Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn

1

“Tamsin Vale, you need to come with us,” a deep voice announced not five minutes after my last final.

The sigh I let out could be heard several states away. I was absolutely sure of that. I turned to face whomever it was and was filled with amusement when I saw a group… Which included Mr. Holmes, Jordan Holmes’s father.

“What did I do now? Did you have questions about your exit package from Cherrywood? Leave some personal belongings there we tossed out? Want the logs of you using rooms to cheat on your mate and—”

“What?” a woman gasped, clearly his mate.

“She’s a liar and—” he tried to defend.

“You neglected to mention you knew each other,” the deep voice bit out, still focused on me.

I snorted. “I’m sure anyone from the Holmes family left out a lot. They do that. And use their money to buy themselves out of trouble or whatever they want.” I swallowed a flinch, remembering what had just happened and not having to guess what this was really about.

“I’m Captain Reddy with the supe police. Their son is missing.”

“Nice to meet you, Captain.” I dipped my head in respect, but then gave him an I don’t fucking care look that I didn’t even try to curb. “He’s probably committing another rape that his council won’t do anything about. Try the nearest brothel or sorority.”

“Why, you lowlife bitch,” Mr. Holmes hissed as he moved through the group faster than most on campus could. He was an adult vampire who was an elite and had trained with the best.

And showed his stripes how he treated women as he reached to wrap his hand around my neck with all those people there.

I easily grabbed his wrist in time and snapped his arm like a twig, raising an eyebrow at him as he crumbled to the ground with a wail. “I understand you and your son believe you can do whatever you want to women, whenever you want, but you can’t. Attempt to touch me again and I will take the arm next time, not simply break it.” I stuck my finger in my ear and wiggled it around. “Wow.”

“She did it,” Holmes bitched. “See how she’s like a rabid dog? She did something to my son!”

I blinked at him. “One, you came at me, asshole. That makes you the rabid one. Two, maybe lay off the dog puns when you brought in a wolf shifter from the supe police to help you, idiot.” I glanced at the captain. “What did I supposedly do now?”

He was still studying me, but I didn’t take offense. I was used to it. People wanted to see if I lived up to the hype when they got near me.

I would have done the same.

“Jordan said he was going to expose you,” Holmes bit out now that he was back on his feet, cradling his healing arm. “He promised he would get proof what you were and would restore our family’s position you took.”

“Or you lost because you backed your rapist son, but okay,” I drawled, crossing my arms over my chest. “Hurry this up. It’s cold and I want to start my winter break.”

One of the other officers snorted, trying to cover it up with a cough. He wasn’t the only one amused, and we’d drawn a rather large crowd now.

Drama spread around Artemis faster than wildfires through California.

“He said he’d set a trap for you and then we never heard from him again,” Mrs. Holmes blurted. “What did you do with him?”

I blinked at her, wondering if the woman was naturally stupid or years of being mated to Mr. Holmes had degraded her mind. I focused on Captain Reddy. “And you’re here to take me for…”

“Questioning as a suspect,” he finished.

“For…” I pushed.

“A suspect of misdeeds,” Mr. Holmes seethed. “Our council submitted the order and they have to carry it out. Clearly, you were involved.”

“First, a ‘suspect of misdeeds’ isn’t a real fucking thing,” I drawled. “You’d get further saying I was a suspect taking cookies from the cookie jar.” I scrubbed my hand over my neck. “Do you have any evidence he’s really missing?”

“We have the last location his cell put him and his friends,” Captain Reddy answered.

I bobbed my head. “And found?”

“Nothing. No trace of them. Not even their essences.”

I swallowed a flinch. I hadn’t known the supe police could track things like that. Shit. “And mine?”

“No.”

“Hair?” I gestured to mine. “It stands out.”

His lips twitched. “No.”

“Blood?”

“No.”

“Perfume? Footprints? My phone being there?” I threw