The Ripple Effect (Rhiannon's Law #3)(30)

“Rhiannon, open up!” Goose snapped and the pounding on the door became constant.

I exhaled, shaking my head. Ethan McDaniel P.I. had lousy f*cking timing.

Goose didn’t exchange pleasantries when I opened the door. He shouldered past me and strode into my apartment. To my surprise, his hair was messy and his clothing was wrinkled. Very un-Ethan-like. “After what happened yesterday, I expected you to come find me immediately this morning. I thought you’d understand how serious this is.”

I couldn’t tell him about my meeting with Sonja. There were some things it was best that Goose not know—demon conjuring included. “What can I say?” I said, brushing the comment off, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m slowly coming to awareness.”

“Don’t be a smartass. We have to talk.”

“I can see that.” I closed the door and locked it. Yes, it was stupid locking the door considering the things I managed to piss off could probably get inside anyway, but some security was better than none.

“Where’s the knife?” He turned in a circle, looking around my small apartment as though he had x-ray vision and could locate exactly what he was looking for.

“It’s not here.”

“It’s not in Miami. You wouldn’t put it in a place that far away. I’m not stupid.”

“You’re right.” I walked past him, into the living room. “It’s not in Miami.”

I gasped when he snagged my arm and spun me around. Goose was never rude, and he was never hands on. That meant something had set him off.

Not good.


“Don’t f*ck around.” Whoa. This was absolutely not good at all. The hair along my neck rose on end, in a creeped out salute. Goose didn’t curse either. “The situation has gone from bad to worse,” he said, eyes wild. “You have no idea what you’ve done. You have no idea what the hell you’ve done.”


“Calm down.” I wanted to yank my arm loose, but I didn’t. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Like you’d listen,” he snapped, brown eyes abnormally hostile. “He’ll come, Rhiannon.” Goose grasped my other arm and shook me—hard. “Do you understand? That was why Marius went to see the head of the other vampiric houses last night. He’s making plans for his sire’s arrival. His maker already knows. Do you hear me? Revenald. Already. Knows.”

Now I knew what Disco wanted to talk to me before Marius interrupted our sexed up conversation. Things had taken a deadly nose dive. I started to hyperventilate, neck deep in quicksand and quickly sinking.

Count to ten. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Got it together? Okay, good. Breathe in, breathe out.

“Knows what?” I managed to ask, trying to keep a level head.

“That you’re lying. That you’re not telling him the truth. He even suspects the family is being dishonest about your bond with Gabriel and Paine. Gabriel tried to defend you, but considering the nature of your relationship, his arguments fell on deaf ears. You’ve placed us all in the center of something you don’t understand. The ramifications will be more than you can fathom.” He buried his fingertips into my arm. “Revenald is going to come, and no one will be able to help you. Not Gabriel. Not Paine. Not me. For once in your life, you’re going to have to think smart. No more Billy badass. No more thinking you can take on the world. You are going to give him what he wants and you’re going to do it today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Today. If you’re lucky, you can stop all of this before it starts. Give the family a show of good faith.”

“If I give him the dagger—”

“No.” He shook me again, harder. “Not if. When.”

“Remember our conversations. Without the dagger, I won’t be able to kill Victoria. I’ll be trading one Grim Reaper for another. I’ll be unable to protect myself.”

His grip loosened marginally. “Revenald can control Victoria. He’s older and more powerful. You’re a part of a feared vampire family, one with resources. It’s time you used them and stopped playing with fate.”

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to believe Paine’s ripple effect crap.” Not a good thing to say to a man who was losing his shit. Goose’s lips came together, pressed down, and contorted into a sneer.

“You want to know what I think about Paine’s theory? I’ll tell you. I think it’s cause and effect. But the people you save won’t be the only ones who pay the price for your decisions. So will you.” He took a deep breath and I wondered if he was counting to ten as I had earlier. When he exhaled, he seemed to have himself under control. He let go of my arms and took a step back. “I want the knife. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. By now you know me well enough to know that.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said it isn’t here.”

He presented me with his back and started walking toward the door. “Take me to it. Right now.”

“I can’t.” I braced myself and he slowly turned and faced me.

“Don’t you care about anyone but yourself?” The way he said it caused me to feel an undeniable amount of shame. “Can’t you look past your own nose for once? Or is it that”—he stared distastefully at my chest, pointing at the amulet—“cursed thing causing you to be more careless than usual?”