made sure to look into his eyes, to press my body closer to his.
“You’re holding back.”
I arched a brow. “So are you.”
“Fair enough.”
He leaned in to kiss me again and I knew I had to put on a better show. I had to kiss him like I was dying, and he was the cure.
I had to kiss him the way I kissed Brooke.
I pretended the hard slant of his lips were soft, lush ones. I pretended that we were in the ladies' room again and her hands were in my hair and her sharp little fangs were scraping against my tongue.
The sound of giggling interrupted our interlude and wordlessly, we swam back toward the connecting river to take us to another pool.
I dove beneath the water and imagined it had scrubbed away the traces of him. I’d be going back for more tonight. I needed to get inside his room and see what all he knew he wasn’t telling me. I wasn’t about to let him parse out bits of information as he saw fit, pay for play.
Not when the people I loved were at risk.
He’d soon find out that there was no bridge too far when it came to my chosen family.
I swam back to where we’d left our group. Sharice and Cornflake had left, and it was only Lila Jean and Brooke. I noticed that Gabe didn’t follow me back.
“So what’s up?” Lila Jean asked.
“I need you guys to be extra careful, okay?” I looked at Brooke. “You too.”
“Moi?” She pointed to herself. “It’s nice to know you care.”
“Apparently, there’s some kind of fucked up blood trafficking ring, and Gabe thinks I’m the target,” I said.
“Gabe just wants to get you alone and scared to danger bone,” Brooke said.
“I guess Gabe doesn’t know her that well, does he?” Lila Jean asked. “Scared? Not since you were twelve.”
“I may have kissed him to let him think it was a possibility so he’ll cough up the info I need.”
Brooke raised a brow. “So wait, you think this is credible?”
“Yeah. You know that coin I found? I’ve been seeing that sigil everywhere. It was on a guy who was murdered in Hawthorne Park, on someone who tried to take Marc out, and now on that coin. Gabe says it means someone has bid on one of us.”
“To buy?” Brooke looked at me over her the red rims of her sunglasses. “Are you kidding me?”
Lila Jean nodded. “I think you need to activate the secret weapon.”
“Yeah, I’m going to text her to bring my kit. Gabe kept that damn coin. Which is just as well if it has some kind of tracking device in it. We’re supposed to talk more after Trivia.”
“Sounds like a plan. I don’t think any of us, including you, should be going anywhere by themselves,” Lila Jean said. “Not just at night.”
Brooke pushed her sunglasses up on the top of her head. “Darling, you do know that we can be out in the daylight.”
“I’m not a dumbass,” Lila Jean drawled.
“I didn’t say you were. Not being informed doesn’t make you a dumbass.” She sniffed. “I mean, maybe a little since everyone knows that now.”
“Ugh. Don’t vampsplain,” Lila Jean grumbled.
Brooke just threw her head back and laughed that deep, throaty, sexy laugh of hers.
But even that couldn’t mute the memory of the shadows I’d seen in the hallway. The skittering thing that was possibly living in the ventilation system of the hotel.
“You’re right. There’s more to this picture we haven’t seen yet. There are pieces missing, and I’m sure they’re deadly. Where are Sharice and Presley?”
“They’re picking out their outfits for Trivia,” Lila Jean supplied.
“I’m worried about Presley. I think Dallas is dead.”
“Maybe you can use Gabe to put pressure on local PD to file a missing persons?” Brooke suggested.
“I was already going to ask. I meant to have done it already.”
“I need to tell you both,” Lila Jean began. “I’ve heard some whispers that people still think Brooke killed Lindsey.”
“Oh, why? Because I’m the only vampire in the group?”
Lila Jean shrugged and leaned her elbows back on the ledge of the pool. “I mean, I guess? You were the last one to see her alive.”
“I have zero motive,” Brooke said. “Presley had more motive.”
“That detective thinks I did it,” I said. “Because Lindsey was contracting for the DoD with Marc.” I kicked my feet in the shallow water.
“That’s fucked. Did they have an affair?” Brooke asked.
“Not exactly, no.”
“Are you okay?” Brooke put her hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, we