Relentless (Vampire Awakenings #11) - Brenda K. Davies Page 0,79

hair. “I haven’t seen her in two weeks,” he muttered.

He looked so upset by this that Dante didn’t know if he should comfort him or hand him an Oscar for putting on such an outstanding performance. Move aside, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson.

Then Preston’s face paled, and he stepped closer. “Why are you looking for her? Is she missing?”

“Her mother hasn’t seen her in two weeks either, and she’d like to find her.”

“Oh no,” Preston breathed. “That can’t be. I… I didn’t know. I would have…”

“Would have what?” Dante asked when Preston’s voice trailed away.

“I would have been looking for her. I have to find her.”

Dante was watching his number one suspect go down the drain; no one was this good of an actor. But if Preston didn’t have something to do with Julie’s disappearance, then who did? And where was she?

“Can we talk somewhere a little more private?” Dante asked.

“Yes, of course. Let’s get out of here.”

Dante stayed close to Preston’s side as he led the way back through the crowd and toward the door. He didn’t think Preston was acting, but he wasn’t taking any chances Preston might try to cut and run. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure Cassidy and Kyle remained close to them.

Zan remained standing by the door. When he saw them, he quirked an eyebrow before opening the door. Preston didn’t say anything as he left, but Dante nodded to Zan.

“Thanks for the help,” he said.

“I hope you find her,” Zan said and closed the door behind them.

The dim light illuminated the small landing as the sounds of the party faded away again. As they circled Preston, fear flashed across his features and he glanced back at the door.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Dante assured him as he edged a little in front of Cassidy. Her displeasure over this move radiated through their bond, but he ignored it. He didn’t know or trust Preston, and he would keep her safe.

Preston looked dubious, but he focused on Dante again. “You really don’t know where Julie is?”

“No,” Dante answered as he pulled out his pad and pen. “We were hoping you did. So, the last time you saw her was two weeks ago?”

“Yes.”

“Did anything different happen then?”

Preston ran his hand through his hair and tugged at the ends of it. “No. She came over to my place, and we hung out for a few hours.”

“Then what happened?”

“She said she was going home and left.”

“Did she go to your place often?”

“A couple of times a week. Sometimes, we’d go out, but we also liked to stay in and watch a movie or bullshit.”

“Does she know you’re a vampire?”

“Yes. I was turned after we started hanging out. Before I turned, we’d go to these parties and the human vamp clubs, but we mostly went to those for laughs. I’m the one who got her interested in vampires. It was a lot of fun and a distraction from things.”

“What things?” Dante asked.

“Just life. It was fun to lose ourselves in a land of what we believed was a fantasy. And then, one day, I met a vampire.”

“And who was that?”

“Jasmine.”

Dante showed no reaction to this familiar name. “And where did you meet her?”

“At one of these parties, and we hit it off. She’s gorgeous, a lot of fun, and we would spend hours talking. She was… she was amazing.”

Dante didn’t miss the wistful tone of his voice, but he would prod further into that in a minute. “Did you know Jasmine was a vampire when you met?”

Preston snorted and tugged at his hair again. “No, who would ever suspect that? I was engrossed in this lifestyle, and I never saw it coming. We dated for a few months, and I was beginning to think she was the one. Then I learned the truth about her, and she turned me.”

“What happened after?”

“She went crazy. It was like she assumed she owned me or something. I didn’t plan to break up with her, but she started getting so possessive and weird that I couldn’t go out without her following me. I never cheated on her, and I never gave her any reason to suspect I would.

“When I was with her, I never even looked at another girl, but there was no way I was spending an eternity dealing with her tracking my phone and interrogating me every time I went out. We continued to date for a couple of months after she turned me, but eventually, I couldn’t take