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“Where are we searching today?” Ava plops beside me on the couch with her Pad Thai.

I stretch out my legs and pull out my notebook. A multi-page list with more things crossed off than I’d like, details our agenda. I rattle off some names and Ava freezes. She drops her food none too gracefully on the table getting noodles on my paper. I growl at the sight of my now soiled paper.

“We are so stupid!” she shouts and hits her head with the palm of her hand. “I know exactly where we need to look. We’re focusing on the wrong spot.” Shoving one more mouthful of noodles in, she rushes around to grab her coat and shoes.

I follow after her, because she must be on to something to act this way, and to leave her food behind. Another thing I’ve learned about Ava is she takes her takeout food very seriously.

“The club!” Ava shouts as we run down the hallway. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. Celine always thought Vex was so fishy. I thought she was just being paranoid, but it makes sense, right?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “That has to be it.”

I shake my head but follow her onto the elevator anyway. “I scoped it out multiple times. I didn’t smell anything or find evidence otherwise. ”

“We’ve only ever seen the public part of the club. Celine tried to see into the back once but got stopped by the goons guarding the door. Remember the kidnapping and all that weirdness?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Besides, you’re the one that said her smell just vanished the day she was taken so I thinkyou’re being a little cocky and relying on your vampire mojo a little too much.”

I shake my head, confused. “I thought that whole thing was resolved with Vex, and they found the body without any club connection?”

Ava turns to me with exasperation. And Celine thinks I’m the one without patience.

“We overheard suspicious things the first time we went there, and I know Celine didn’t agree with the outcome of the case. It has to be the club. My spidey-senses are tingling, Zavier.” She wiggles her fingers. “The woman she was in contact with was an odd one.” Ava taps her heel in quick succession on the ground. “There was just something off-putting about her.” She shivers at the memory.

“What woman?” I tilt my head, following her off the elevator. “Celine didn’t mention a name.”

“Oh, so she tells me things she doesn’t tell you, huh?” She sticks her tongue out and I do it right back. “Genevieve was the name of the woman who reported her friend missing. But I’m not so sure now that they were really friends. Maybe it was a ruse to get close to Celine.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I’m seething at the dots that are slowly connecting. She met with Celine behind my back and with her scent being undetectable for some fucking reason I had been none the wiser.

Filling in Ava, she rages with me and for the first time in almost two weeks I have hope.

I just pray Celine is okay and in one piece when I get to her.

CHAPTER 48

CELINE

"Five hundred,” I whisper.

I count five hundred seconds exactly before I attempt to leave my cell. While terrified to leave, I’m even more terrified to stay. Who knows how long before Genevieve snaps and takes me out. Sure, she has me for leverage over Zavier, but I know her fuse is short, and it wouldn’t take much. Plus, what’s stopping her from lying to him? She could chop me into little pieces and send me floating down the river tomorrow. I’m under no illusions that I’m making it out of this alive if I stay here.

All I can hope is the blood I’ve been slipping Valen is enough for him to give us a fighting chance. I can’t do this without him.

My body protests with every move I make, and the bits of stale bread and water sips haven’t sustained me. Not to mention I’m probably in need of a blood transfusion myself and running on fumes at this point. I use the metal bars to drag myself to a standing position and my legs shake like a newborn foal. I’m pissed at how shot my endurance is since I’ve been held and deprived for so long. Boxing is going to be a bitch to get used to again. Resting my forehead against the metal, I center myself and give a mental pep talk before proceeding.

My needy vampire is out there looking for me. Who’s going to keep him out of trouble if I don’t? He could also be trapped here like I am. Plus, my dad needs me. Save the day, Celine. It’s what you’re made for.

With renewed determination, I cringe at the squeaking of the door when I open it part way. I’m not sure who all is around and what they can hear. Hopefully Genevieve is long gone for the day.

Turned sideways, I slide through, not wanting to risk more noise than necessary. Valen’s cell remains empty, but I spot a small item wrapped in cloth against the wall. I’ve seen flashes of him holding it when he thinks I don’t notice. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s clearly something of importance, so I snag it and pocket the bundle.

Multiple times I have to stop while climbing the stairs. From my stint down here, however long it’s been, my endurance is shot. It’s sad how quick it is to leave your body when you aren’t consistently using it. It pisses me off that I’ll have to hit the gym hard before I’m at full strength for work again.

Ugh. I’ll probably be bedridden while I heal, and I know Zavier is the mother hen type.

I pant and wheeze like an out of breath whale. The air gets slightly warmer the higher I get, which is a relief, but also feels like needles against my skin after all this time. It went numb early on and to have feeling back is a double-edged sword. God I probably look and smell horrendous. My hair is greasy and matted. When I get out of here—because I will get out of here, I refuse to think about the alternative—I’m taking the longest shower ever.

There’s a door at the top of the stairwell and it appears to be unlocked. Stupid vampires. Ever so gently I push and peer through the sliver of exposed hallway behind the door. At firstglance it’s silent and empty of life but that doesn’t mean I’m letting my guard down.

I slip through and close the door behind me. Now in another creepy, hallway that’s only slightly less musty, but more modern than the dungeon below, I get my bearings. There’s a door at either end. I choose the right to head toward.

My footsteps are as quiet as I can make them and the closer I get to the door, the more I hear a slight whirring sound. I walk over and repeat the process of slowly opening the door to peer in. Thankfully, I chose the correct room and Valen lies strapped to a table. His arm is full of tubes that are pulling blood out and cycling it through the machine before depositing it into bags.