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It makes sense why Ryder is so concerned about his humans; he makes a significant investment when he trains one. He is a businessman, after all, and for a human to disappear without warning is a loss of his investment. If you ask Ryder to explain it, you get two types of humans. Some want the glory of being part of a Supernatural family, and others can’t handle the truth. Those that can’t handle it are promptly dealt with.

That some humans are dealt with confused me because isn’t that the loss of investment Ryder is so wary of? But his reasoning was that this was factored into his plans. There is always the risk of this happening, and while it’s always there, it is much lower than the potential reward if he can complete the training.

Once the humans have completed their training, they have a very cushy life, like Luca’s dad. Either Ryder trains them up to marry into a Supernatural family, or they go to the Undead donors. Alternatively, they can select the sex work option, and as I walk past some of the scantily clad girls, I can’t help noticing that business seems to be booming.

Ryder is powerful in his own right, even if he’s human. He’s ambitious enough to be a Supernatural though. It’s not enough that he supplies humans when we need them. Ryder also needs to remind us of the power he holds over us all. He knows far more secrets in our world than he should. It’s why we entertain his demands.

Spotting me immediately he calls out, “Sebastian! So good to see you, even if the circumstances are shit.”

Ryder’s potbelly bumps into me as he hugs me, and his long gray beard tickles my chin as he leans in. He’s shorter than most, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in confidence, even with his pockmarked skin. He flaps his arms at me to usher me on. “Come into the waiting room. I’ve prepared some snacks for us while you tell me what you’re doing to ensure the safety of the Human Faction.”

Chapter 22 | Intrusive Thoughts

Sebastian

One of the first places I always look for a missing person is under the highway bridge. It's an obvious place, but sometimes, those are the places that are overlooked. Ryder assured me that the missing people on his list hadn’t run. They had been content with their lives until now.

While it's a nice change not dealing out death, investigating a missing person usually has a better ending than this. Throw in some happy tears with a reunion between loved ones, and we all leave a shitty situation feeling like do gooders.

But not today.

A brief flash of disappointment runs through me as I cross check the body that was carelessly dumped here against Ryder’s list. It’s one of his humans. Sighing, I put on some rubber gloves and bend down to her level so I can inspect her body for evidence. Carefully turning her body, I quickly deduce she wasn’t murdered here. I say murdered because I’m familiar with the moment when life leaves a body, and as the blood pools at the lowest points, the muscles stiffen into rigor mortis.

This girl's body has purple hued pooling along her left side, but I found her on her back. There is no ichor, blood, or mess anywhere around her, and that’s how I know this is only a dump site. Feeling her pale arm, it's still slightly warm too; it sets her death to only a few hours ago, which confirms not only was she murdered somewhere else, but it was recent.

Above my hand, in the crook of her arm, a needle juts out of her skin. I know Gabe would be happy to rule this an “overdose” so he can close the case. He’s under immense pressure with all the open cases on his desk. If I didn’t know better, I would have believed the cause of death too. But this girl has no old track marks anywhere on her arms, and new drug users rarely come to places like this to get their fix. They go to more familiar places and only resort to a place like this when they’re desperate. Also, aside from her obvious death, she looks perfectly healthy. Her hair still has a glossy shine. She’s a good weight, and her skin is in good condition. The ultimate give away is the needle being in her right arm. According to Ryder's description, she’s right handed, so it should have been the other way around.

It helps that I murder people for a living because I’m able to spot things like this a lot quicker than the average police officer or detective, a perk of being able to stay so detached. Yes, it’s tragic to lose a young, healthy girl with her life ahead of her, but to me, she’s just a case. Another murder to be solved. If the roles were reversed, and I had to assassinate someone by drug overdose, these are the things I would have considered and posed.

The hairs on the back of my neck tingle, and for a minute, I get the creeping sense that someone is watching me. Is the killer waiting for us to find the body? Is it finally my turn to come face to face with them? Whipping around, flicking a blade out of my belt, ready to fight, I find no one. It's just me and the girl's lifeless body. After nothing happensfor another minute, I turn back to the girl's body with a shake of my head, and I’m confident in my findings.

First the Supernaturals, now the Human Faction. Are they trying to wipe us out? Like they tried to do to our ancestors in Romania?

