Opus Nostrum.
Kellan sat up, his blood pounding at the sudden recollection of Benson’s guilt.
“What’s wrong?” Mira asked, rising with him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and she crawled behind him. “What are you doing?”
“I need to talk to Lucan.”
“About what?”
“Benson.” He stood up, expecting to feel weak or wobbly, but his legs held strong, bolstered by his Breedmate’s blood. Even his wounds felt insignificant. He peeled one of the bandages away and found the bullet hole healed over, puckered and pink but already growing new skin. Kellan unwrapped the rest and tossed the dressings into a nearby trash bin. Someone had left a pair of sweats and a T-shirt on the table beside the bed. Kellan hastily put the pants on. “Lucan needs to hear what I found out from Benson today.”
“You told him,” Mira said. She came around in front of him and carefully smoothed her fingers over his healing wounds. “If you’re talking about Opus Nostrum, whatever that is, Lucan is already looking into it. You gave him that intel just before you—”
“There’s more, Mira. We need to bring Benson in. He’s got information about some kind of attack that’s being planned, one that involves Ackmeyer’s Morningstar technology. We need to interrogate the bastard ASAP.”
She gave him a funny look, then shook her head. “Benson’s dead. He was killed by the same JUSTIS officers who shot you. They murdered him execution style in a back hallway of the GNC building when he was trying to get away.”
Ah, fuck.
Kellan grabbed the T-shirt and shrugged into it. “Lucan needs to know what’s going on. I have to see him right now.”
“You can’t.” Mira shook her head. “He’s gone. He left with Gabrielle and the rest of the Order and their mates some time ago. Everyone’s at the peace summit gala tonight.”
The peace summit.
Realization sank in with sharp, icy talons.
“It’s going to happen at the gala,” Kellan murmured. “When I read Benson, his guilt was over the fact that Opus Nostrum had killed Ackmeyer because of his UV technology and that many more people were going to die because of it too—all under the guise of peace. They’re going to use Morningstar as a weapon at the gala tonight.”
Lucan’s grip was tight on his comm unit as he ended the call with Mira. His curse, vicious and nasty. It drew an aghast inhalation from the Breedmate of a visiting ambassador, who’d been blathering on endlessly to Gabrielle and Gideon’s mate, Savannah, for the past twenty minutes about her latest art acquisitions. The female gaped at Lucan, who returned the look with a dark scowl, too distracted by troubling news to be bothered with playing the pleasant party guest.
As the woman made her excuses and scurried away, Gabrielle turned a wry look on him. “Thanks for the rescue. What did Mira want? Nothing’s wrong with Kellan, is there?”
“He’s fine. Already on his feet, in fact. But he remembered something more from his read on Benson.” Lucan’s blood ran a bit colder as he took in the sea of people in attendance at the gala. He glanced to Gideon, who stood talking with Darion on the other side of the two Breedmates. “Kellan says Benson was aware of an attack being planned by Opus Nostrum. Something big, involving Ackmeyer’s UV technology as a weapon. He believes it may be set to take place tonight.”
“Here, at the gala?” Gabrielle whispered. “You don’t think that’s possible, do you?”
Gideon grunted, his blue eyes dubious over the rims of sleek, silvery-lensed glasses. “Between the Order and Crowe’s security detail, this place is locked down. Someone would have to be insane to think they could get in here and wage some kind of assault.”
“Unless they’re already inside,” Dare suggested.
Lucan felt a scowl tighten his face as he considered his son’s all-too-probable scenario. With a tilt of his chin, he motioned Tegan, Nikolai, and Hunter over from across the room. “Everyone in here went through metal detectors and weapons scans, yeah?”
Tegan gave a grave nod. “Can’t get into any government building these days without a full-body X ray. Everyone was scanned on entry.”
Niko grinned. “Think it’s too late to recommend Crowe for a cavity search? Nah, on second thought, he might enjoy it.”
Crowe was currently working his way toward the lavish stage at the head of the large reception hall. He pumped dozens of hands on his approach, chuckling and backslapping with the dignitaries while leering at their wives and basically acting like he owned the damn place and everyone in it.