The Thief (Black Dagger Brotherhood #16)(113)

“I got this,” V concluded. “Don’t worry, my Lord. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Good. And, Phury, let’s talk about that little book problem.” The King looked around. “I think we know now where the shadows came from. But we don’t know who the fuck was up there when they shouldn’t have been.”



* * *



—

Down in the training center, Jane was just coming out of the office’s glass doors, when she heard a patient alarm start going off. Falling into a jog, she burst into one of the inpatient rooms—and was surprised to see Sola standing next to her grandmother, who was in the bed.

“Well, hello,” Jane said as she went around and checked the monitors while silencing them. “How are we doing?”

Mrs. Carvalho, Jane thought. Manny had texted her about the admit.

Jane smiled at Sola and then refocused on the patient. “Looks like you’ve had an episode of elevated heart rate. How are you feeling? Dizzy? Nauseated?”

Mrs. Carvalho lifted her chin. “Tell her out. I no—what is word—no consent to her here. Tell her go. Right now.”

Jane looked back and forth between the two women. Sola was every bit as stone-faced as her grandmother, the younger woman’s eyes locked on the floor, her arms crossed over her chest.

When nothing but a boatload of awkward silence followed, Jane cleared her throat. “Even though I may have intruded on something personal here, I’d like to examine you, Mrs. Carvalho. You’re due for—”

“That is fine. She leaves, though. Go. Go! Stupid girl.”

There was a further commentary in Spanish, and Jane was glad she couldn’t translate it. She was pretty sure there were some very private things in there—things that had nothing to do with medical situations, and therefore had nothing to do with her.

“Listen,” Jane hedged. “I’m just going to go get my stethoscope and give you two a brief moment. When I get back, though, if this is not resolved”—she glanced at Sola—“I’m going to have to ask you to leave, unfortunately.”

“Do it now,” the grandmother ordered.

“I’ll be right back,” Jane murmured.

As she stepped out of the room, she jumped. Assail was coming out of the break room and buttoning his shirt up at the same time.

“Is she okay?” he asked frantically. “Marisol’s grandmother?”

Hmm, Jane thought. Maybe the couple had been caught in flagrante?

“I think so. I just need to check her out.”

After he finished tucking in his shirttails, he seemed at a loss. “I hope…well, I hope all is okay.”

“Why don’t you go in there?” Jane smiled. “I think there might have been a family argument or something. Maybe you can help smooth it over.”

“I doubt that,” the male said with sadness. “I seriously doubt that.”

Jane frowned. “Hey, after I’m finished in there—assuming nothing is going south—how about I do our exam? And Ghisele is coming down to feed Luchas. I’m sure she’ll oblige for you—”

“I’m fine. But thank you—”

“That wasn’t really an offer,” she said gently. “More like a plan we’re going to work on together. You’re still my patient, even if you’re doing great.”

When he just shook his head and disappeared back through the break room door, Jane decided that it was a full moon even if the calendar didn’t know it. People be cray tonight.

As she went to reenter Mrs. Carvalho’s room with her stethoscope, somehow she was not surprised that Sola was marching out like she had lost an argument. And the woman was so upset, she didn’t seem to be aware of what was in front of her—so they ran into each other.

“Oops, sorry,” Jane said as she reached out to steady Sola. “My fault.”

The other woman jumped back so fast and so far, she nearly put herself through the concrete wall across the corridor.

In fact, she shrank back in fear, her eyes panicked, her face pasty as hell, her body shaking.

Okay, Jane thought. Sola’s grandmother was elderly and had had a fainting spell of some kind, but she had no acute issues that Manny had been able to isolate—so this high emotion was completely out of place. And considering what Sola had already been through coming here and standing by Assail when he’d been so compromised…there was really only one explanation, wasn’t there.

“He told you,” Jane murmured. “About what he is. Didn’t he.”

One of Sola’s hands dove into the open collar of her fleece, and she outed a small gold cross. “Stay away from me. Just stay away—”

“That doesn’t work, FYI.” Jane gave the woman a sad smile. “Makes for great scenes in movies and books, though. They’re not soulless, godless, or immortal. Trust me, I’ve seen more love here in this world, more devotion—and tragically, more death—than I ever did on the human side.”

Sola blinked. “Wait…what?”

“I’m not a vampire.” Jane flashed her flat canines. “See? No points. Never had ’em, never will.”

Of course, it was best to keep quiet about the whole ghost thing. That was not going to be helpful information to share at this moment.