Chapter 14
Once Aimeeand I reached our ceasefire, I turned and called out, “You can join us in here now.”
Lucy and Sam inched forward, but they weren’t alone. Glued to their sides were Avery, Josh, and Jaden. I lifted my eyebrows when the whole crew—sans one sleeping vampire—assembled in the room.
“Avery just walked in,” Lucy commented, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement, likely directed at Aimee and me. “And these two”—she gestured at Josh and Jaden—“finally decided to join the land of the living.”
Jaden gave a light laugh. “We don’t all have werewolf metabolisms that demand food every second of the day.”
The joke landed well among us, sparking a round of laughter that lightened the mood in the room. It must have been strange for them, finding themselves always surrounded by werewolves and vampires now.
Aimee stood and turned her attention to Avery. Her eyes creased with concern and her mouth pursed as she studied her pack mate. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m alright, alpha. Thank you. The doctor cleared me despite…everything. She didn’t find anything that could cause permanent damage.” Avery’s voice held a note of relief, but shadows lingered in her eyes.
The doctor might have cleared Avery’s physical health, but I had a feeling her mental health was a whole other ballgame. She’d been held in that cage longer than Gabriel and me. And she’d suffered more at Nash’s hand than I had at Adrian’s. At least Adrian had left me alone. It would take more than one night for her to overcome the memories, the fear, and the trauma she’d sustained.
Aimee, ever the alpha, offered an understanding nod. “Very well. But if you need anything, remember, my door is always open.”
Avery’s smile, though small, was genuine. Then she shifted her gaze to me and it bloomed into a full-blown grin. “You’re still here.”
I couldn’t help but return her smile as warmth spread through my chest. “Promised you I would stay, didn’t I? We’ve got two vampires to hunt down. So I’m all yours until I drive a stake through those bastard’s chests.” Which was the perfect segue to steer the conversation toward the more pressing matter at hand. “Now, how about we all grab a seat? Believe it or not, I have a plan.”
“Hmm,” Aimee hummed while she assessed our numbers. “Looks like we might need to get creative with the seating.”
I chuckled. She wasn’t wrong. This was a fairly large group, although it was lacking two pivotal people. One was asleep upstairs, but the other… My mood took a dark turn when I thought of Chris. The space next to Josh seemed so empty without him here.
Heat pricked my eyes, but I blinked back my tears and gestured to the sofas. “Let’s get this party started. It’s time to strategize.”
As Aimee reclaimed her spot in her recliner, Avery took a seat on the couch with Jaden and Josh. Lucy and Sam opted for the floor, his arm slung around her shoulders. I chose to stand so I could address the entire room without craning my neck about.
“First things first, we have multiple targets on our list, all vampires. But let’s start with Nash,” I said, feeling the weight of leadership settle on my shoulders. “For those who don’t know how vampire slayers work, the first thing we do when given a contract is research the target. We learn everything we can about them. Their personal and professional life, who they love, their history, their territory, you name it. When Chris received Gabriel’s contract, we even found out how many guards he had and their schedules. Everything is important when you’re tracking someone.”
“Wait… You guys once had a contract to slay Gabriel?” Avery’s wide gaze bounced between Josh, Jaden, and me. “The same vamp you’re mated to?” When I nodded, a massive grin spread across her face. “I definitely need to hear that story.”
“Maybe another time,” I said, redirecting our focus back to the conversation at hand. “Right now, we need to do the same with Nash and learn everything about him. Who he associates with, his haunts, his hobbies—other than abducting werewolves,” I added darkly. “Avery, were you able to learn anything about him during the year you were tracking him?”
“Very little, unfortunately,” she said with a resigned sigh. “I’m not exactly trained for detective work. I’m more the Hulk Smash type. And those more experienced in this sort of thing weren’t able to recover any information. It’s like this vamp is a ghost. No social media and no other vamps seemed to know him.”
“Or so they claimed,” I said. “Most vamps won’t turn on each other. In fact, when you questioned them, they probably alerted him to your investigation, which is likely how he found you.”
Avery’s mouth tightened.
“It’s okay,” I said. “This is where our expertise comes in handy.” I straightened and turned my attention to my best friends. “Jaden, Josh, you two work on background and profiling.”
“Copy that,” Josh said.
Jaden sat straighter, determination burning in her eyes. She loved digging up dirt on our targets. It was one of her favorite pastimes.
“What about you?” Josh asked.
I drew in a deep, steadying breath. My friends and family were not going to like this part. “I’m going to return to the warehouse.”
