Bound to Shadows Page 0,88

my heart just about leaping into my throat. "Nothing has happened to Rhoan or Sal, has it?"

"No, they're safely on their way into the Directorate. But we did a full trace on Carlos Martez, and have discovered that he died some five and half years ago in a traffic accident."

"Well, he looks pretty good for a dead man."

"Obviously, we are dealing with someone who has usurped his identity."

So had Kye known that the real Carlos was dead when he'd given me his name? And if he had, why not tell me? Or was it simply another of his games? Another way of maintaining some form of control over me? "Was Carlos listed as human or vampire?"

"Vamp."

"Then how could he die in a car accident?"

"Easily. He ran into the back of a truck, which subsequently lost its load and decapitated him."

"And it was definitely an accident?"

"Yes. There was a witness." He paused. "Interestingly enough, that witness is a young woman currently residing in Vinny's nest."

"How convenient."

"Yes." His voice was heavy with sarcasm. "We've also done a preliminary search for Ammon Nasser. We have no records of him entering the country, but that's not unusual, given we only list those who come here legally. I've applied to the greater council for details, but it may take some time."

"You know, they're not exactly falling over themselves to help us, and that's damn strange, considering it's their people being chopped up."

"We're dealing with a very old, very formal organization here, Riley. And there are set processes in place for good reason, whether they chafe you or not."

I grinned. "Hey, they're the ones with their necks on the line, not me, so it's no skin off my nose."

He snorted softly. "Make sure the com-link is on so we can hear the conversation when you're in Vinny's."

"It'll be my first priority." Which was a dead-set lie, because my first priority would be kissing the hell out of Quinn.

Which is precisely what I did when he arrived eight minutes later.

"You're late," I murmured, when we finally come up for air.

He smiled and lightly traced his finger around my well-kissed lips. "Unfortunately, the traffic was worse than usual. A four-car accident, according to the news."

I kissed his fingertip and barely resisted the temptation to draw the digit into my mouth and suck on it. That would only lead to activities we really didn't have time for.

"Shall we head inside?" he said, even as the scent of desire began emanating from him. I guess after all the time we'd been spending together he'd know exactly where my thoughts had been heading.

"Yeah." I swung around and led the way. He walked beside me, not touching me physically but close enough that the scent of him, the heat of him, swirled around me - a blanket of warm protection that I just wanted to roll up in. But that was a distant likelihood for the next several hours, at least. "Our dear Vinny has been keeping secrets from us. We're about to lean on her to discover them."

"I always did appreciate a good 'lean'," he said, amusement in his voice. "But she's grown stronger since our last visit, and since she thinks she knows exactly what I'm capable of, she will be less tractable."

"Even I don't know exactly what you're capable of," I said wryly, "So she's a fool if she thinks she knows all there is to know."

And Vinny was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them.

My phone beeped as a message came in, and I dug it out of my pocket and glanced down. My heart skipped several beats when I saw it was from Kye.

Lunch is cancelled, it said. Have meeting with a client, Will contact you later.

Hope surged. Maybe last night - and my decision to stop fighting and give him what he wanted - was already beginning to pay off. With the challenge gone, maybe - just maybe - he'd pack up and move on.

It was a slim hope, but one I had to cling to nonetheless.

"Anything important?" Quinn asked, his voice nonchalant.

I glanced at him, noting the sudden remoteness in his expression.

He knew.

"Just a cancelled lunch meeting." I shoved my phone away. "Nothing important."

"Uh-huh," he said, voice still noncommittal.

I wanted to reach out and catch his hand in mine, but that would only confirm his fears. And even though those fears were very real, I didn't want to cause him any more pain than I already had.

We walked though the doors of Vinny's