Building From Ashes (36 page)

In two quick slashes, it was all over.

Three bodies lay at his feet. The blood, he knew, would burn away at dawn, but he didn’t want to chance some poor fool stumbling over the remains. Gemma would have taken the survivor off to Terry’s already.

Carwyn stared at the ground and scowled. “Typical children. I always have to clean up the messes.”

He decided it was amusing to watch Terry fuss over Gemma. The vampire paced the room, yelling at Gemma at the top of his lungs with some of the most inventive swearing Carwyn had heard in some time.

“—bloody, mule-headed woman, Gem! When I tell you to take guards, fucking take guards. These bastards owe me their fucking loyalty for a reason and if I tell them to hold your fucking handbag and paint your toenails, they’ll bloody do it!” He spun at the guard who was standing silently by the door. “If any of you ever paint her toenails, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Yes, boss,” he murmured before Terry started pacing again, running a frustrated hand over his close-cropped buzz cut.

Gemma’s fiancé, who was considerably younger than his daughter, was a handsome man in a rough, lantern-jawed way. A bruiser in his human years, the water vampire still carried the look of the streets about him, but had one of the keenest strategic minds Carwyn had ever met. He also had more than enough confidence in Gemma, which meant that this fussing meant Terry was genuinely worried.

That worried Carwyn.

“All of you bastards get the fuck out,” Terry said. “And Roger?”

Terry’s lieutenant stepped forward. “Yes, boss?”

“Get that slimy French bastard ready for me to question and send another team to the docks. Carwyn, you’re sure they were water?”

“Fairly safe bet.”

“I’m still here, you know.” Gemma rolled her eyes. “Feel free to ask me, as well. I know I’m not a big strapping man, but I might just stumble through it.”

Terry glared at her and pointed at the door. All his men left in a blur. Then Terry rushed to Gemma, pulled her up, and landed a furious kiss on her mouth. Carwyn smiled when he saw Gemma’s knees buckle, ever so slightly. Then Terry’s angry kiss turned into something far more tender, and he cradled his mate’s head in his hands and whispered into her ear.

“You scared me, luv. I don’t appreciate being scared. See to that, will you? Take the guards.”

Gemma spoke quietly. “I was never in any danger, Terry. Especially with Father there.”

Terry turned to him and gave him a piercing stare. He pulled Gemma onto his knee while he sat across from Carwyn on the couch.

“Ever since that Italian friend of yours was here last year, there’ve been problems. I’m not withdrawing my support. Giovanni Vecchio is a good ally to have, but this business with finding some old books is not just about bloody books.”

Carwyn said, “That seems to be the consensus, yes.”

“Something’s stirring, Father. Something much bigger than a personal quest about an old library. I’ve talked to Murphy. Been in contact with Jean Desmarais on the French coast. Been speaking with Leanor in Spain, too. Things are happening. All my allies—those with serious power—are being felt out. Like someone’s out there is taking jabs to see who squeals the quickest. Nothing big, just little things. Annoyances, if they weren’t all happening at the same time.”

“You think it’s coordinated?”

“Yes, I do. And whoever is behind it is testing for weaknesses.”

Carwyn paused and thought. “To what end?”

Gemma shrugged. “We’re not sure yet, but if there is some sort of power shift like what happened in the eighteenth century, we need to be prepared. And maybe more interesting is who is
not
being tested. Germany is quiet. As are most of the Scandinavian countries. Russia? Well, it’s always hard to know, but no reports so far. North Africa is surprisingly steady. Northern France and the Low Countries are peaceful, though with their tendency toward neutrality, that’s hardly surprising.”

A suspicion tickled the back of his mind. There had been one very notable exception. “And Rome? What about Rome?”

Terry growled and his fangs descended. “Silent as a bloody tomb.”

London

April 27, 2012

Dear Brigid,

I love you.

Just thought I’d mention that. I’m going to Rome tomorrow. Well, actually, I’m going to Le Havre, where I will catch a ride on a freighter to Genoa, and then I will go to Rome. I hope the food is tolerable. I’m going to help Gio and Beatrice. I’ve told you about them, haven’t I? Gio’s one of my oldest friends. The fire vampire. Nice chap. Rather stuffy in a very Italian, academic way. His wife’s a dear friend and far more fun. They’ve stumbled across something. And I think it’s something bad. The book I was talking about before. I think it may all be a thing together, Brigid. Ioan’s death. The book. The drugs.