As expected, the room erupted into a cacophony of protests and concerns. I gave everyone a moment to express their extreme dislike of my plan, then lifted my hands and called for silence. One by one, they pulled themselves together and quieted down, though they continued to glare at me. A lot.
I brushed off their murderous stares and said, “It sounds insane, I know. But think about it. Nash is building a business there. We suspect he’s selling those cages, and if we’re right, that means…” I let my sentence hang and glanced at Josh and Jaden. Of everyone in the room, I knew they would know the answer.
“There’s a paper trail,” Jaden added. “Records, sales, names, addresses, the whole works. He’ll likely have some sort of means of tracking everything. A computer maybe.”
I tapped my nose, then smiled at her. “We need that information. Not only to take Nash down, but perhaps to take down whatever little business he’s creating. If he’s producing and selling these cages, then that means there might be other warehouses out there. Which means other werewolves have likely gone missing.”
“Oh shit,” Lucy breathed, sharing a distressed look with Sam. He pulled her close and squeezed her tightly.
Avery repositioned herself on the edge of the couch, her undivided attention on me. “Maddie, that place…you know it’s a nightmare. You shouldn’t go back.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t, but I have to.” I approached her and perched myself on the edge of the living room table, taking her hands in mine. “And I was hoping you would come with me. You know where the warehouse is located. I don’t. All I remember is swamp and mud and a lot of trees. Well, that’s all of Louisiana pretty much. You were the one that got us out of there. You knew how to navigate the bayou, you knew about the boat, and you know the area. I don’t.”
She paled, fear sparking in her eyes. “I-I could tell Aimee where it is. She could go with you.”
“If that’s what you want to do, I’ll respect your choice.” Because no way in hell would I force her to return there. I had no idea what Nash had done to her, but I remembered the rank stench of old blood and pain. He’d certainly caused some pain, and I was loath to drag her through all that again.
Avery’s stricken expression broke my heart. She was clearly torn between her fears and the idea of sending her alpha there on her behalf. “I…I don’t know. I don’t know if I can go back there.”
“I’ll go,” Sam declared without hesitation, ever the protector. “Avery, if you can just show me where it is on a map, I’ll handle the rest. I grew up here. I know the area just as well as you.”
Aimee lifted a hand and drew everyone’s focus to her. “Why only send the two of you? Why not make a statement? Take a more aggressive approach. Show Nash we’re not to be trifled with by tearing his operation apart. I could send in the entire pack to take him out, or we could burn the entire warehouse to the ground.”
I shook my head, understanding her instinct to cause a little pain herself. But the subtler approach was crucial right now. “As satisfying as that sounds, it’s not the right move. Not yet. Let’s say we did burn his warehouse down, and let’s say Nash isn’t there when we do it. Do you know what’ll happen then?”
Realization smoothed Aimee’s face. “He’ll run.”
“Exactly,” I said. “If he runs, we’ll have one hell of a time tracking him down again, especially if he leaves the city. Not to mention, if we destroy the evidence, we’ll have no way of tracking down his clients and putting an end to his little business.”
“What makes you think he hasn’t already run?” Aimee asked. “Avery escaped, so she knows his location. A smart vampire would leave town, wouldn’t they?”
“No one said he was smart,” Avery said, though her words lacked humor. She lifted her haunted gaze and caught my eyes. “Based on what I know of him, I don’t think he’ll run. All this was a game to him. He thinks he’s invincible because he’s taken three of our pack members already. He thinks we’re weak. I think…” She heaved a long breath, her face paling another shade. “I think he’ll stick around, if only to find me.”
I gave Avery’s hands another squeeze. She’d likely just voiced her biggest fear aloud.
“We won’t know any of that until Jaden profiles him. But…” I sighed and nodded. “I would wager you’re right. Someone like him doesn’t scare easily.”
She pulled her hands from mine and wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. Jaden, despite not knowing Avery, offered her a comforting touch.
“And what about Adrian and Elias?” Josh asked. “They’re just as much of a threat, if not more.”
“Adrian and Elias.” I mulled over their names, feeling the weight of the challenge they presented. They wouldn’t be easy prey. “They’re a different beast altogether. Adrian’s motivations are far more personal. He’s not playing a game. He just wants me and Gabriel dead. But Nash might be our key to flushing them out. They’re clearly connected somehow. Press on one, and we might find the other.”
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in this plan,” Aimee commented.
