Page 7 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

CHAPTER SIX

L una disappears into the other room. She moves slowly, stiffly—exhausted, but still on edge. I know that feeling. On edge is my way of life. As a vampire, it is the only way to exist. If the world uncovered my secret, I have no doubt that teams of men would be dispatched to kill all of us.

I returned my focus to the task at hand as I race up the stairs, two at a time.

My shoes hit the warehouse floor with a solid thud, thud, thud , the sound barely swallowed by the vast space.

The air inside is thick with the scent of motor oil, metal, and fast food.

I have spent decades in this place, seen deals made and broken, fortunes exchanged in whispers, and power solidified with the simplest of nods.

My family has owned this section of the Genoa waterfront in one manner or another for several human generations, but I’m finding myself growing tired of it.

It might be time for a change. To what, I have no idea.

I scan the space for Rinaldo, locating him in the far corner where he’s looking over some paperwork on a clipboard.

"Boss, what’s up?" Rinaldo greets me as I approach. He is a short, tough-looking man whose muscles come from hard labor rather than a gym. His dark eyes always appear serene, but I’ve seen him kill a man in seconds by choking the life out of him. Still waters do indeed run deep.

"I need a car,” I say.

He shrugs. "I don’t have anything here at the moment, but no problem, boss."

"I need it to be untraceable," I clarify. "No one can know about this. I don’t want anyone to even know I was here. Are we clear?"

Rinaldo nods. "Yes, sir." He pulls out his phone and begins to dial.

I turn and start walking back across the warehouse when a familiar voice intrudes into my mind.

Nico, what’s going on?

It’s Renzo again.

Renzo, now isn’t really a great time.

A second later, Luca’s voice joins in. You say you’re in trouble, and then you disappear. Do you just expect us to sit here and twiddle our thumbs? "

Listen to your brothers , my father cuts in.

Fuck. My father is the last thing I need. Do I tell them about Luna? The smart thing to do would be to tell them. But honestly, I’m inclined to keep her secret, at least for now. My father’s voice cuts through again.

What’s this I hear about a freighter exploding just outside the harbor?

Yeah, I admit. Our shipment just blew up .

Son of a bitch. Renzo’s anger hits me. What do you mean 'blew up? Somebody specifically blew up our stuff?

Good question. I don’t know, Renzo, I snap.

I just got back here to the warehouse and haven’t had time to figure that out yet, but that ship was rigged to blow.

I don’t know if they set it up while it was still docked or after it got underway, but there’s no mistaking it—someone put holes in the side of that ship to sink it as fast as possible.

Do you think this could be the start of a war over the blood trade? Luca asks. I know they’re having issues in the U.S. with rival factions.

I sigh, frustration a stone in my chest. I have no idea.

To be honest, it seems kind of stupid. It’s not like we’re taking any of the U.S.

business at this point. Yeah, that ship was supposed to go to the States, but it had a few stops before then.

Our cargo was due to be offloaded before it reached America.

My father chimes in. Do we have any major challengers here in Europe? Who would they be?

There are a few, Renzo answers. But most are just grateful to have a reliable blood source at a reasonable cost. Blowing it up doesn’t make sense.

I agree, I add. God only knows what else was on that ship. There are a lot of shady deals going on right now.

It’s true, Luca says. I’ve noticed an uptick in just about every drug in my clubs. There’s a lot happening beneath the surface .

You think that’s it? Renzo asks.

I hesitate. I think it’s too early to speculate, but we need to find out. I don’t want to be caught out if this is going to affect us. Whoever’s behind this has some serious power.

My father’s energy nudges mine. Why do you say that?

Because before the ship blew up, customs boarded. The engines were shut off, so the vessel was only gliding. Within minutes of the agents arrival—boom. Explosions. That wasn’t a coincidence.

My father exhales sharply. You think someone was sending a message?

I do. A big, loud message.

So, you think we just got caught in someone else’s war? Renzo asks.

That’s my hope.

You said you had a problem, so what is it?

Damn Renzo. He never misses a trick. I pause, my stomach tightening.

Whoever did this didn’t want anyone to get off that ship alive.

Not with the way the explosions were timed.

Not with how fast they wanted it to go down.

Nobody had time to launch lifeboats or escape. A heavy silence settles over the link.

