12. Drug Lords & Whiskey
Drug Lords & Whiskey
‘If you’ve finished comparing dick sizes,’ I say coolly, not bothering to look at either Micah or Jake, ‘can we get on with what we’re here for?’
Rodriguez laughs, breaking the tension, before seating himself smoothly beside Ruby.
His sons take a chair on either side of their father and my bestie, and I notice they keep their hands within reach of their pieces.
My own hand twitches, as if wanting to be reassured that mine is also present if needed.
Tim takes my arm, and we sit together on the other side of Vincent’s oldest son, Oscar.
Jake and Janus take seats opposite each other, Jake beside my couch and Janus on the other side of Vincent’s younger son, Antonio.
Micah sits with his usual grace, as if he and Jake hadn’t just tried to mark me as their territory.
I need to rein this meeting in and make it professional before it runs away into testosterone overload again. Human men are bad enough, but Lycos and Vamps also have natural predatory instincts that simmer just below the surface.
Although Werewolves are seen as wilder and more erratic with their base animal natures, Vampires are just as dangerous.
In a way, more so. It’s human nature to run from a Wolf, but the beauty and allure of Vampires draw people to them.
Add to that the ecstasy from their bite and the promise of immortality, and they’re stunningly lethal.
A beautiful trap that far too many humans want to fall into.
‘You all know as much as each other about these murders.’ I decide Vincent is my safest option to focus on.
‘But just to recap, before Ruby shares her autopsy findings, we have two murders. No connection between the vics that we know of. No reason for either murder that we can see. Jake is still up on charges for the first, but that won’t be for long. ’
‘Are you sure he didn’t do it?’ Janus cuts in with a smirk, leaning back in his chair as if waiting for the show. It’s an effort, but I ignore his barbed words. He doesn’t believe it, and I don’t have time for any more shit-stirring today.
‘The same perps committed both murders.’ They all know our theory already, but they don’t know what Ruby found to back it up. I nod to the chief ME to take it from here.
‘We’re definitely looking for two offenders here. One is a Vampire. The fang marks on the second victim’s neck and wrist were not faked. I’ve seen enough bite marks to know the difference, and the blood was drained. I’ve ruled it as COD.’
‘How do you know it wasn’t a Werewolf that killed Jason and a Vampire with the second murder?’ Vincent asks Ruby. He’s polite, interested, and not at all trying to undermine my friend’s expertise. So far, he’s my favorite male for manners today.
‘The second victim, Evan, had claw marks on his shoulders and back,’ Ruby says, looking at Vincent with a glow about her dark caramel skin and a light in her eyes.
I should warn her he’s on wife number three.
There’s something undeniably attractive about the older man, with his self-assurance and a natural authority that women are often drawn to.
‘That’s how a Vampire was able to drain him so completely,’ the ME explains. ‘He was held in place. The claw marks are a match to the first victim, Jason.’
‘But they’re not from a Werewolf,’ Tim says firmly, holding the gaze of every man present to make sure they understand the implications.
‘And I have an alibi for last night,’ Jake throws at Janus, who nods and keeps quiet. I can see from his face that he understands how serious this is. This is no time to stir up his brand of trouble.
‘How can you tell?’ Oscar asks Ruby, the older Rodriguez son looking as interested as his father.
‘I’ve seen enough damage from a Werewolf to know the patterns they make.
Even taking into account individual differences, along with strength, gender, et cetera, the gouges are far deeper than Were claw marks should be.
And the nail curvature is odd. I’d have to show you the patterns under a micro-laser, so trust me on this. ’
‘I can guarantee you, a Werewolf would not work with a Vampire to kill,’ Janus says seriously.
He’s not wrong. There may be a World Treaty in place, but thousands of years of natural predatory animosity are not easily forgotten. It’s a thin veneer of civility we live under. New York is one of the most inter-species cohesive cities in the world, but it’s a tapestry that could easily unravel.
‘What the fuck is it then?’ This from Antonio Rodriguez. His eyes dart around the room as if searching for a threat. Unlike his older brother, his hand still rests near his gun.
‘I have no idea,’ Ruby admits with a frown. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. My team is doing research. I can tell you they’re not from manufactured claws.’ No one questions how she knows this. If she says it’s a fact, we all believe her.
Jake is looking at Micah with a smirk, and I know he’s about to shoot his mouth off about there being a Vamp murderer in his city, and not a Werewolf.
