Page 5 of Obsessed in Blood

A long moment passed. She was either unsure of her answer or didn’t know how to put it into words. He couldn’t begin to imagine what was going through her head.

Then her arm swung out and the canvas she’d been working on flew across the room, the easel crashing to the ground. She turned to him, and her eyes glowed with blue ice. Her body visibly shook, and he almost took a step back.

“I’m filled with rage. It’s all I can do to keep the beast at bay.”

The breath he’d been holding rushed out, and he smiled.

“You find this humorous?”

He shook his head. “I’m relieved.”

She opened her mouth and then shut it. Her return smile settled his own beast. “You were worried I’d lost it and had returned to my other self.”

He nodded. “Can you blame me?”

“Of course, not. But that time is behind me. I can’t say the voices have stopped. They’ve been stronger since we were told of the accident, but the painting has helped.”

“Do you feel good enough to join us?”

She glanced at the canvas that lay broken against the wall. “Perhaps not yet.”

He chuckled and went to her, grabbing her shoulders and kissing her forehead. “I’m sending a blood donor up. Be gentle.”

Devon raced down the stairs,eager to begin the investigation and determine where Lorenzo had taken Cressa. He had a good idea where it was, and if it were true, they would have one helluva time getting her back. Not without inside help, though he had an idea about that as well.

He was a few steps from the office when Bella appeared.

“What are you doing here?” He’d expected her to remain at Jacques’s side.

“Sergi called a meeting.” She would have brushed past him if he hadn’t held out an arm to stop her.

“He wasn’t supposed to call you. I assumed you’d want to be with Jacques.”

“I called him, and Jacques is sleeping. The healer gave him enough sedatives to knock out an elephant.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t stay with him.”

Her dark-brown eyes lit with fire and the inner glow of her beast. “I won’t be left out of this. Lorenzo needs to pay.”

He was surrounded by raging women…and he hadn’t even seen Simone yet. “You won’t be left out. I wanted to give you time.”

She blew out a breath and stared at the wall to the left of him. Bella rarely showed her emotions, and it must be killing her not being able to hold them in now.

“Let’s go.” He pushed past her and marched into his office.

Everyone was there, including Simone. Her face was a blank canvas. If she was dealing with emotions, it was impossible to tell.

He dropped into his chair behind the desk. In all rights, he should have left it empty should Lyra wish to join, but now wasn’t the time to worry about etiquette.

“From this point on, our only mission is recovering Cressa. Except for where we have previous commitments, all our resources will be to that end. The first order of business is to have more blood donors brought in from Oasis. Jacques will need a constant supply for the next few days, and I want the rest of us fed regularly.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Simone opened her tablet. It was rare for her to take notes during a meeting, and it gave Devon an inkling of the inner turmoil she kept hidden.

“What do we have so far?” He turned to Sergi.

“The cars and semi have been taken to the warehouse for processing, but we’ve already traced the car the kidnappers used to an elderly couple who lives on the south side of town. They reported it stolen early this morning.”

“Most likely it was taken last night while they slept.” Lucas’s leg bounced with nervous energy. “Mateo will ensure everything is dusted for fingerprints, but I doubt any were left.”