The Quest (31 page)

“They can be used as evidence, especially now that we have your birth record. We can prove you were Project E based on the date the project became a success, your birth date and your DNA showing you are part of multiple breeds.”

“No reasonable doubt.”

“None.”

Smiling, a sense of joy filled me. We were close, very close to a sure fire conviction, but I didn’t want the slightest door left open that she could get away. I wanted the petition from 2006 Daniel spoke of. He seemed sure it would prove enough. I didn’t trust the vamp, but so far, I couldn’t find any lies in his stories.

“I’ll inform Jackson when I see him tonight. We’ll need to get copies of those records to him or Tom soon.”

He pulled me close until I bumped into his solid body. “Am I going to have to chain you to the bed to keep you here?” The grin on his face was one of playfulness, not frustration.

“Chain me, and I might enjoy it. Leave me tied up, and our relationship will never be the same.”

Boss slid his arms around me, keeping me tight pressed to his body. “Must you always be so difficult?” He lowered his gaze to my lips.

“Yep, always.”

“Then let’s make a deal, and I’ll make it an easy one. Jonas will take you to the Statehouse and wait for you. During the evening, you agree to check in with us. Meanwhile, I’ll move everything to our new home. After work, Jonas will bring you to the new site, and I promise not to argue about the investigation any further.”

How could I pass on Boss’s offer? A new, safe house to stay in and a promise to grant me freedom to pursue my goal damn near convinced me to agree. All I had to do in return was check in and agree to return home to Jonas and Boss. Of course, I had to get rid of the charmed bracelet to ensure our safety, which I could easily do by asking Tom or Jackson to take it again. I made up my mind fast.

“All right, I agree to your deal. I’ll even help pack.”

His lips hinted at a smile before he pressed them to mine. The agreement satisfied both our needs to the extent we were willing to bend. He preferred I avoid the capital, and I favored keeping them out of harm’s way. Since neither one of us wanted to relent, at least we reached a middle ground.

Behind me, I heard the patter of steps on the staircase. Boss lifted his head and slid his arms away from me. As he gazed over my shoulder, the look of content transformed into one of concern.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Jonas dropped from the last step, stealing my attention briefly. Lips pressed together and with trepidation clinging hold in his eyes, he approached us.

“I checked our inbox for messages. One from Zander came through recently,” Jonas said.

Unease filled me as I took in a deep breath. “And?”

“Martin contacted him. He wants to know why Zander attempted to access his files.”

“I expected Martin to question Zander,” Boss said. “What did Zander tell him?”

“He told Martin you had a friend that needed the remedy. He didn’t mention any names. Martin plans to meet with Zander in three hours. Then, Martin wants to meet with you.”

Martin’s timing couldn’t have been worse. His plan to meet with Boss occurred in conjunction with when I needed to show up at work. I didn’t want Boss to meet the warlock councilman alone, but what choice did I have? I sure wasn’t going to change my arrangements, not when we were so close to finishing the investigation.

“Can you stall him until I get off from work?”

“I’m an investigator for the council. Avoiding them would appear suspicious.” He looked at Jonas. “Contact Zander to arrange a meeting around nine this evening at his house.”

I silently cursed. Why couldn’t life give me a break?

Chapter 21

I leaned my head against the headrest and tried to relax. Jonas sat behind the wheel, staring at the road. Both of us were exhausted. We’d spent the last several hours packing and hauling clothes, weapons, books and food to the new safe house. A half hour ago, I showered and changed into the only clothes I had left in the old house. While I felt refreshed from the bath, my arms and feet ached. Deep down within me, I suspected the soreness wouldn’t improve as the night progressed.

I gazed at the sky as Jonas exited from the highway. Dark clouds hovered, giving the appearance of night. Thunder rumbled, but I had yet to see any lightning.

“Think it will rain again?” I asked.

“I don’t know. The forecast called for sunny and dry.”

“I’d say something is wrong if the meteorologists are basing their information off machines.”

“It’s possible someone is tampering with the weather.”

“Boss had said the storm last night could’ve been from my father opening a portal. Would the storm last this long?”

