His brows lifted with pleasure, with interest. “Did you?”
I nodded. “We’ve been . . . trying to work together.”
Saying that aloud helped settle something inside me, and I wasn’t sure if the ease was from me, or from it.
“Wise of both of you,” Connor said. “And advantageous.” He leaned in, pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Just make sure you stay in charge.”
“Am and will,” I said, and I looked toward the windows. “He probably wouldn’t go back to the hotel. Not now. Let’s go talk to Clive. We have things to discuss.”
* * *
* * *
We took turns cleaning up the loft and cleaning up in the bathroom, and sending messages.
Connor sent a warning to the Pack, in case Levi found his way there again. He also sent a message to Alexei, to keep him updated. I did the same for Lulu, then sent a message to my parents, told them we’d come by the House when we could, but to stay on high alert until Levi was found. I asked they relay the update to Nicole personally. I also had the inkling of an idea, and asked my parents to talk to Johnson, the guard who’d been injured when Clive had come to Cadogan House. He might be able to give us a little window.
I called Theo en route to the Portman Grand.
“Levi confessed to killing Blake and attacking Connor,” I told him. “Two of Clive’s vampires helped him.”
There was a moment of stunned silence. “And how do you know this?”
“He was waiting for me in the loft. He can hide himself with glamour.”
“Jesus, Lis. Are you all right?”
“Banged up, but I’ll heal.” I was getting sick of saying that. “We’re going to the Portman Grand. I want to have some words with Clive.”
“You think he knew?”
“That Levi killed Blake? Probably not. But that his brother is a threat? Yeah, I think he did know.”
“I’ll meet you at the hotel,” he said. “Don’t do anything rash, Lis. And don’t make more trouble for yourself.”
“Oh, the trouble won’t be for me,” I assured him. “But I’ll be the one to end this.”
* * *
* * *
Theo beat us to the hotel; we found him waiting in the lobby, surveying the luxury. “Posh,” he said when we reached him. The Portman Grand was one of the finest hotels in Chicago and probably the most expensive. Marble and wood and gold, with towering ceilings and the cool, quiet, rarefied air of luxury.
“Vampires,” Connor and I said together.
“That word covers a lot of ground,” Theo noted.
“Same for ‘shifters,’” I said. “If you need to talk about fighting or carousing or anything involving motorcycles. Do you know which rooms they’re in?” I asked Theo.
“Clive’s in thirty-two eleven. Levi has the room next door. Staff confirmed Levi left three hours ago, hasn’t been back. His room’s been cleaned since then.”
So we’d been right about that. He was running, but not back to the hotel. Not back to his brother.
“Did Gwen talk to Clive?”
“Briefly,” Theo said. “Asked where Levi was, got no answer. Said he was wanted for questioning in Blake’s death, in Connor’s attack. Still got no answer.”
“What was her sense?” Connor asked.
“That he was surprised by the allegations, but not the violence.” He looked back at the door, put on what I thought of as his “grown-up” face. “We don’t have warrants,” he said. “We can ask questions, and they can refuse.”
I started to argue, but Theo held up a hand.
“Trespassing won’t get his brother off the streets, and fighting with the AAM isn’t going to help your case.”
“I’m angry that you’re right.”
“You should be used to that by now. Gwen’s working with the state’s attorney, and we’ll get Levi. We’ll get the ones who helped him, and if Clive knew about it, we’ll get him, too. I’m asking for a little trust, which I know probably feels unfair. But I’m asking for it anyway.”
I nodded, and he looked at Connor. “You going to be able to maintain?”
“As much as I need to,” Connor said. Which I knew wasn’t agreement, but a reminder that he’d do exactly what he believed he needed to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
* * *
* * *
I got a response from Cadogan House as we rode up to the thirty-second floor, then walked to the room Theo had identified. Since this was my mission, I pounded a fist on the door.