was I here? Why did I need to be down here for that? “The supplier has nothing to do with me,” I said.

If they wanted to make sure Corbin came here then they should have used Selene. He had nothing to do with me. Even Thomas would have been better—oh. It hit me. That was the hook. They did use Thomas, but Corbin was sick of chasing his own tail. He only believed Thomas was here when I showed up, but it still didn’t explain how they knew Thomas would be here. And if they knew he was here then why not just tell Paolo?

“The supplier has nothing to do with any of us. He just needs to change his mind. There are ways to make that happen. To make people long for the ways things used to be in the brighter days of the past. There are things the supplier wants, though, as payment for his loyalty. Things that will hopefully remind him of who he was, but in order to see them, he had to come to the meeting. Perhaps the supplier thinks you could get him those things.”

Corbin may not have come down here for a random sighting, but a sighting in combination with my being here… I’d walked him right into their trap. But what was their plan? Was giving him Thomas enough? There were too many unanswered questions. “Even if that’s true, how do they plan to change his mind?”

“I agree that he can probably never go back to what he was, but he can be made into something new. When the very thing you have always wanted is within your grasp and is taken away, that bitterness and rage will fester and grow. It can change everything about you.”

They were going to take Thomas from him. I felt an instant of relief mixed with concern. “When?”

“I don’t know.”

I had to get back to the house. It was probably already too late. I started to stand up, just as the waitress set our plates on the table. Just the smell alone made my mouth water. It wasn’t fair. “Restroom?”

The waitress pointed to the back of the room.

I nodded, casually walking to the back and through the door. A small window high up would work just fine. I stood on the sink and shoved it open then pushed out the screen before pulling myself through it. I had to get to Corbin before they did.

****

Parked about a block from the house, I opened my trunk. I slipped off the necklace and zipped it into one of the pockets on the cargo pants. Mentally I prepared myself to find anything in the house. Corbin could have lost his temper and already killed Thomas. The vampires could have taken them both. I should have never left them alone. I picked two handguns from my stash and tucked them into the waistband of my pants. I proceeded to strap on every knife and piece of ammunition I could hold. It looked like I was going to war.

I crept up to the house. The windows were dark, and inside was absolutely silent. Part of me questioned why I was doing any of this. I didn’t love being used, but I served my purpose here. The council had won. They’d used me to meddle with the vampires, and I had done everything they wanted me to do. It was done. It sucked, but I should have been able to walk away. However, my mind was already spinning with how I could get in and reach Corbin. I pushed open the door.

Corbin sat on the couch across from Thomas, who was still chained to the post. His face might as well have been carved in marble for all the emotion it showed. He stared as if he blinked, Thomas would disappear again. “That was fast,” he said without looking up, the smooth baritone of his voice soft.

“We need to move him,” I said. I had never seen this side of Corbin before. Usually he was a smug asshole, which, frankly, was easier to deal with. I had no idea what to expect from him now. “The situation isn’t what we think it is.”

His black eyes shifted toward me. “He stays where he is.”

“You don’t understand.” At least I hoped he didn’t. “All of this is a setup.” I glanced out the window. The street appeared quiet, but for how long? I had no idea why Paolo hadn’t come immediately, other than he wanted to give Corbin time alone with Thomas. Time to stew and be consumed by his hatred, which was obviously working. “I’ll explain everything later. They’re coming for him.”

“I don’t care. Out there, I can’t control what happens, so we’re staying here,” Corbin said. “Until you release him, and then he’s mine. Solve your case. None of this has anything to do with you. Whatever he has planned, I can handle it.”

“You have no idea how much I wish that was true.” I moved in front of him, forcing him to look at me. “We’re being scammed, Corbin. Both of us. We’re the only two people who have no idea what’s going on with any of this. The case hasn’t felt right from the beginning because everything was a lie. Don’t you see? We’re the pawns. You can’t honestly tell me that this doesn’t all seem too easy to you. Thomas just happens to show up and trust me all of a sudden? That doesn’t seem odd to you?”

His mouth twitched down, a flicker of life. “How so?”

“As far as I can tell, the council is worried about the vampires. They think for some reason that Paolo is losing control. I really don’t know a lot about it. They asked me to come here and investigate what they said was a werewolf outbreak. I agreed, though I told them from the start this wasn’t a werewolf. Holden and Sy thought they chose me to test me, but none of us knew why. But the test wasn’t mine—it was yours or Paolo’s, I’m not sure which, or what the council hopes will happen. Somehow, and I am still not sure how, they knew Thomas would be here, so they also sent me. I was the bait. If I was here and there was a Thomas sighting, they knew you’d come.”

“And why should they care about any of this?” he asked. “My history with him has nothing to do with any of this.”

“But it does. You were part of Paolo’s strength. I don’t know how things were, only you can answer that, but you have to admit things haven’t been the same since Camila. Could Thomas have gotten away with half of the shit he did before you were—” I gestured at him, not sure how to finish the sentence, but looking at his sulky face helped. “Emo.”