I hate being away from you. It’s harder than I expected.

Take care of yourself. This is bigger than us. Bigger than my friends. There’s a pattern to the threats. Watch out for small things. Things that seem minor, because they might not be. I don’t know how much you should tell Murphy, but if there’s danger, go to Deirdre. If Ireland’s not safe, go to Max and Tavish. I know you’re capable, but this is different than an open challenge. Dublin may not know how to handle it. Be smart. If it comes down to it, trust family and yourself. No one else.

And be careful, Brigid. You’re holding my heart.

Carwyn

P.S. Don’t go out with Murphy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dublin

May 2012

Brigid sipped her tea and read the letter from Carwyn.

And be careful, Brigid. You’re holding my heart.

Among the grating routine of her nights, the sentiment of his words melted her.

P.S. Don’t go out with Murphy.

She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, the idiotic—”

“Not talking about me, are you?” She glanced up at her boss, who was standing next to her in the café in the lobby of the building. A smile flirted around his mouth and she caught him trying to glance at the note in her hands. She quickly tucked it away.

“Not you. What’s the story tonight?”

“Declan and Jack are out at that club you tipped them off about. Tom’s in the office with Sara. Taking a quick break?”

“Just for a few. Did they see my note about the girl?”

“I believe so.”

“She was a bartender at Riot until January, then she disappeared. She’d given me quite a bit of information before I… went to Scotland, so I was checking up on her. Went by her apartment, her friends’ places. Some of them mentioned The Abby, so I thought it might be a new place.”

“It sounds like a place Jack mentioned last month.” He shrugged. “We’ll look into it. I’ll need you in a meeting later.”

“Business stuff?” She curled her lip as Murphy chuckled.

“Aren’t you glad you came to work for me? Yes, just a meeting with a chap from Lisbon. Trade deal.”

She sighed. Since she’d come back, she spent more time standing in the corner of Murphy’s office looking menacing than she did investigating the trickle of information they were getting about this drug from the continent. Jack had assured Murphy he was more than capable of heading the investigation. Declan continued to coordinate his army of human hands to control and monitor the shipping operations. Tom coordinated security for the Docklands building and other businesses. Angie still ruled the office with a smile, and Brigid had become Murphy’s constant shadow during most night hours.

Trade meeting? She was there.

Tour of the city with the cagey German? Brigid was happy to assist.

Interrogation of a vampire suspected of smuggling goods from the North without informing Murphy… well, that part was a bit fun.

“The meeting is at three a.m., so please be there around two thirty or so. Angie will brief you.”

Brigid offered him a polite smile. “Sure thing. See you then.”

Murphy strolled off after flashing a smile at her waitress, who almost poured the tea on Brigid’s lap instead of in her cup. She sighed and caught the small stream before it hit her pants as the waitress apologized profusely.

Ah, Murphy.

She was just finishing her tea and reading Carwyn’s letter for the third time when she sensed someone approaching. A deliciously sweet smell hit her nose and the chair across from her scraped back. A familiar figure slid into it.

Brigid blinked, gaping. “Emily?”

Her old friend smiled cautiously. “Hello, Brig.”

It had been almost two years since she’d seen her. The last night had been the one when she’d pounded on Emily’s door, demanding she give her the heroin that had caused Brigid to overdose. Brigid knew Emily had a supplier, even though she’d only ever used drugs to party. She hadn’t known that the supplier had been Emily’s vampire boyfriend, Axel.

Emily spoke quietly. “Nothing to say?”

“I’m… surprised to see you.” She was. As far as she knew, Emily had stopped working for Murphy shortly after and no one seemed to know where she had disappeared to. “You’re looking well, Em. How’ve you been?”

“Locked up,” she said with a small smile. “Well, in a treatment program, anyway. My parents finally caught up with me. I… well, I’m better now. Thanks to them.”

Brigid looked around the room in a panic. She had no idea how to react to her old friend.