Either way, that answer isn’t important at this moment. Keeping Ryder and his humans safe is. Without them, the Supernatural’s future becomes endangered. Taking my gloves off and putting them in my pocket to dispose of later, I get my phone out and start walking back to my car. This was a call that no one else wanted to make, but it's necessary. The Human Faction needs to go into lockdown until we solve this. Ryder answers after two rings, so I know he’s been waiting for my call, and I get to the point of what needs to happen next. I know he has prepared for this. Every empire has. If something doesn’t change soon, we’re all going to follow him.

We keep the call short, and after we end it, I follow it up with a text to Gabe to let him know he will need to cover it up because that’s what I pay him for. This murder is part of our world, not the accidental overdose it seems, and I include my recommended next steps to keep the truth hidden. Jude was right; we should have listened to her. But instead of taking her seriously, we were too busy with parties and power struggles. This is what it’s gotten us.

Inside my car, I briefly consider lunch at my favorite cafe as loneliness rears its head. Who would I call to join me for lunch? Kyla is gone. Jude has Jayden, and there is no space for me in their arrangement. Knowing I would be some awkward third wheel is much worse than losing her. Luca has her own stuff to handle. I could call Dom, and I know he would happily keep me company, but if I got too close to him, then what?

My mind circles back to Jude and my instructions to limit my interactions with her. Unless it’s for business or another heir is with us, I’m not to be alone with her. The wedding needs to happen with no issues from me, or I could risk relations between the Rogues and the Druids, and we all know that Alyssa Vance would never want that.

Leaning back in my car seat, I’m conflicted because I’m not really sure what to do right now. Outside of work, I’ve got nothing left, and it’s moments like this that drive that point home. Thankfully, my phone rings at that moment, saving me from needing to decide. Intrigued when I see Luca’s name on the phone, I answer immediately.

“Hey, L, what’s up?” I ask.

“My mom’s missing Sebastian. I don’t know what to do,” she responds with anxiety flooding her voice. In all the time I’ve known Luca, she’s been fearless and unstoppable; this call is so at odds with the girl I’ve grown up with. Any traces of our usual bickering is gone as I get serious. “What do you need from me?” I ask her.

Ever practical despite her concern, she tells me, “Help me find her. Aside from the fact that I’m worried, if I don’t find her soon, Storin’s family is going to challenge me for the position of head of our empire. While I know I would win, there is a part of me that’s worried I won’t. Silva and Jude are already working on it, but I know you can help speed this up with your influence and connections.”

My heart sinks because Luca didn’t call me first. A petty part of me had hoped she did, even if I don’t know why. I just wanted someone to choose me first for once in my life. But, I’m no one’s first, and I’ve known that for a long time. Regardless, she needs me, so I’m goingto shove the pity into the corner, and I respond, “I’ll be right there. I’m not that far away from you.”

Less than thirty minutes later, I’m strolling into Luca’s penthouse because she gave us each a code to let ourselves in if we ever needed to, something I’m grateful for now. Finding them all sitting on the sofa, I pause. It’s the first time I’ve seen Jude since the ball where everything changed, and it’s like a kick in the stomach to see her again.

Luca runs and tackles me with a hug as she buries her face in my chest, and this unnerves me more than anything else. The Luca I know is polished, controlled, and in charge. This version of her is about to fall apart, and I would do anything to stop it for her. Not wasting any time with greetings, I get to the point. “What do we know about Gabriela and how she’s been taken?”

Jude, doing her best impression of remaining neutral, responds, “Gabriela got called to Tao for an emergency, and she left in a rush. Silva then called Luca looking for Gabriela, unsure of who was coming into work since Luca is in transition to take over permanently. But that hasn’t been announced yet. Silva never called for Gabriela, and even then, she never showed up at Tao, and when Luca tried to call her mom again, her phone had been disconnected.”

Tense silence fills the room for a moment before the other man in the room, the one I’ve been avoiding for now, offers his take. “Tao cameras have picked up nothing, and neither have the cameras in this building. It’s like she’s disappeared into thin air.” Nodding at him, I immediately attempt to diffuse the tension I pick up from Luca as I hear her inhale a shocked gasp of breath.