‘We’re looking for a rogue Vampire not working alone,’ I infuse steel into my words before Jake can say something stupid.
I’m getting more pissed off at my boyfriend by the minute.
I’ve never seen him act this way, and I won’t call him out on it now, but if I were any other detective, he wouldn’t be treating me with such disrespect.
‘Shouldn’t you know if a rogue Vampire is in our city?’ Jake says condescendingly.
I want to tell him to shut the fuck up. As my temper rises, I shove it back down with effort. We will for sure be talking about this later. I can’t believe the way he’s acting. He’s like a stranger right now, and the tension in the mansion has ratcheted up again.
Glancing over at Micah, I’m relieved to see he’s taking it seriously as he ignores Jake’s accusation.
He could easily retaliate by asking how the prints and hairs of an Alpha were planted on a murder victim, but he’s not that petty.
I guess when you’re thousands of years old, you let a lot slide.
Which is why I have no idea why he bothered to taunt Jake earlier.
I haven’t seen him for seven years, and suddenly he’s bargaining for dinner with me and acting all territorial.
‘Did you get a chance to see the first crime scene?’ I change the subject while idly wondering if I should grab another coffee. Will more caffeine in my system help or hinder my thinly held patience?
‘Yes. And I found nothing.’ I can’t hazard a guess at what that means and frown at Micah in question.
‘It means they hid themselves. From me.’ A glass of dark liquor appears in his hand.
Micah has never been arrogant or in-your-face with his power, even though he easily could, but this is no time to hold back.
‘Lay it out for us,’ I wave my hand, leaning forward slightly, noting Tim do the same beside me.
Jake goes rigid in the chair next to mine. He needs to calm the f down. I’m trying to clear him and solve two murders. Micah is helping. End of story. He doesn’t have to like it, but it’s my job.
‘I looked for Signatures at both scenes that matched. We’re looking for two.
One is a Vampire, the other unknown,’ he says diplomatically, tilting his glass so it catches the overhead holo-lights.
He’s chosen the chair furthest from the large bi-fold doors.
‘A Vampire can hide their Signature, but it’s extremely difficult to do it for anyone else at the same time.
There are few who can, and even fewer who can erase their presence so thoroughly that one as old as I am would find no trace. ’
I search his face, his bronze skin paler than usual, cast in shadow because he needs to avoid the light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
No one except me would pick up on how still he’s holding himself, the tightening of skin over his cheekbones.
He takes a deep drink, and I watch as the alcohol slides down the smooth column of his throat.
‘How old are we talking?’ Tim runs his hand through his hair, a gesture he’s started making frequently in the past few days. It breaks the loaded silence, and my fixating on Micah.
‘Thousands of years,’ Micah says quietly, his eyes distant. I wonder if he has someone in mind already, or if he’s going back through his memories for any hint of who is committing murders in his city.
‘Fuck.’ Oscar’s voice seems loud in the large room as his eyes dart around. ‘There can’t be many that old though, right?’
‘It narrows it considerably,’ Micah agrees, inclining his head toward the older Rodriguez heir.
‘Can you find them?’ Antonio asks, hand still resting on his gun as if the threat is in the room with us.
‘I can. But it will take time.’ Micah rests his gaze on me, and I feel the unspoken hovering in the air, that if he can’t, there will be more murders.
‘And we have no idea why this rogue Vampire is out there killing indiscriminately?’ Janus growls, his eyes glowing, canines exposed. One of his own could be next. Anyone could be next. But he’s not the only one who’s frustrated. And his invitation to this meeting is a courtesy.
‘We’re doing our best,’ Tim says diplomatically, pushing his leg against mine. How well he knows me and my sometimes short fuse. Today, it feels as if my patience is being pushed to the limit. ‘But you’re right, we need a motive, a reason each vic was chosen.’
‘If it’s random,’ I have to add, ‘Micah is our best chance at stopping more murders from happening.’
Jake looks unhappy at this, his chiseled jaw clenched, eyes a stormy green sea flecked with molten amber.
‘If we’re done here, I need to get back to the morgue,’ Ruby says, standing up and breaking the tension that feels like a thousand-pound weight pushing the ceiling down onto me.
‘I’ll give you a ride,’ my partner tells her as we all stand, the meeting at an end.