I kissed Vincent goodbye and opened the door. “What book?”
“The one that the Father was looking for. The one Vincent broke into your father’s apartment to find.”
“The book with your family’s details,” Vincent reminded me.
Oh... that book.
Chapter 6.
Sadie.
We walked to the workshop and standing on the pavement outside was a single guy—Travis, I think his name was—hanging around.
“Hey,” I greeted him, as Fridge unlocked the door for us.
“Did you guys hear?” Travis asked, his voice excited to share whatever news he had.
I looked over at him as I walked to the stairs that would lead to my office on the top floor. “Hear what?”
“They found Terry this morning, at his house. He’s dead.”
My knees gave way and I grabbed for the railing as I fell onto the stairs. “No.”
There was silence all around us, then Travis said, “Yep. His wife found him in the living room.”
My breath wheezed in my throat as my ribs crushed my lungs. Oh my God.
“A vampire?” It has to be. “Uncle Terry said he had to speak to me... I put him off. I didn’t think... fucking hell.”
He wanted to tell me something important about my father’s death and I’d been too drunk to listen. What if he’d had the final piece of this puzzle, and now it was gone forever?
Tears burned my eyes and I blinked, causing them to cascade down my cheeks.
I couldn’t believe it.
I ran my hands over my head, pressing into the temples, where there was a sudden burst of pain. “They did this because of me.”
It had to be. It was a warning. For all of us to back off.
“What do you mean?” Travis asked.
Rogan moved over and took my hands, lifting me to my feet. “This is not your fault, Sadie. Terry had his own demons. Do you want me to take you home? Or...”
“No!” I gathered myself together and forced a smile to my lips. “I want to be here. It’s just a... shock.”
I swallowed hard and forced some strength into my legs. “I have to do a few things in the office. Check in with my old firm... see you guys later.”
I bumbled up the stairs on unsteady legs and managed to get inside my dad’s office and shut the door, before completely breaking down.
Oh my God...
I grabbed a box of tissues, found a corner and cried for the man who’d loved me. Who’d had something to tell me yesterday, but I hadn’t wanted to listen.
I’d been too drunk, too melancholy. Too annoyed at him for obviously having something to do with the vampire Father Bartholomew, and not necessarily in a good way.
When I was finally cried out, I crawled over to the fridge in my father’s office and took out a bottle of water. I wiped my face and blew my nose, and guzzled the water.
So much loss in too little time.
But now the question was, did Terry’s death have anything to do with my father, the blood ring, and what we’d done the other day?
Or was it something else entirely?
There was a knock at the door and I hauled myself to my feet.
My eyes were red and puffy, but I called out “come in,” assuming it would be one of my mates. Fridge and Rogan rarely left me alone for more than ten minutes, especially when they knew I was upset.
But instead of seeing one of my lovers walk in, a familiar face popped his head around the door.
“Hello, cousin,” Shadow said as he slinked his way into the door and shut it behind him.
He limped to the desk, his long hair brushed off his face for once. His weird, purple eyes swirled as he assessed me and I smiled in greeting, happy to see him.
“Shadow. What brings you here?”
He frowned as he stared at me, leaning on the cane he’d brought with him. “Are you okay?”
I waved at my red, blotchy face. “Oh. Yeah. Ignore this. It’s fine.”
“What’s happened?” he asked.
I grabbed another bottle of water from the fridge and gestured to him. “You want a Coke?”
The man loved sugar from what I could tell, yet was as lean as a whippet.
“Yes, please.” he said and fell into the chair.
“You okay?” I asked, pushing the can across the desk and frowning at the grimace on his face and the way he moved. He was obviously in pain.
He smiled, his skin shimmering with the slight amount of snake in his shifting genes. “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. What’s going on?”
I shrugged and sat down on my father’s executive chair. “My father’s oldest friend was found this morning. Dead.”
“A vampire?” Shadow asked, cracking the can open and taking a sip.
I nodded. “They believe so. I only just heard, and I’m still in a little shock. I knew Uncle Terry as a kid... he was always looking out for me.”
“Terry... your father’s hunter.” Shadow said, and his voice was odd. Cold.
I frowned. “Yes. Why? Did you know him.”
Shadow nodded. “Sadly, yes. Your father, a few years ago, suspected Terry Morrissen of having dealings with the vampires behind his back. And he asked me to investigate him. Discreetly.”
I sat up, leaning forward. “What did you find?”
Shadow pressed his lips together. “That he was betraying your father, in the worst of ways.”
I swallowed hard. “In what ways were those?” Although, I could guess. There were only a few things my father would see as a betrayal. And that had everything to do with his business... or my mother.
Shadow leaned backwards and lifted his leg to put his ankle over his knee. “The vampires have wanted you since the day they learned of your mother’s strength and blood type. But none of the vampires would take you, because they were all repulsed.”
Despite the creepy coldness crawling over my skin at his words, I chuckled. My mother had done an amazing thing by making me so unpalatable to the vampires.
Shadow continued. “So, the Fathers went to Terry and convinced him to grab you.”
My mouth dropped open. “He agreed?”
Shadow glanced away. “I’m afraid so.”
I shook my head. “No. Surely, he had been coerced. They could have threatened him.”
The man whom I’d known wouldn’t have sold me out. No way.
Shadow looked back at me. “I’m sorry, Sadie. But they offered him money, and he accepted. He knew what they’d do to you, and he’d still agreed.”
My nose burned from tears once again, but this time, they were angry tears.
I wiped them away, biting my lip, “I seriously can’t believe it.”
Shadow nodded. “I told Jack what I’d found, and Terry was retired off. I don’t think your dad ever told anyone what Terry had been willing to do, but he made sure the man never worked again.”
So that was why Terry had been retired at age fifty, when he was still lean and fit and strong. My father had forced him. Wow.
I stared at Shadow as he took another mouthful of the sugary drink and set the can down on the desk in front of us. Was that what he’d wanted to talk to me about?
“What brings you here, Shadow? I assume it was nothing to do with Unc... Terry’s death?”