Emily looked just as uncomfortable. “I know this is a bit awkward.”

She snorted. “A bit, yeah.”

“I…” Tears came to Emily’s eyes. “I never wanted to—”

“I never blamed you, you know?” Brigid may not have known how to feel about seeing the girl—woman—again, but she didn’t want Emily carrying any guilt for things that she was responsible for herself. “I wasn’t in a right state, Em. I probably would have bloodied you up if you hadn’t have given me anything that night. You should know that. I don’t blame you for my own stupidity.”

Emily nodded and Brigid could see the relief in her eyes. “I appreciate that. But I was still responsible. And I wanted to apologize. I’ve been trying to work up the nerve for months now, ever since I heard you were back in town. And it’s something I need to do for my own recovery. Making amends, you know?”

“Oh really?”

Emily gave a rueful grin and the playful girl that Brigid had bonded with at Parliament House peeked out. “You know how organized I am. Got to check all the boxes off or I’ll go insane.”

“Might not be the best joke when you’ve been locked up for a bit, eh?”

Emily let out a laugh, and Brigid joined her. Finally, Emily wiped the tears from her eyes. “Jeez, it’s good to see you again. And you look amazing. The immortal thing really works for you.”

For some reason, the approval of her old friend warmed her. “Does it?”

The human smiled. “You already had that intense, badass thing going for you. Now you just have the fangs to back it up.”

Brigid grinned and let her fangs run down. Emily couldn’t help but stare at them. “Pretty cool, right?”

“Very cool. And the blood thing? Should I be wearing a metal scarf?”

“No.” Brigid laughed. “Though, I’ll confess that you smell pretty amazing. It’s funny the things you notice. Hope I’m not scaring you, but if you’ve always smelled like that, it’s no wonder Axel couldn’t keep his fangs off you.”

She blushed, which only made the smell stronger. Brigid shook herself. Her friend smelled like some exotic sweet fruit. Her skin glowed and she looked ripe for the picking. Apparently, sobriety agreed with Emily.

“You look great, too,” Brigid said. “I think you look younger now than when we were in school. Really good. Healthy. I’m happy for you.”

Emily smiled and looked away in embarrassment. “I wasn’t for a while, but I’m feeling much better now. Who knew clean living was the best beauty treatment, eh?”

“Are you and Axel still…?” She’d been making quiet inquiries about Emily’s old boyfriend, but no one in Dublin would admit to seeing him.

“No,” she said quickly. “That wasn’t the healthiest relationship, was it? I, uh… I loved him. Madly. And he didn’t want to break up, but when I went into treatment… He didn’t understand.”

“The treatment program?”

“I think it was the addiction. He didn’t understand why I just didn’t stop and move on with my life.”

“Ah.” Brigid sipped her tea, which suddenly seemed bland, despite the sugar she’d added to it. “It’s a mindset, isn’t it? Getting off the drugs. It’s far more than the physical symptoms. You have to leave behind the things that hold you back.”

Emily paused, twisting her fingers together and looking around the room. “I don’t think vampires—” she said softly “—unless they had an addiction when they were human, really understand that.”

Brigid raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. We’re all addicted to blood, aren’t we?”

“I guess so.” Emily shrugged. “I bet you conquered it quick, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“The blood thing. You’d already had practice getting off drugs. Blood was probably a cinch.”

Brigid smirked. “I’ve never thought about it that way. You might be right; I’m very strict about that part of my life. Now it’s easier, of course.”

Emily’s face lit up. “That’s great!”

“Though I’ll confess, the way you smell is testing my control, Em.” Brigid pretended to plug her nose and Emily smiled and leaned away.

“Sorry.”

“Find a different perfume, will you?” Brigid was mostly joking, but Emily did smell mouthwatering. Rather inconvenient if she wanted to remain friends with the woman.

Emily started to stand. “I know you’re working, so I won’t keep you. I’d like to keep in touch, if that’s something you’d like, too. I’d understand if you didn’t. I’m staying with my parents.” Emily handed her a small card with a phone number and address. “Call if you like. I’m just getting back into things here. Found a nice job working for a friend of my mum’s. Still accounting, but no vampires this time.” She trailed off, looking a bit lost and more than a little nervous.