House Rules - Chloe Neill Page 0,72

if appreciating the logic. “Their beds had been slept in, and the door was slightly ajar. The House kitchen is on this floor. We think they might have come downstairs for something to eat or drink.”

“And the killer was waiting,” Ethan finished.

Will nodded.

“Do you know how long they’d been dead when you found them?” Ethan asked.

Will cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “The bodies were still warm. So not long.”

“What about security cameras?” I asked.

“We have closed circuit, but it’s not recorded,” Morgan said, voice flat with grief. “And we don’t have full-time external security staff. We don’t need it,” he added. But he didn’t have to justify his decisions to me. Besides, it wasn’t like our external security was working out so well right now.

“So it seems likely this happened just after dusk,” Ethan said. “What type of security do you have on the doors? Who could get in?”

“Our security is biometric,” Will said. “The system was on, and we’ve confirmed that it’s functioning properly and has been. No breaches were registered.”

“Can you track individual vampires?” Ethan asked.

“No. Our system doesn’t record information; it operates like a door lock. If you match the data stored in the receiver, the door unlocks.”

“That was Celina’s preference,” Morgan said. “She didn’t want the vampires to feel they were living in a police state.”

Or, I silently thought, she didn’t want anyone tracking the comings and goings of her lovers and secret allies.

“What does the security system actually scan?” I asked. “Fingerprints? Retinal scan?”

“It’s keyed for Navarre vampires,” Morgan said.

His tone was matter-of-fact, but his implication was significant. Huge, actually. Because we’d found aspen slivers on the ground at the apartment building, we assumed McKetrick had been the killer. But McKetrick was human, as his daylight press conference with the mayor amply demonstrated. He wasn’t a vampire, and certainly not a Navarre vampire.

Four vampires were dead, and the killer was a vampire . . . which meant we were looking at a vampire serial killer.

Ethan and I exchanged a worried glance. Thank God, even when he was angry, we could work together. That endeared him to me as much as anything else had.

“No one from Navarre House would do this,” Morgan said, as if guessing our thoughts.

“Respectfully,” Scott said, “if your security’s working, only a Navarre vampire could have done this.”

Morgan opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by a commotion near the door.

Nadia, Morgan’s Second and Katya’s sister, ran into the room. Her cheeks were pink from cold, and she wore jeans, boots, and a long baggy sweater beneath the coat she hadn’t taken time to button.

“Katya!” she screamed, her voice choked with tears, running toward her sister’s body. But Morgan reached out and grabbed her before she reached Katya, wrapping his arms tightly around her and whispering softly in what I thought was Russian.

Since when did Morgan speak Russian?

Nadia screamed to be loosed. “She is my sister! Let me go!”

Morgan maintained his hold, and as her rage transmuted into grief, she turned her body into Morgan as he kissed her temple, trying to comfort her through her gut-wrenching sobs.

It seemed Morgan and his Second were closer than I would have guessed.

“I’m going to take her upstairs,” Morgan said, and we nodded as he escorted Nadia toward the staircase.

Will watched them leave, then looked back at us, desperation in his face. “Do you know who did this? Are you close to catching whoever murdered those two Rogues?”

I looked at Ethan, who nodded. “This is similar to Oliver’s and Eve’s deaths. The same method of death, and the same positioning of the bodies. Oliver and Eve were holding hands, too.”

“But it’s not in a hidden location this time,” Jonah said, and I nodded.

“We’d thought McKetrick, the new Ombudsman, might be involved. But he’s human, not a vampire. And if only Navarre vampires can get into the House . . .”

“Then you’re out of luck,” Scott said.

I didn’t appreciate his tone or his conclusion, especially since he hadn’t exactly participated in the investigation or offered any assistance. Thank God his guard captain was more willing to help.

“We have the information we have,” Ethan said. “Nothing more.”

Scott looked at him. “You’ll look into this?”

Ethan looked at him silently for a moment. “Will, would you excuse us, please?”

Will nodded and walked away, leaving me, Ethan, Scott, and Jonah. Ethan took a step closer into the group, ensuring his words would stay private.

“Why not encourage Morgan to call the CPD?” Ethan asked.

Scott looked surprised. “Because they’re part