Page 17

Chapter 16

G ordon had almost made it back to the girl—the corpse waiting on his slab when he heard his phone ringing again.

“Cursed vampire hearing,” he muttered.

One hand on the door, he considered just ignoring the call. He didn’t though, jogged back to catch it.

The caller ID made him frown. Adler again?

“Hi?”

“Hi. Have you started yet? On your fae?”

“I keep trying, but people interrupt me.”

“Good. I mean, sorry. I’m on my way to you. Maxim wants you there too. He and Willa found the other missing girl. She’s dead.”

It wasn’t a surprise, not really, but Gordon had still hoped, had still imagined a misunderstanding, a broken phone, a dozen scenarios that would have ended with this second fae coming home alive.

“I’ll get my things,” he said. “Anything I should be prepared for?”

There was a rustling on the other end, car noises. “She was in a dumpster.”

Gordon couldn’t help it. He thought of Paula, photos their parents had of them both, in albums Gordon kept like treasures. She was a baby, and Dad cradled her in his arms. This girl was someone’s baby, had arms that held her. She is loved. She’s not trash .

Gordon took a few calming breaths. “All right. Hurry. Let’s get her out of there.”

The wolf was restless. Adler’s skin itched with the unease of his other side as Gordon walked next to him, eyes cast to the ground, the lines of his face spelling sadness and darker thoughts lurking behind them.

They were in a residential area that had once been fancy, but chipped plaster and weeds creeping up through fractured concrete said it wasn’t anymore.

“It’s just around here,” Adler said, pointing at a corner up ahead.

“Right. Abandoned.”

“And somewhat difficult to get to,” echoed from around the corner, followed shortly by Maxim wearing his hunter blacks, blond hair tightly braided. He pointed at the narrow alley they were walking along and at the one it was crossing. “Most cars wouldn’t be able to fit.”

Adler nodded. “Can we see first?”

He placed his palm on Gordon’s back, an automatic reaction, and when Willa came into view as well, he stepped closer to the vampire, just as automatic. He could see Willa assess the reaction, typical for an alpha, and Adler also knew she’d be able to deduce that insecurity still lingered there between them. At least on Adler’s side, and he hated it.

Willa cleared her throat. “There is one thing. A positive. I got a scent.”

Gordon perked up. “You can follow them?”

She sighed, shook her head.

“That would have been too perfect,” Maxim said. His lips tilted in a humorless smile. “I’d like her to inspect the letter, see if she can match one scent to the other so we can be sure indeed we are dealing with the same person.”

Adler nodded. “I’ll arrange that.”

“Wonderful,” Maxim said. “Let me introduce you to Glory first. While you take Willa to sniff the letter, I’ll oversee Gordon work.”

“Did you call a forensic team?” Gordon asked.

Maxim turned and indicated he wanted them to follow, which they did. “Yes, of course. But you go first. I’d like to know the timeline and everything else you can tell me.”

Adler’s fingers curled against Gordon’s back. “You think he’s escalating?”

The hunter shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe our doer was disturbed and uncertain they ended our earlier fae victim’s life, the one you said made it to the hospital, Gordon.”

Gordon’s nostrils flared. “Like a quota?”

“Only the killer can tell us that, and I for one would like to speak with them as soon as possible.”

So did Adler. As it was, he was left to watching as Gordon put on his forensic suit. Willa’s glare had him taking a few steps away from Gordon to give him space, making him long for the next time they could be close again.