Laughing, I answered the phone.
I’m serious, Andy.
“Hello?” I answered the phone with a shaky voice. Wick stepped in behind me—to hold me? Throttle me? To make sure I heard? I waved him off.
“It’s Joyce.”
The name stumped me, but the cheese grater voice helped identify the caller. “Agent Booth?”
“Yes. I have a first name.” From her tone, I practically heard her eyes roll from the other end of the phone.
“First I’ve heard of it,” I grumbled. All agents had first names, but I didn’t use them, ever. Only agents who were friends referred to each other by their first name. Didn’t realize Joyce and I fit into that category.
Wick crossed his arms and huffed in my ear.
I heard you!
His body relaxed, but he remained standing inches behind me. His breath hit the back of my neck. Distracted, I missed what Booth said. “Sorry. What was that?”
“There’s no need for the attitude. I said it once. I’m not going to repeat myself.”
“No. I missed what you said. I was distracted.” I shot Wick a cold stare. His eyes widened and he took a step back.
Dead silence answered me on the other end of the phone, as if Booth took time to contemplate whether I was sincere or not. “I apologized for my brisk manner on the phone earlier.”
“I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Yes, well, like I said. I’m not going to repeat myself.”
I didn’t bother pointing out that she kind of already did. She didn’t strike me as the type to apologize often. I turned and found a comfortable position on the bed.
“I was not alone and I don’t trust my work phone.”
“Troubles at the SRD?”
Booth snorted. “I’m not entirely convinced Landen left the SRD without help.”
“You think someone high up was involved in his going rogue?”
“And pulling his strings,” she confided. “Someone cleaned up after the two of you, keeping you off the radar, feeding Landen tips whenever we got close.”
“Is this line secure?” Dumb question, Andy.
Booth snorted again. “What a dumb question.”
“I’ve had a rough couple of days. Cut me some slack.”
Booth paused. “Give me the full report.”
“There is a Master Vampire in town with his horde by the name of Ethan Monroe. He’s holed up in West Vancouver and was behind the hit on Lucien’s human servant.”
“The hit you botched.”
My teeth ground together. “I ripped his throat out. He should have died. Even as a human servant, it should have been enough.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“No.”
Another pause. “So you found out who issued the orders. Does Lucien consider your debt paid?”
My turn to snort. “No. He considers the insult appeased. He will no longer kill me or give me to Clint, but I still owe him.”
“And let me guess, he won’t name a price.”
“I made him.”
“And?”
“Kill Ethan.”
Booth laughed, deep and throaty and not altogether unpleasant because it sounded genuine. “These Vampires never cease to amaze me. You think with immortality, they would gain some perspective on trivial matters.”
“I think they lose perspective, not gain it. The older they get the more serious they take themselves.”
“So you’re not a vamp tramp?”
“No.”
“Is that all?” She sounded like she knew more existed, but wanted to be wrong.
“Nope.”
A long drawn out sigh came from the other end of the phone.
“Ethan’s animal to call is the leopard.”
“Angelica,” Booth cursed. “I knew there was something wrong with her.”
“Agreed. She’s how I found him. The scent of Landen’s killer was faint, but I knew it had to be a big cat. When I met Angie, I recognized a familiarity with her scent and tracked her to Ethan. One of his envoys was the killer.”
“Do you know the envoy’s name?”
When I went to answer, my throat constricted. A pang of guilt lanced through my body. Why did I feel this sudden loyalty to him? Why did my mountain lion try to shred the inside of my head with her claws to prevent me from saying his name? I’d met him only once and I didn’t know a thing about him. I cleared my throat. “Tristan.”
“Tristan Kayne?”
I shrugged. Realizing she couldn’t see me, I answered “I guess.”
“Angie’s pride leader? God, she never stops talking about him.”
“Sounds right.”
“Black hair like shining ebony, eyes like cut sapphires.” Booth tried to pitch her voice higher to imitate Angie, but she sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Is he all that special?”