I had no sympathy for the spirit that was Wilson, however. He deserved the pain he was in. Deserved the eternity of it he was now locked into.
The magi with the cat’s eyes looked at me. “You’d better call an ambulance for that poor fellow in the car, then you can go.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really? You sure?”
She nodded. “He’s pinned now. We’ll just finish the binding, then add some extra protection around his coffin before we get it backfilled.”
“What happens if he gets handy with his psychokinetic skills again?”
“He won’t. We have him totally contained with the salt, the incense, and the magic. This is one bad soul whose nights of destruction are over.”
Thank God for that. I walked over to the man from the car, checking that he was breathing, and that he wasn’t likely to choke in his own blood. Then I called in the medics as ordered. At least I hadn’t killed him outright. For that, I was grateful.
With that done, I got the hell out of there. Wilson was no longer my problem, but that didn’t mean I’d finished dealing with the dead.
After all, I still had Adrienne to find.
Chapter 10
Once beyond the cemetery gates, the tension that had been so much a part of the last few hours slithered from my body, and I was suddenly able to breathe easier. It wasn’t just Wilson—and the knowledge of what he could have done—that had wound me up so tight. It was the awareness of all those other souls. The feeling that I only needed to open myself up a little and all their hopes, their dreams, and their anguish would be mine. That the sum of their beings could easily overrun me, until I was nothing more than a conduit for their pain.
I shivered. I mightn’t be able to entirely avoid dead people given my job, but cemeteries were definitely off my list of places to visit in the future.
I slipped back into the flow of traffic and glanced at the dashboard clock as my stomach rumbled a reminder that it actually hadn’t been supplied with sustenance in a while. It was nearly one, so most of the fast-food joints would be closed by now, but the restaurants near the Blue Moon would still be open. In fact, most of them ran twenty-four hours a day, just to make the most of the constant flow of patrons coming to and from both the Blue Moon and the Rocker. And the close proximity of the clubs meant I’d be able to ease a deeper ache after filling my belly.
Except that I’d made a promise.
With a sigh that was only slightly filled with frustration, I dug my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Kellen’s number.
“Hey,” I said when he answered. “You feel like something to eat?”
“Riley, it’s nearly one in the morning.”
“So?” I glanced in the mirror to check there wasn’t a cop car behind me. It wasn’t exactly legal to be talking on a cell while driving—not without using hands-free, anyway—and while as a guardian I could probably get out of the fine, it would create a whole lot of paperwork. And that would only make me and Jack grumpy.“So some of us do actually eat at regular hours.” Amusement lurked in Kellen’s rich tones. “Hell, some of us even keep regular sleeping hours.”
Which explained the sexy, just-woken-up tone I was hearing under the amusement. “So you’re not interested in coming out for a snack?”
“That depends on what else is on the menu.”
“Now, there’s a typical male response,” I said dryly. “Won’t come out for food, but will make the effort if there’s sex involved.”
“Absolutely right,” he said. “When and where?”
“I’ll be at Eddie’s in ten minutes,” I said. “I’m feeling like a burger, and he makes the best.”
“Order me a coffee,” he said. “And add lots of sugar. I’ve got a feeling I’m going to need the energy.”
“You surely will.”
He chuckled softly and hung up. After a glance at the road to see what the traffic was doing, I pressed another button and dialed the Directorate. Naturally, Sal answered.
“What an unmitigated pleasure to speak to you again so soon,” she cooed.
Right. “So Jack’s in the room, huh? Why don’t you just shag the man?”
“Because I, unlike some, have a little class, and I prefer to build up to a relationship rather than take the wham-bam approach.”
She might be a few hundred years old, but it seems her human prejudices had survived the crossover well. “If class means remaining a frustrated old cow, then give me crassness any day.”
“Oh, you can be sure you have that market covered.” Her tone was still so very pleasant, even if her words held the familiar hint of snark. It had to be killing her.
“And with the sort of charm you’re currently oozing, it’s a wonder Jack isn’t just falling at your feet in lust.”
“Oh, he surely will.”
“You want to bet on that?”
“No.” She paused, then added, “And we can cut the crap now—what do you want, bitch?”
Her voice was back to its unpleasant best. Jack had obviously left.
“Did the forensic team checking the rooftop come back with anything?”
“The bullet casings indicated a high-powered rifle. There were no prints on either the casings or at the site. They suspect a professional hit.”
“Which doesn’t make any sense, because I haven’t pissed anyone off lately.”
“As I said before, I find that very hard to believe.”
I ignored the jibe, but mainly because I couldn’t think of a good retort. “Did you manage to do the background check on Mirror Image?”
“Yes. There’s nothing untoward. It was legitimately set up, and has been running without problems for six months. There have been no complaints at all.”
Which in itself was more than a little unusual. Hell, most clubs got complaints, whether they deserved them or not. “No rumors or reports that suggest something less than savory happening there?”
“Nothing at all. Why?”
“Because I suspect there’s a blackmail scam being run out of the club. Who’s the registered owner?”
“Owners,” she corrected. “Jorn and Yohan Duerr. They’re twin brothers who apparently settled here from England two years ago.”
They are what the club is, Dia had said. Meaning they were not only twins, but also mirror images of each other.
“Were they English born?”
“No. German. They went to England when they were twenty.”
“Any chance of doing a history check in both countries?”
“If there were any convictions, they wouldn’t have been allowed into the country.”
“Yeah, but a lack of convictions doesn’t mean they weren’t involved in anything nefarious.”
“Is there any particular reason we’re digging this deep?”
“I’ve just got a feeling about them.”
“You and your damn feelings cause us more work than anyone else.” She sniffed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” I hit the brake as the light ahead changed to red. “What about bank accounts—any unusual activity in any of those?”
“I didn’t go that deep.”
“Could you?”
“Possibly.”
“Can you send the info as soon as you get it?”
“I’ll try.”
“You’re such a sweetheart.”
“Swivel on it, wolf girl.”
“Oh, I intend to.”
She made a growling noise and hung up. I grinned and tossed the phone on the seat beside me. The light flashed back to green and I zoomed off.
I parked in a side street not far down from Eddie’s, and walked back. Despite the late hour, Lygon Street was alive with people, music, and the delicious, multilayered scents of cooking and food. I breathed deep, allowing the scents to roll through me, savoring every tasty moment even as my stomach grumbled to hurry up.
“Hey, gorgeous,” a familiar voice said.
I turned around and saw Kellen approaching. He was dressed in jeans and a somewhat crinkled black shirt that fitted his lean body to perfection and showed off his arms and shoulders.
My hormones did a happy dance. I stepped forward and kissed him long and hard. It was a good kiss, a hungry kiss, a kiss filled with all the desire that had been pent up inside me.
When we finally parted, he said, “Are you sure you want to get a burger first?”
His green eyes were shining with amusement and caring, and something inside sighed with happiness. I slipped my arm through his and tugged him toward Eddie’s. Thankfully, it was only half-full, and there were plenty of tables. “I haven’t eaten in hours. I need the sustenance.”
“A wolf can survive days without food, you know.”
“Not this wolf. Besides, I need coffee.”
“Ah well, that’s different. I’ve seen your coffee-deprived state, and it isn’t pleasant.”
I lightly punched his arm. “You’re supposed to be charming until you get your wicked way with me.”
He guided me across to a table in the back corner, and held the chair out for me. “But I’m going to get my wicked way with you regardless of whether I’m charming, so why not be honest?”“I might change my mind.”
“After the heat in that kiss?” He gave me a sexy grin and shook his head. “I doubt it.”
“Have you always been so arrogantly confident?”