A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound #4) - Hailey Turner Page 0,125
kid. Westberg didn’t get all those artifacts in his mini-museum house from the States. He liked to travel. The SOA has a forensic accountant digging into his personal and business records right now, but that’s going to take a couple of months to sort out.”
“But he’s dead. Is the government still suing him?” Wade asked.
“We’re suing his estate and looking at other members of his family. He wasn’t the only one signing off on those pawnshop receipts. The Westbergs did a lot of business with Odin’s old alias.”
“What about the Dominion Sect?” Jono asked.
Patrick sighed, his fingers digging lightly into Jono’s thigh before relaxing. “They skipped town. Maybe even the country.”
The farther the distance between Patrick and his twin, the better, in Jono’s opinion.
“I’m okay with a holiday from their bollocks.”
“I think that’s all of us.” Patrick settled a little more in his seat, fiddling with one of the air vents. “Now we just have to deal with Estelle and Youssef’s bullshit.”
“They’ve stepped back a bit from testing our territory boundaries now that every time they do they get reminded the vampires are involved. It won’t keep them away forever though.”
“At least Lucien’s good for something. Guard dog is a good fit for him.”
Jono laughed. “Never let him hear you say that.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Conversation steered away from Patrick’s work to pack updates and the goings-on in New York while Patrick had been in Chicago. They hit rush hour on the drive into Manhattan, but Jono didn’t mind the traffic much, not with Patrick by his side.
By the time they reached the Alphabet City neighborhood Tempest was located in, the bar had been open for a good hour already. They dropped Wade off at the Starbucks a couple of blocks away before circling the surrounding blocks until they got lucky with a parking spot.
“Who’s coming tonight?” Patrick asked as he shut the car door behind him.
Jono locked the car with the key fob before shoving it into his pocket. “Everyone, I think. You’ve been out of town for a bit.”
Patrick made a face. “They’re gonna be invading my personal space, aren’t they?”
Jono laughed, reaching for his hand. “Complain all you like, but you know you’ve missed us.”
“Yeah,” Patrick said a little grudgingly.
Nine months had given them both a new normal—as normal as dealing with gods could be. But their pack and the circle of close friends outside it was something Jono would never take for granted, Patrick most of all.
Tempest was already half-full by the time they arrived, and Sage had kept two barstools open for them between her and Emma. She smiled when she caught sight of them. Setting down her wineglass, she got to her feet and came to greet them.
“Got off early?” Patrick asked as he accepted a hug from her.
Sage discreetly scent-marked him before stepping back. “Yes. I’ll work from home tonight to make up for it. You look tired.”
“Long case.”
“So we saw on the news. Come on, we’ll get you a drink. Leon ordered a couple of pizzas that should be here soon.”
“Only a couple?”
“More like ten.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
Jono had technically taken the night off, but he went behind the bar to pour himself a pint and Patrick a glass of whiskey. He set both down on the counter in front of their seats and turned to ask Sage if she wanted a refill on her wine when an argument outside caught his attention.
The conversation in the bar dipped as Jono dialed up his hearing. What he could hear had him leaving the bar in seconds, preternatural speed getting him outside quicker than Patrick.
“Tell me you’re not that sodding thick,” Jono growled.
“You aren’t the only one who can go where they please in this city,” Estelle said from where she stood by the double-parked SUV out front, with two more waiting behind hers. “It’s a public street we’re on.”
“It’s not free territory.”
Estelle smirked. “You’re right. It’s mine.”
“Is she being delusional again?” Patrick asked as he exited the bar with Sage right behind him.
Estelle’s scent never changed, but her eyes narrowed in a way that told Jono she probably hadn’t expected Patrick to show up. Sage approached the woman who was the reason Estelle had driven into their territory. The dark-haired werecreature stood frozen on the sidewalk between the bar and Estelle’s SUV, clutching a worn rucksack bulging at the corners, her thick curly hair cut to her shoulders and growing out a dye job. She looked to be in her late twenties, maybe early