her phone. Ryan. Considering the ongoing interruptions, Ari figured they’d never finish the wine.
Ryan had the report on Dubrey’s flash drive. The data was damaged beyond full recovery. Only a few e-mail headings and spotty words or phrases had been recaptured.
“But they counted more than forty e-mails between Dubrey and Molyneux.”
Another link confirmed, Ari thought.
“The word ‘doses’ appears twice in the text,” Ryan said. “And references to ‘the deliveries’ and ‘the vampire.’ Sorry, it’s not much.”
“Except for the confirmed contact between the two men,” she amended. “That’s a biggie.” Ari repeated the conversation to Andreas and then returned to the phone. “It’s more than we had. Thanks, I know you put a rush on it. Um, Ryan,” she said, watching Andreas, “there’s something else. The vampires have had more trouble than we knew. Other attacks. And they seem pretty sure Sebastian’s behind it. The drugs, the violence. All part of a scheme for him to take control of the Riverdale vampires.”
“Where’d you hear this?”
“From the vampires. They’re expecting another attack. Not Sebastian directly, but from the wolves working for him.”
“And knowing this, Andreas let you go to Canada alone?” Ryan’s voice was loud enough that Andreas heard him.
The vampire held out his hand for the phone. Ari shook her head. She wasn’t about to let them start another argument.
“He didn’t know for sure until I got back,” she told the indignant cop. “Sebastian’s contact with me was what raised their suspicions.”
Ryan didn’t speak for several heartbeats. “It would have been nice if Andreas had shared this earlier.”
“Yeah, well, we know now. Our job doesn’t change. We find the wolves, stop the drugs. And leave Sebastian to Prince Daron.”
When she disconnected Andreas sat with his arms crossed, staring at the table. His face was unreadable except for the tight jaw line.
“You’re not mad about what Ryan said, are you?”
“No.” He unfolded his arms. “I was thinking about Sebastian. How he and the wolves have used my people, his people. Tortured them.” Andreas finished his wine and stood. “Shall we be on our way?”
His calm exterior didn’t fool her. Ari felt his energy vibrate with anger. Andreas wanted someone to pay. She and the vampire agreed on that. She hoped she got to Sheila before he did. Otherwise, there might not be much left for Ari to kill.
* * *
Later that night, after unsuccessful hours of searching, Ari slipped out to the woods where Yana was buried. She felt more peaceful there, more in control of the pain. She wanted Yana to know she was hunting her killers. That she wouldn’t give up until they were found. It would be a week tomorrow, and Ari missed her.
It was a long time before she made her way home.
Chapter Thirty
“And no one told us.” Lilith stared at the tracking screens and voiced what the group was thinking. “They’ve watched us every day.” The accusation was plain in her voice.
“Since the assassination attempt. Before you get too bent out of shape, think about it,” Ari said. “Someone had just attacked the prince. They were seeing the enemy everywhere. So they took precautions. Haven’t we talked about the need for more surveillance? Well, here it is. I don’t like the secrecy either, but at least they told us now.”
“Hey, Mike, look at this.” Maleban grinned as he turned dials and poked buttons; Mike’s eyes lit up. Techies and their obsessions. In this case, it was a good thing. Drawn in by their companions’ excitement, the rest of the team crowded around, and resentment was set aside.
The next two days flew by. During daylight, Ari worked with the security team, established the new procedures, trained on the use of equipment, sharpened defensive skills with sparring and mock attacks. In the evenings, Andreas and Ari continued to comb the Otherworld bars and clubs, patrolling the streets and Goshen Park, watching and listening for some word that would lead them to the Canadian wolves.
Ari was surprised how well they got along. Andreas was a charming companion with a dry sense of humor. As he chatted with many of the bar owners, Ari gained an appreciation of his business skills. No wonder Club Dintero was so successful. Andreas’s keen eye noted every dirty counter as well as the friendly service or the sparkling set of glasses. Ari almost forgot they were looking for killers.
Late on the first night, they approached an establishment new to the strip. Ari had never been inside. Neon lights flashed in pink and orange and black.