guilt riding high and warm on my cheekbones. Guilt, and a little fear. I'd done the very thing he'd dreaded. I'd given in to the temptation he'd predicted. Feared. And I'd bet money that I still carried the lingering scent of Ethan's cologne.
Luc and Malik stood point at either end of the table, both in Cadogan black. Ethan strode toward the table and took the seat at the head of it, Luc standing behind him.
I moved to the other end of the table, offering nods to Noah and Scott along the way.
When Malik took his seat, I stood behind him.
"Gentlemen," Ethan said, "as I briefly mentioned earlier, we have a problem. We need a solution. And we need it quickly."
He laid out Nick's threat, the twenty-four-hour demand, and the research being conducted by Jeff. And then he got personal.
"We've been able to get this much information," he said, "because Merit agreed to return to her father's house, to revisit her family's circle of acquaintances on our behalf."
He said the words to the group, but his gaze was on Morgan.
I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted by Ethan Sullivan.
It was exoneration. He was trying, even after what had just transpired in the library, to give me an excuse to take to Morgan. To explain to Morgan that what seemed like impropriety - my appearing on Ethan's arm at a social function - was actually a duty he'd required of me, and a completely platonic one.
Arguably, it was a thoughtful thing to do - an attempt to mend the tear he'd rent by requiring me to accompany him to my father's.
On the other hand, it reeked of cowardice. He wanted me, that much was obvious, and this wasn't the first time he'd demonstrated it. But he kept passing me back to Morgan.
He kept putting the effort into keeping Morgan and me together. That hinted at an abyss of emotional issues I knew I shouldn't dare to explore.
But I'd kissed him. I'd seen the look in his eyes - the desire, the triumph - of having accomplished me. Maybe Linds was right, that there was more beneath the surface of cool, calm, collected vampire. But what a risk...
I'd drifted into my thoughts, so when the sound of my name jolted me from them, I realized I was halfway to lifting fingers to my lips, touching the place where we'd connected. Covering, I tapped a finger against my chin, hoping it looked intellectual.
"Yes?" I asked Ethan, found all eyes on me. Morgan, in particular, looked to have lost a little fire, although he still looked suspicious.
"Do you have anything to add to my retelling?" Ethan asked. "Perhaps about the threat contained in the e-mail?"
I bobbed my head dutifully. "It's gory," I said. "Methods are mentioned, some new, some old school. But I didn't read anything in the e-mail that suggested a particular person, or vampire, was the would-be perpetrator."
Ethan surveyed the vampire heads of state. "Were any of you successful in discovering anything about this threat?"
Heads were shaken around the table.
"Black hole," Noah said. "I got nada."
"Ditto," Scott said.
Morgan leaned forward. "So what do we do now? It's two hours until dawn, and we'd only have, what, a handful of hours tomorrow night. That's not time for a full investigation, if we even knew who to start with."
"The e-mail may give us some direction yet tonight," Ethan reminded them. "We're waiting for the conclusion of that part of the investigation. At any rate, we need to reach some agreement before we separate. The first step, I think, is addressing the threat to the extent that we can. Both Merit and I have given the Breckenridges assurances that the threat does not derive from Cadogan House. Can you at least make the same promise?"
"The threat doesn't come from Grey," Scott flatly said. "As you know, not our style."
"It's not our style, either," Morgan said, his voice a little huffy. "Navarre vampires don't threaten humans."
Anymore, I thought, Ethan and I sharing a knowing glance.
"You know I can't make that kind of promise," Noah said. "I don't have that kind of authority on behalf of independent vampires. I'm just a delegate for informational purposes. That said, I don't know square one about the Breckenridge family, and I certainly haven't heard anything in the pipes. If vamps outside the Houses are involved in this, I'm not aware of it."
"Which is exactly why we have Houses," Morgan muttered, sitting back in his chair. "To prevent situations like this." He linked