He scrubbed his hand over his mouth and down to his chin. “Doubtful. When a portal opens, there is always a lot of lightning and electricity in the atmosphere. Once the portal is closed, the storm dies. Since we haven’t seen lightning or an increase in energy in the air since last night, I think someone else is causing the disturbance.”

Anxiety churned within me, or it could’ve been hunger mixed with angst since my stomach gurgled. The God of the Underworld had yet to make an appearance and the warlock councilman had arrived in town for a visit. If I guessed right, one of them created the change in the weather.

I glided my hand over my grumbling belly, hoping to calm it. “Whoever is causing the ruckus, I hope they aren’t coming to visit me.”

Jonas grinned and glanced my way. As he noticed my hand on my abdomen, the grin disappeared. “Are you feeling all right?”

“I’ll be fine.” Since I’d burned off the calories I’d eaten at Jackson’s place long ago, I needed to refuel. But with night creeping upon us, my other hunger would soon take over.

Jonas steered the car onto the road leading to the capital. “I’ll be around if you need me. I brought the laptop to stay busy.” He stopped the car behind a truck parked near one of the entrances to the government center.

“Maybe I’ll come visit you on my dinner break.” I reached down near my boot and curled my fingers around the straps of my purse.

“Just let me know where to meet you. I’m going to park on the other side of the south building for now.”

I pulled on the handle of the door and pushed it open. “I’ll check in with you later.”

Anxious to get to work and find the petition to convict Galluzzi, I strode toward the entrance of the government center and ignored the strong breeze tossing strands of my hair in front of my eyes. Inside, I flashed my ID and passed the security guards. As usual, they gave me a curt nod and like normal, the demon’s red-ringed eyes followed me until I rounded the corner. The stare down made me want to confront him and give him a piece of my mind, but in the grand scheme of things, he wasn’t worth my time.

Standing in front of the elevator, I waited until everyone cleared out before stepping inside. Scents of male and female perfumes mixed with body odor, created one stinky aroma. The doors closed, and I wished they would open again soon so I could breathe cleaner air. I glanced at the numbers above the door and noticed a light floral smell. In a blink of an eye, alarm sounded in my head. I glanced over my shoulder.

“Good to see you, Benny.” I smiled at the angel. He wore the usual clothes, white shirt and dark trousers. He leaned against the back wall with his hands tucked into his pockets. “Have you decided to come to work with me tonight?”

He straightened, keeping his hands concealed. “No. I can’t.”

“Oh well, your loss.”

“You need to leave,” Benny said.

A chill snaked down my spine as I twisted to face him. “Are you giving me another warning?”

“Leave, and don’t come back. You are not safe.” He stepped closer. Mirror-like eyes stared pointedly at me, stirring fear deep within my gut.

“If you know what’s going to happen to me, why not tell me so I can avoid it?”

“You know I can’t do that.”

Yeah, I did, but I still questioned to see if he would change his mind. “Is something going to happen to me tonight?”

“Yes.”

Those pesky butterflies went crazy within my belly. As if I didn’t have enough on my mind, now I had to worry about his warning.

“Will someone try to kill me?” Feeling a touch of stupidity, I clenched my teeth. Of course, someone would attempt to take my life. Why did I bother asking when I knew my night would turn out like every other night?

“Yes.”

“Will I die?”

He lowered his head. “Yes.”

A weak
ding
from the elevator stole my attention. The doors opened to an empty subbasement. I glanced behind me and found myself alone.

My heart drummed in my chest as I stepped onto the concrete floor. I searched the elevator for Benny even though I knew he returned to wherever he came from. He’d probably shared with me more than he should’ve, but at least he told me.

I strode down the hall listening to the hum of electricity and my heels clacking on the floor. I scanned in front and behind me, finding nothing. Benny’s warning raised all my shields and placed me on high alert. God help me, I didn’t want to die. I had too much to do first.

As I approached the room I loathed, I walked near the opposite wall, staying the farthest I possibly could from the room. Light filled the crack between the doors. I heard men speaking, their voices faint. The hair on the back of my neck rose. I hurried past the doors and headed for the cage.

