Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(53)

"Just thinking about my next move," I said.

"There will be no next move. After your little escapade with the harpies, you're on lockdown. You're not going anywhere but the mansion, where you will stay until your friend has been located." His words had a note of finality to them.

That he thought things would work out that way was downright hysterical. He should know by now that the more he tried to put me under his thumb, the harder I'd try to escape.

"You know I'm not a prisoner, right?" I asked. "Certain law enforcement types would frown on this attempted kidnapping."

His chuckle was warm and brushed against me with the feel of a fur-lined glove. "There’s no attempt about it. You’re caught, my dear. Resign yourself to your fate."

I was quiet for a long moment as I faced forward.

"What did you think to accomplish by this?" Liam asked. "You must have known we'd track you down eventually."

I shrugged. Yes, but I thought I'd have longer before that happened.

"What did you plan to do with Caroline when you found her?" Liam looked over at me, his eyes somber. "With your current lack of power, it's likely she would kill you the first time you upset her."

"Whatever you say, however you try to convince me, I'm not going to believe she's lost hold of herself," I said, meeting his eyes. "She's still Caroline."

"As you are still Aileen?" he asked, no judgment in his voice. My face darkened as I got his reference.

I looked away without answering, folding my arms and watching the city pass outside the window. His sigh was heavy before the leather creaked as he turned to face forward again.

Now what? I was caught, and by the sounds of it, they didn't plan to give me the chance to repeat my little excursion. Whoever they put on me would be twice as guarded against any attempt to escape. How was I to help my friend if I couldn't even look for her without bringing the vampires, and by extension, the wolves down on her?

A phone rang, the sound splitting the quiet.

Liam fished it out of his pocket, hitting the button and holding it to his ear. "Go."

I could hear Makoto as he gave his report. "Boss, there's been another incident. This time it's bad. There are bodies."

"Where?"

"Off Third Street in German Village. I've already sent two enforcers over there to secure the scene, but you said you wanted to be apprised of anything to do with our little problem."

"Are they ours?" Liam asked.

There was a hesitation before a softly voiced, "Yes."

"Okay, I'm on my way." He hung up and set the phone down before letting out a soft curse. "Looks like you're going to get a crash course in exactly what your friend is capable of."

My skin turned cold at the implication. I bit back my protest, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. They were already convinced Caroline was responsible for these deaths. It would take proof to convince them otherwise.

Eric turned the SUV, pointing it towards German Village where the site awaited. It wasn't too far from our original destination, just a few blocks south of downtown Columbus. This area was one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It was partially settled in the 1800s by German immigrants, giving rise to the name German Village. It was also probably why Columbus had such a strong German influence, stemming back to the city's founding. It was now a coveted area of town for couples. The historical houses, wrought iron fences and carefully cultivated lots were a hipster's dream property. The area was also walkable and home to many of the unique features that made Columbus an interesting place to live.

Eric turned down a street not far from the Book Haven and its secret bookstore that catered to spooks. He navigated slowly down the brick streets, careful not to scrape the sides of the SUV on the surrounding buildings. This area was not built with modern conveniences in mind. The streets were narrow and from a time when your own two feet were your primary mode of transportation. They were a real bitch to clear during winter.

Eric parked several streets over, and we disembarked, Nathan taking his place at my elbow in case I got it into my head to bolt again.

We turned down the street, following Eric as he led the way to the site. It announced itself through smell first, the stench of human bowels and dead meat greeting me before I'd rounded the corner. Under it were the delicate notes of blood that even now, sated from the blood I'd drunk this morning and feeling slightly sick at the sight of the bodies before me, called to me with a siren's temptation.

The scene was enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs. It looked like a slaughterhouse but without the organization or purpose. The closest I'd come to anything like it was in Afghanistan when a soldier walked over an IED and set it off. The force of the blast had ripped him to pieces before he'd even known what was happening. That had haunted me for months. If I was being truthful, it haunted me still. This new scene would join it in my nightmares.

Whatever did this had ripped its victim to pieces just as effectively as that IED. Judging by the fact there were too many arms and legs in the small alley, I was guessing there’d been more than one victim. One was a little more intact than the other, but that wasn't saying much. The torso and head were still attached as they leaned against the brick wall, but the person's arms had been ripped off and strewn across the ground in several pieces.