Jared stood to Raphael’s left, while Michael stayed close to Vincent and Lana. Everyone was here. Everyone in their place. Raphael’s black gaze lifted to Vincent, his expression completely blank.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Vincent said.
Raphael tilted his head in acknowledgement. “You’re eager to be rid of him.” He said it as a fact, not a question.
Vincent grinned, breaking the almost painful politeness they’d all been maintaining. “He’s a pain in the ass. If I hadn’t known you’d want him, I’d have killed him two minutes after meeting him.”
“I appreciate the courtesy,” Raphael said wryly.
Vincent shrugged. “I figured I owed you, for Xuan Ignacio, if nothing else. And I don’t like owing people.”
“There was no debt incurred,” Raphael replied smoothly. “Enrique was a fool who thought he could remain apart from the coming conflict. His ignorance endangered us all.”
“Consider it a gift then, against future good will.”
Cyn bit back a sigh. These guys took twelve words to say what anyone else could have managed in two. She caught Lana’s eye and saw the other woman covering her mouth, fighting a laugh.
Vincent’s gaze slid down to his lover? Mate? Cyn didn’t know, but there was more than simple affection between them, that was for sure.
“He’s in the next room,” Vincent admitted finally. “Perhaps the ladies should wait—” Lana’s dismissive snort cut off whatever he’d been about to say.
Cyn laughed out loud and leaned into Raphael’s side, holding his hand in both of hers. “I wanna see, too,” she said cheerfully.
Lana didn’t even try to cover her laugh this time.
Vincent’s eyes met Raphael’s. “I’m new to this,” he said. “Is it worth it?”
Raphael turned his gaze on Cyn and gave her a slow smile. “Oh, yes.” Cyn rested her head briefly on his shoulder, straightening when Vincent shook his head in surrender.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s all go, then.”
RAPHAEL HAD BEEN aware of the other vampire’s presence from the moment they entered the building. Standing there trading polite words with Vincent had taken all of his restraint. He was here for one reason only, and that was to pick up Alexandra’s killer.
Vincent finally had enough of the polite chitchat, or maybe it was the women’s scorn that motivated him to get things underway. Normally, Raphael would have objected to being the object of Cyn’s amusement, especially given the circumstances. But in this case, he had to agree with her. He wanted to get the fuck on with it.
Vincent led the way to a single, unassuming door, and entered an eight digit code on the keypad. The door buzzed, then slid smoothly open to reveal a bare room with a holding cell on the far wall.
Raphael loosened his fingers from Cyn’s and stepped closer to the cell and its lone occupant. The vampire glared back, eyes gleaming faintly, his mouth twisted into a sneer.
“I tire of this, Vincent. Release me now and my mistress—”
“Silence,” Raphael said quietly.
The prisoner’s eyes went wide, fear replacing the scorn as his gaze settled on Raphael and he seemed to recognize him for the first time. Raphael could feel him trying to speak, fighting against the compulsion Raphael had set on him. Amused by the other vampire’s efforts, and curious as to what defense he would offer, Raphael eased the restriction, but did it in such a way that the prisoner would think he’d succeeded in breaking it on his own.
Triumph flashed in the captive’s eyes as he sucked in a breath. “The great Raphael,” he derided. “I’m not impressed.”
Raphael bared his teeth in a predator’s grin and promised, “You will be.”
To be continued . . .