Anger and frustration fueled my steps. Benny wanted me to leave, which clued me to the belief someone would attack me at work. Why tonight? Was it because the investigation was almost complete? All I needed was the petition from 2006. I had a feeling the document would damn her to Hell, which was exactly where she needed to go.

As I rounded the last corner, I felt the charmed bracelet scrape against my dagger. I refused to put the damn thing back on my ankle, but I still had to carry it with me. Before I left the house, I clipped it together and squeezed it into the pouch with my blade. It fit snuggly, and if I pulled my dagger out, the bracelet would come too, not that I was too worried. If I withdrew my poison weapon, the charmed bracelet would be the least of my concerns.

Lizzy sat behind the desk with a two stacks of papers piled on the counter. She glanced from the computer screen, no doubt hearing my boots, and hit the buzzer. I pushed the gate open and proceeded with my regular routine.

“Busy tonight?” I asked after I locked the cabinet housing our purses.

“Yes, and I’m not sure why. Jackson gave me some excuse that his pack is looking for old birth records. I think he’s lying to me.” She pushed one stack of documents away from the other.

I avoided furthering her suspicion and stared at the mountain of papers. “What have you got for me tonight?”

“More filing. Sal sent a couple of his reps to get copies of a few documents. They all need to go back on the shelves.”

I lifted the stack and slid my arm underneath it. “I’ll get to work.” More filing equaled more chances to search for the petition. I headed toward the hall.

On my way through the warehouse, I spotted the two werewolves with two other men in the same aisle. Tom stood closer to me with his hands hidden between documents on the shelf. Farther away, Jackson squatted over a box while he sifted through it. Past Jackson, another man stood on a ladder, scanning a paper in his hands. Close to the end of the row, one man sat on a floor, flipping through documents. All dressed in casual attire.

I stopped and gave a friendly wave of my hand.

“Hey, Shelley,” Tom said while Jackson smiled.

“How’s the search?” I pressed the stack of documents in my arm closer to my chest.

“Nothing new yet. We brought some extra men to help.” He glanced at the others standing nearby.

“I hope we find it soon. Eyebrows have been raised.”

Tom gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, everything is under control.”

His confidence helped ease my worries, but didn’t take them all away. I believed him without question, same for Jackson. Because of them, and anyone else they enlisted for help, we had built a good case to convict Galluzzi of manslaughter. They found evidence in a short amount of time and quicker than I could have. Without their assistance, the investigation could’ve ended on a sour note. They truly were professional detectives, and I applauded their efforts. And because they were doing such a great job, I would file the papers I had in my arms and leave. Benny’s warning had put me on edge. Why stay and risk my life when I had such terrific friends helping me?

“I’d like to leave as soon as I finish filing these.”

“That’s a good idea. Do you need a ride?” Jackson asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Stop by when you are ready. I take you home, or where ever you want to go.”

I gave him a slight grin before I headed deeper into the warehouse.

Once I found the year and community I needed, I set to work, squeezing papers into files and boxes. Time passed quickly, although I had no way of knowing since I didn’t have a watch with me. With my knees pressed into the cold, concrete floor, I wedged a document between tightly packed papers on the bottom shelf. A staple scraped my finger, and I yanked my hand away, cursing in my mind. A small bubble of blood formed on the tip of my finger. As I lifted my digit to lick the wound, a burning scent drifted to my nose. A sharp tingle spread down my spine. Alarm shot through me quicker than any drug and I froze, holding my injured finger in front of me.

The burning scent grew stronger, which indicated to me a demon was near, too near, and the person wasn’t wearing a charmed bracelet. Given the silence, the demon had to have misted in order to sneak up on me. I listened for footsteps. While I didn’t hear any, I did hear a heartbeat, and it came from behind me.

Not wasting another second, I grabbed the stack of papers in front of me and tossed them over my head. Papers crinkled and smacked into something while I leaped to my feet and took off running. I didn’t bother to look back. Fists clenched and boots clacking on the hard floor, I rounded the corner. I ran straight into a solid body.