night?”
Mal frowned and rubbed his thumb across Adira’s fingers.
“Yes, we stopped one shipment and potentially took out a chunk of the group,
but I’m not yet certain that we cut off the gang’s head for good.”
“You did when Jim Sturrs was killed.”
“That wasn’t us,” Adira interrupted. “Whoever came to
receive the shipment killed Jim when we arrived on scene.”
“Did they take anyone with them when they escaped?” Duncan
scooted to the edge of the seat. “Did you see a young woman with them?”
“Do you have a picture?”
Duncan pulled a small comp from his pocket. “It’s a little
out of date. Sydney hasn’t allowed anyone to take her picture for some time.”
Adira pulled the image closer. It showed a statuesque woman
with a svelte body, long, strawberry-blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. “It’s
her, but when I saw her last night she’d lost substantial weight and her hair
was short, like a pixie cut. I only saw her for a few seconds, but she put up
quite the fight. In the end one of the me—sorry, Vampires, punched her and she
passed out.”
Duncan jumped to his feet and paced along the seating area.
“Who is she?” Mal asked.
“My lifemate’s best friend.”
Mal frowned. “Aren’t you mated to a Naema? Is she a Naema
too?”
Duncan nodded.
“Why would Miguel Calatrave take your mate’s friend?”
Silence.
The tension in the room shot through the roof.
“What do you know of the Spaniard?” An edge had appeared in
Nikolai’s voice.
“He is the one who killed Jim and took the Naema and a young
woman we weren’t able to save.”
Duncan and Nikolai exchanged a glance.
“Tell us what’s going on,” Adira demanded. “This is more
than human trafficking.”
Nikolai turned to her, but remained silent.
“Sydney is gifted with numbers and has been helping us with
a major case,” Duncan interjected. “She told us she’d made an important
breakthrough, but wanted to check it out before she presented the information
to us.”
Adira set the comp down. “Looks like her breakthrough pushed
her in the path of the wrong people.”
Mal hadn’t taken his eyes off Nikolai but now turned to his
old friend. “What is going on, Duncan? You didn’t come here to ask if I saw
your mate’s friend.”
Duncan paused. “Not only. Mal, I need you and your team to
help a Council investigation.”
“No. You know how I feel about the Council.”
“If you won’t help,” Nikolai’s interruption stopped Duncan
from responding to Mal’s words, “maybe your mate will.” He turned to Adira.
“Sentinel Kapur, you have been asking a lot of questions regarding the
disappearances of fringe group people. You’ve made progress and presented
evidence against a number of human gang members, but none of your superiors
allowed you to act.”
Adira narrowed her gaze at the Vampire and crossed her arms
over her chest. “So?”
Nikolai smiled. “Your diligence—or should I call it
obsession? Your attention to the cases resulted in your transfer to Hadamard. I
came to offer you a position with a Special Forces Unit of the Vampire Council,
which is investigating the disappearances. Originally it was in a support
capacity as the enemy is Paranormal and therefore too dangerous. But now that you
are a Vampire yourself you are capable of going into the field. Would you like
to take down the bastards who have been feeding off your people for the last
year or so?”
Adira’s heart rate went through the roof. She grasped Mal’s
hand. I need to find her.
Mal didn’t ask who she meant. He knew she had no choice but
to find Marissa. She’d disappeared on the same shuttle as Duncan’s mate’s
friend.
Why don’t you want to work for the Council?
Mal growled. They always look after their interests first
before taking care of their men. Most of them have no honor.
“I don’t work for or with people who don’t share all their
information.”
“We can’t share our
Mal frowned and rubbed his thumb across Adira’s fingers.
“Yes, we stopped one shipment and potentially took out a chunk of the group,
but I’m not yet certain that we cut off the gang’s head for good.”
“You did when Jim Sturrs was killed.”
“That wasn’t us,” Adira interrupted. “Whoever came to
receive the shipment killed Jim when we arrived on scene.”
“Did they take anyone with them when they escaped?” Duncan
scooted to the edge of the seat. “Did you see a young woman with them?”
“Do you have a picture?”
Duncan pulled a small comp from his pocket. “It’s a little
out of date. Sydney hasn’t allowed anyone to take her picture for some time.”
Adira pulled the image closer. It showed a statuesque woman
with a svelte body, long, strawberry-blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. “It’s
her, but when I saw her last night she’d lost substantial weight and her hair
was short, like a pixie cut. I only saw her for a few seconds, but she put up
quite the fight. In the end one of the me—sorry, Vampires, punched her and she
passed out.”
Duncan jumped to his feet and paced along the seating area.
“Who is she?” Mal asked.
“My lifemate’s best friend.”
Mal frowned. “Aren’t you mated to a Naema? Is she a Naema
too?”
Duncan nodded.
“Why would Miguel Calatrave take your mate’s friend?”
Silence.
The tension in the room shot through the roof.
“What do you know of the Spaniard?” An edge had appeared in
Nikolai’s voice.
“He is the one who killed Jim and took the Naema and a young
woman we weren’t able to save.”
Duncan and Nikolai exchanged a glance.
“Tell us what’s going on,” Adira demanded. “This is more
than human trafficking.”
Nikolai turned to her, but remained silent.
“Sydney is gifted with numbers and has been helping us with
a major case,” Duncan interjected. “She told us she’d made an important
breakthrough, but wanted to check it out before she presented the information
to us.”
Adira set the comp down. “Looks like her breakthrough pushed
her in the path of the wrong people.”
Mal hadn’t taken his eyes off Nikolai but now turned to his
old friend. “What is going on, Duncan? You didn’t come here to ask if I saw
your mate’s friend.”
Duncan paused. “Not only. Mal, I need you and your team to
help a Council investigation.”
“No. You know how I feel about the Council.”
“If you won’t help,” Nikolai’s interruption stopped Duncan
from responding to Mal’s words, “maybe your mate will.” He turned to Adira.
“Sentinel Kapur, you have been asking a lot of questions regarding the
disappearances of fringe group people. You’ve made progress and presented
evidence against a number of human gang members, but none of your superiors
allowed you to act.”
Adira narrowed her gaze at the Vampire and crossed her arms
over her chest. “So?”
Nikolai smiled. “Your diligence—or should I call it
obsession? Your attention to the cases resulted in your transfer to Hadamard. I
came to offer you a position with a Special Forces Unit of the Vampire Council,
which is investigating the disappearances. Originally it was in a support
capacity as the enemy is Paranormal and therefore too dangerous. But now that you
are a Vampire yourself you are capable of going into the field. Would you like
to take down the bastards who have been feeding off your people for the last
year or so?”
Adira’s heart rate went through the roof. She grasped Mal’s
hand. I need to find her.
Mal didn’t ask who she meant. He knew she had no choice but
to find Marissa. She’d disappeared on the same shuttle as Duncan’s mate’s
friend.
Why don’t you want to work for the Council?
Mal growled. They always look after their interests first
before taking care of their men. Most of them have no honor.
“I don’t work for or with people who don’t share all their
information.”
“We can’t share our
Similar Books
