Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,117
Le Spyre, is Tommy in danger?” Fred gripped my arms.
A sob left my mouth. I nodded, my hands shaking as I gripped him for dear life.
His expression was grim. “Then I’m afraid you need to snap out of it for her sake, miss.”
He was right. She needed me.
By now, boxing up my fear was almost habit. Tommy is with the Tonyi triplets. I have to get her back. I’m afraid because they’re stronger than me. They’ll try to separate me from everyone, but terror will get in my way.
I straightened. “Where did you take her, Fred?”
My phone vibrated again.
“To a restaurant named Finale on the waterfront.”
Finale. They’d picked a restaurant that fit with the theme of their game. It was the triplets. I should check there first.
I met his gaze. “We need to go there.”
The butler bowed. “I recommend calling the restaurant first.”
Genius.
He moved to the landline on the desk.
I watched as he dialled.
“Yes, hello,” Fred spoke into the headset. “I was wondering if you could do me a favour? My granddaughter is at your restaurant for a birthday dinner with her boyfriend, but we’re setting up her surprise party at home. He’s meant to message when they’re having dessert, but I haven’t heard from him. She’s petite and has chestnut hair to her chin. She’s wearing a sparkling black dress. Is it too much trouble for you to—” He paused. “—thank you.”
A black dress? Tommy never wore black.
I paced and wrenched to a halt. Five Indebted were tailing Tommy at all times. Laurel hadn’t been in touch, so they can’t have sensed anything wrong.
Maybe things weren’t beyond control.
“Sorry, sir. There’s no one here by that description. Do you know if they went on our sunset cruise?”
His face fell.
I closed my eyes, dread curling around my heart. Tommy’s guards would be waiting on land.
“They must have,” he said smoothly. “I don’t suppose you could put a call through to your staff there?”
“I can try, sir. But they may be out of reception already.”
When Fred hung up a few minutes later, he didn’t need to tell me the verdict.
I covered my face.
“They’re after me,” I whispered. I could say that much. “Triplets.”
Fred crossed the room with a speed belying his age. “If they’re after you, then Tommy is bait. If that’s the case, they’ll want you to go alone.”
I’d come to the same conclusion.
“You need people you can trust not to charge in,” he said.
Which meant him and the Indebted. Except Kyros would never forgive them for failing to report this. It could mean their deaths.
Fred glanced at my cell phone. “The person on the other end knows something has happened.”
I stared at Kyros’s name flashing on the screen.
“If he’s the charging kind, you need to get rid of him.”
Not so easy when he’d literally felt what I’d felt for the last ten minutes, but Fred was right, when it came to me, because of the bond we shared, Kyros would charge.
I couldn’t let him in until I knew what was going on. One wrong move could mean Tommy’s life.
The call ended.
Should I call Gina back to work with her?
No, I couldn’t risk that if she was on their side. Without information of any kind, I’d have no idea how to interpret her answers.
I whirled, stumbling slightly before recovering my balance.
Where would the triplets have taken Tommy? There wasn’t any alarm from the Indebted, so they must still be waiting for the cruise to come back in.
“Think, Basi.” I tapped my forehead.
Fuck it, maybe I’d have to let Laurel into my confidence. Out of everyone I knew, I trusted her nearly as much as Fred. I didn’t want to endanger her, but to save Tommy, I was capable of almost anything, including shitting on other friendships.
My phone rang again. Private number.
The timing was too coincidental. It was them.
Fear filled me, but somewhere, I managed to locate a sliver of resolve. Channelling Agatha Le Spyre, I snapped my back straight.
Lifting the phone to my ear, I answered, “This is a private number. Do not call again.”
And hung up.
Fred watched on in grim-faced silence.
The phone rang again a bare second later, and I held a finger against my lips, warning the butler to stay quiet.
Accepting the call, I opened my mouth for a second round. A voice that chilled me to my core cut in.
“I’d suggest you stay on the line, Basilia Le Spyre. Or should I say Basil?”