I was on that ship , I point out, my voice tight. There were cameras. I avoided most of them, but maybe not all.

My father’s anger brushes up against me like a scorching wind. You know better than that. You do not need to be seen.

I say nothing. I wasn’t seen. But I’m pretty damn sure Luna was. And if I tell my old man that, he’s going to demand we sacrifice her. And I’m not ready to do that.

Nico, figlio mio , my father’s voice comes again. Do I have to remind you that you are a vampire and you do not need to behave like a human? Why would you let yourself be seen?

Great. He’s not going to drop it, and now I have to control my temper.

The situation was fast-moving. I wasn’t on deck when the explosions happened.

I was below and I didn’t want to fight my way to get topside as the ship started to list. I used a side door—there may have been a camera.

I didn’t see one, but logically, there would be one there.

Renzo cuts in. That makes sense. You think whoever is behind this has access to those cameras?

I exhale slowly. It’s a possibility. If I wanted that ship to sink and wanted everyone to go down with it, I’d make damn sure I had access to the cameras. Besides, what better way to know exactly what’s going on than watch it live?

Luca? I nudge my brother, the one who deals with these types of things the most.

You’re right, Luca confirms. T here’s a good chance there was a camera. And if they wanted to sink that ship and make sure no one survived, then yeah, they probably accessed those cameras. If it were me, I’d watch the whole thing play out in real time.

Can you get into them? my father’s energy had an edgy tone to it. It wasn’t really a question, more of a direct order.

I’ll see what I can find , Luca agrees. If the footage is stored somewhere, I’ll access it—if it hasn’t already been erased. I will check and see who else might have accessed it as well.

Sounds good. In the meantime, my father continues, I expect you at this meeting.

I hesitate. It’s been a long night. I’m not coming. There are things I need to follow up on.

Nico, we need to discuss what’s happening in the magick realm.

I roll my eyes. Fine. What’s going on in the magick realm?

Silence.

Both my brothers are thinking I’m insane for egging our father on. Luca sends a low warning through the link. A burst of angry, cold energy hits me. My father is not happy with me.

We’ll discuss it when we’re all together. He abruptly ends the connection.

Luca’s amusement echoes in my head. Great job! You pissed him off. Thanks. Now we get to sit through a meeting where he’s pissed at the world.

I smirk. Yeah, well, I’m tired of him acting like he’s the lord and god of everything. He never used to be this insufferable .

Renzo breaks in. Keep us updated. If we find anything, we’ll let you know.

Will do. The connection severs, leaving silence in its wake. I reach out to Luca again.

What? he asks.

I need you to check the cameras, all of them, not just the one by the door. If you see—something, erase it and don’t mention it.

See what?” he demands

You’ll know if you see it. Whatever you do, don’t mention it to Renzo or Father.

Luca’s hesitation washes over me.

I’ll do what I can, he says, and terminates the connection.

I let out a breath. I’ve done what I can for Luna, and I have a feeling I’m going to have to pay for it. I have no idea why I feel so driven to protect her, but I do, and not just from everyone else, from me too.

I head back up the stairs to find Luna staring into the refrigerator, unmoving. She looks exhausted, but the way her eyes are darting around tells me her brain is still going a mile a minute. This isn’t going to work.

I check my phone—Rinaldo’s text just came in.

The car is here.

"Luna," I say. "Let’s go."

She blinks, looking at me. "Go where?"

"Not staying here. Let’s get you a hot shower, some food, and a bed."

She exhales. "That sounds like heaven."

I just watch her as she moves toward me, slow, stiff. She’s hurting. And I don’t like it, because I feel like I’m hurting by extension.

A black Mercedes sedan hums beneath my fingers as I pull out of the warehouse, the smooth purr of the engine cutting through the silence between us.

Luna sits in the passenger seat, wrapped in a blanket, her damp hair curling against her cheek. She’s quiet—too quiet—but I don’t push. She’s exhausted, and I can feel the weight of everything pressing down on her.

The dark streets are lined with looming shipping containers. Skeletal cranes are silhouetted against the night sky and fall away behind us. In the distance, the city lights cast a hazy glow. But I don’t take the main roads. Instead, I wind through the back streets, keeping off the radar.

Luna shifts beside me, finally breaking the silence. "Where are we going?"

I keep my eyes on the road. "A safe house."

She exhales slowly. "I figured. Which one?"