Page 81 of Vipers and Vendettas

The office is in uproar as the clan all try to talk over each other.

Iron arrived not five minutes ago via a link, and Jules wasn’t with him, though he says he was holding her hand when they left his grandmother’s house a few seconds before.

Axel and Jayce are trying to get the full story. Krase’s eyes are black, and I’m certain he’s going to lose his shit any second. Maddox isn’t even here; he’s trying to sort out the house and fix whatever the fuck is going on with the border spells that keep letting enemies through our gates so that this never happens again.

‘Quiet,’ I boom, and it’s telling that they all shut their mouths at my command.

They sure as hell wouldn’t have donethata few months ago.

I don’t waste my moment of having Iron’s undivided attention. ‘So you killed Pierre.’

He looks away for a second. ‘Yeah. We pushed his body into the breach. We waited out our time until we were supposed to meet here, and then we came through. We went in together, and it was a normal tunnel. There was nothing weird about it. She was holding my fucking hand. But when I got here, she wasn’t. Shit! What if she’s still in there? What if she’s lost out in the ether?’

I try not to show the fear I feel, and I know the others are doing the same. An awful thought occurs to me.

‘Did Pierre have a link key on him?’ I ask, already knowing that he did because each of McCathrie’s inner circle has one of their own that’s coded to them specifically.

‘Yeah, it was on the door when we …’ Iron’s countenance darkens. ‘She probably took it.’

He runs a hand through his hair. ‘Fuck!’ he snarls. ‘Of course, she took it! But why would sheuseit?’ The last is said almost to himself, and he looks more sad than angry.

‘She wouldn’t need to use it,’ I mutter. ‘Just being on her person would have been enough.’

‘What do you mean?’ Axel asks.

‘All the coven’s link keys are boobytrapped in case they get stolen. They’re coded to the owner,’ I say, keeping my voice devoid of emotion while I simultaneously break into a cold sweat. ‘If a thief uses a key to go somewhere, or if travel is attempted while carrying one, there’s only one place they go.’

‘Where?’ Krase snarls.

‘McCathrie’s house.’ I turn away from them, my fists clenching. ‘The one I was kept in.’

‘Fuck!’ Axel yells.

‘Are you saying that she was just delivered right to McCathrie’s door?’

‘Practically into his fucking lap,’ I seethe, my mind already working on how we’re doing this, ‘and we need to get her out of there. Right now.’

‘We need a plan,’ Jayce says, taking out his phone and texting furiously. ‘We need Maddox to use his contacts to?—’

I whirl on him, my fingers flexing because I need someone to lash out at, but I reel myself in. Every second Jules is with the coven is too long.

‘She’s ours by contract!’ Iron says. ‘They can’t keep her. The law?—’

‘That will take too long,’ Krase says, speaking for the first time. His voice is strained, but his eyes are clearing now.

‘Krase is right. There’s no time to wait for Maddox’s bureaucracy,’ I say, opening my top drawer and pushing a button there. ‘There’s no guarantee that’ll even go in our favor.’

Part of the wall slides out, revealing a small alcove behind my desk where my safe is, as well as the various weapons I store here.

‘There’s no time to sit here and debate how and when we’re doing this,’ I say, running a hand over my face. ‘I was there for months. The things I saw them do to humans …’ The memories I’ve tried so hard to forget assail me.

‘We need her out of there rightfuckingnow,’ I growl.

I think I have their attention, but then they all start talking, arguing over each other behind me as I open the safe and take out a small box made of salt. I put it on the desk while the others are still talking strategy amongst themselves, but it’s a moot point.

I already have my plan. I’ve had it for a long time. I only wish I hadn’t delayed in destroying McCathrie because if I’d just taken him down as soon as I had my ducks in a row, the vamps would never have attacked us, and Jules wouldn’t be in McCathrie’s clutches now. I was waiting for the right time to strike at him, and because I hesitated, Jules and her baby are in danger. This is my fault, and I can’t let my mistake cost Jules any more than it already has.

My stomach revolves as I think of what McCathrie could be doing to her, the twisted games he and the others like to play.