Moon Sworn

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you just telepathically hit him back? The vamp in the cell isn’t an old one—I can tell that from here—so you’d have the mind strength to restrain him at least.”

“I had a silver bullet in my leg. It was breaking my concentration and draining my strength.”

“Hence all the blood,” Rhoan murmured, briefly putting his hand over the phone receiver. “I did wonder.”

“We got it out quickly, so there’s no lasting damage.” The area around the wound might still be numb, but at least the numbness that had stretched the length of my leg had faded a little.

“But that’s not the reason why you don’t want to interrogate the vamp, is it?” Jack said. “Give, Riley.”

I hesitated. He’d already said he wanted to concentrate on solving these murders first, but I wasn’t about to let a possible clue slip through my fingers. Right now there was very little chance of West knowing we suspected him. We needed to grab him—and question him—before he could warn anyone the jig was up.

“We have a possible co

“If you’re talking about West,” Harris said, voice flat, “then you’re not doing anything without me present. I’m sorry, but I owe the man that much.”

I waved a hand. “Fine.”

“There is one problem,” Evin said. “Like me, West probably has to report in every night. Once you talk to him, then he’s going to jump straight on the phone and tell them what is going on.”

“Only if he remembers it,” Qui

“It’s not that I can’t do it,” I said mildly. “It’s just that I couldn’t remember that I could do it.”

“But that still doesn’t solve the overall problem,” Evin said. “When you disappear, he’s going to report it.”

“That, too, can be fixed.”

“West is a good cop,” Harris said adamantly. “I can’t—won’t—believe he’s aware of the true gravity of the situation. At least give him a chance to make amends before you start messing with his mind.”

“That we can do,” I said, and returned my gaze to Jack.

“Okay,” he said heavily. “Do it. Rhoan, you can stay with me. We’ll interview the vamp.”

Rhoan didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue, either. As the two men disappeared into the cell area, I said to Harris, “It’s probably best if we confront West here. Are you able to call him in?”

“That very much depends on whether he’s decided to answer his cell phone or not.”

But he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it away from his ear slightly so we could all hear it. After several rings, West answered. His gruff tones were clear over the speakers.

“Where the fuck have you been, Mike? There’s been a second murder and all hell has broken loose. I want you back at headquarters ASAP.”

“I’m on my way.”

“From where?”

“Just passed the Old Well Road.”

Harris grunted. “Floor it.” He disco

We did. I walked across to sit on the desk beside Evin, but Qui

We waited patiently—although in my case, that wasn’t exactly easy. I mean, after all the confusion of the last few days, I just wanted to hunt down all the clues and catch the bastards behind both crimes.

Lights eventually swept across the front windows as a truck rumbled into the driveway and stopped. A car door slammed, then footsteps approached.

A second later, the front door opened and West stepped in. His gaze swept the room and came to rest on me. There was a brief flash of surprise, but nothing else. He obviously had no real clue as to why we were all here.

“De

“I’m not here to lay charges against De

“Then you’re a damn fool, too.”

“She didn’t say I wouldn’t,” Evin snapped. “And trust me, those bastards will pay.”

“Good. They need to be taught a lesson.” West took a sip, then turned around to face Harris. “Where do you want me to start?”

“I think a good place,” Harris said, voice flat, “would be by telling us exactly what you know about the kidnapping of Riley Jenson—whom we happen to know as Ha

He didn’t even look at me. Just raised an eyebrow, his expression even and unfazed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Lie,” Qui

West glanced at him. “Who the hell are you?”

“Riley’s lover, and a consultant to both the vampire council and the Melbourne Directorate.” His sudden smile was neither warm nor friendly. In fact, it reminded me of a predator about to consume its prey. Qui

“That,” West said, “sounded very much like a threat.”

“Mike,” Harris said heavily. “Ha

“I’m an officer of the law. That gives me rights against this sort of—”

“No, it doesn’t,” I cut in, my voice edged with the anger roiling through me. He had no choice and nowhere to run—surely he could see that? “Whoever is behind this has not only kidnapped me and messed with my mind, but they’re holding Evin’s pregnant mate hostage and they attempted to kill Qui

The threat tasted bitter on my tongue and I had to resist the urge to rub my arms. With a lot of my memories back in place, the ache not to do this job was coming to the fore again.

I didn’t want to be a guardian. Didn’t want to threaten people—and worse—for a living.

I had to get out. I really did.

Then you need to let me help you. Qui

But I’d been standing on my own two feet for too long now and, as stupid as it sounded, part of me was afraid to start leaning on someone else. At least when it came to something like this—something that was going to affect the direction of the rest of my life.

Which wasn’t saying that I wouldn’t let him help, either. That I didn’t need his help.

Jack won’t let me quit.

He doesn’t want you dead, either. There are always options, Riley. Trust me.

I do. With my heart and my life. But I need to sort out one mess at a time.

Then we’ll sort out your kidnapping first, followed by the Directorate. And we’ll do it together.

I hesitated, then said, a touch reluctantly, Okay.

But with that brief, one word of acceptance, I suddenly felt a whole lot better. I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t been alone for a long, long time. And it was about time I accepted that—and let the man that I loved in.