I nodded, not shying away from the truth. “There is. But this is part of the job when dealing with vampires. Just because we have methods, doesn’t mean they’re perfect. There’s always room for error. Which is why from here on out, we stick together. No one goes anywhere on their own now.”
“Gabriel’s gonna lose it when he hears your plan,” Lucy warned.
“He might,” I conceded. “But eventually, he’ll see the logic. This plan, as filled with ‘maybes’ as it is, is our best shot at getting ahead of Nash and, with any luck, leading us to Adrian and Elias.” I glanced at Avery. “You asked for my help because this is what I do. This is what we do.” I gestured to Jaden and Josh. “Believe me when I tell you we’re good at it. The only target we’ve ever missed is sleeping upstairs in my bed.”
Light laughter filled the room, easing some of the tension clouding us.
After a moment, Avery cleared her throat and drew the focus back to her. “If Sam wants to go in my place, I won’t turn down his offer.” She met my gaze, guilt darkening her eyes. “I can’t go back there, Maddie. The thought of even stepping foot in that place again…it’s too much.”
“I get it,” I reassured her, my voice soft with empathy. The thought of revisiting that den of horrors sent a chill down my spine, and I hadn’t endured a fraction of what she had.
“But I’ll mark it on a map, detail what I remember, and describe the layout to Sam.” Her mouth twisted as she considered something else before adding, “Don’t use the boat this time. It’s too loud. It’ll announce your presence to anyone with sensitive hearing a mile away. There was a road nearby. Perhaps that’d be the best way in.” Her eyes lost focus as she considered our options.
“Thanks, Avery. I appreciate whatever help you can give,” I said, gratitude swelling within me. My gaze then shifted to Lucy, whose own expression had clouded, and I was pretty sure I knew why. Sam had volunteered to go with me, which put his life at risk. We didn’t know what awaited us in the warehouse now. Not that I had any plans to charge in recklessly. But Lucy couldn’t come with us because of a new agreement she and Sam had recently made. With all the danger we’d faced lately, they’d agreed it would be best if only one parent endangered their life at a time, for the kids’ sake.
“We’ll need a solid communication plan for while you’re inside,” Jaden said. “I didn’t think to bring any of our equipment, but I can make a stop at a local electronics store.”
“That’d be perfect,” I responded.
“I also think it would be best to go during daylight,” Josh piped in, our resident schemer hard at work. “Your vampire will not love that idea at all. However, if he’s asleep?—”
“Then so are Nash, Adrian, and Elias.”
Josh nodded. “It’s just safer that way. And hey, maybe you’ll get lucky and find their daytime hideout. Three birds, one stake.”
“Wouldn’t that simplify everything?” I said, laughing.
“If I’m going to profile this asshat, I need to get started now,” Jaden said, rising from the couch.
“Yeah, the sooner we understand Nash, the better we’ll be at predicting his moves,” Josh added.
That seemed to galvanize the group, with everyone rising to their feet at once. Sam and Avery headed toward the kitchen for a quiet strategy session while Josh and Jaden discussed whose laptop they would use to start digging up dirt on Nash.
Lucy came to stand beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. “How can I help? Just because I can’t join you doesn’t mean I want to sit on the sidelines and do nothing.”
I slung an arm around her waist and tugged her close, bumping her hip with mine. “Actually, I do have a special assignment for you. One that might be a bit unconventional, but just as important as everything else.”
“Oh?”
“We need to stay undetected right? If we’re going to do this, we can’t let Nash catch even a whiff of us.”
“Whiff. You’re thinking about your scent, aren’t you?”
“Mm-hmm. As it stands, the second we step foot inside the warehouse, they’ll know we’ve been there.”
Lucy paused. “Are you thinking witches?”
“Absolutely. This is New Orleans, after all, and they have more than their fair share of witches. I’ll bet there’s at least one who has a spell that can help us with that. Can I leave that in your hands?”
“You bet,” she said. “What’s your next step?”
I sighed, the weight of my tasks settling on me. “First, steel myself for a trip down nightmare lane. Then, brace for the storm that’ll be Gabriel when I tell him about my plan. Josh wasn’t wrong when he said Gabriel won’t like this. He’s gonna be pissed.”
“So pissed,” Lucy said, laughing. “What I would give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ll hear all of it,” I said begrudgingly. “Not to mention there’s Aimee’s little interrogation to look forward to.”
Lucy burst into laughter.
“I fail to see the humor in this,” I muttered.
She gave me a knowing look. “Come on, you’d be cracking up if our roles were reversed.”
Fair enough.