Page 43 of Wounded Soul
The next one he picked up looked newer than the others, which was disappointing, but when he opened it up, the first page had him grinning. It was a translated version of... He leaned over and checked the title of the first book he’d picked up. Yep. It was a translation of that one.
Jesse settled back in the leather armchair and started to read.
HE WAS HALFWAY through the third chapter when he heard voices down the corridor and footsteps coming their way.
Ugh, probably some of the VLCD checking they were where they were supposed to be.
Setting his book down, he stood, stretched, and wandered over to where Lys sat curled up in one of the other chairs. She had a book open on her lap, bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“What are you reading?”
“Hmm?” She didn’t even look up.
Jesse gently lifted it up a bit so he could read the title. “The Big Book of Serial Killers? Charming.”
“What were you expecting?” She glanced up, eyebrow raised, and Jesse had the good sense not to answer.
Instead he nodded towards the door. “I think the boys in blue are doing their rounds.”
“Boys in black,” Lys corrected, laughing when he rolled his eyes.
“You knew what I meant.”
As if on cue, two VLCD officers appeared in the doorway.
“Like magic,” Lys murmured, too quiet for them to hear. “Can we help you, Detective Inspector Harper?” She smiled, fangs on show, and Jesse poked her in the arm.
“Be nice,” he hissed under his breath.
“Nope,” Harper, the older of the two officers answered, seeming totally unfazed by Lys’s display. He was no doubt used to it by now. It wasn’t his first visit here. “Just showing DS Jones around.”
Jones looked a few years younger—wide-eyed and curious—clearly the new member of the team Raph mentioned. Jesse refrained from rolling his eyes.Just showing him the freaks, Harper might as well have said.
Harper informed Jones of their names and what they did for work, unconcerned that they could hear every word. A door opened further down the hallway, sending a breeze into the room and with it a startlingly familiar scent.
Jesse froze.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lys tense a second later.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He’d recognise Ian’s sent anywhere, but what the fuck was it doing here? Onhim.
Jesse’s hackles rose, teeth aching in his jaw as a flare of jealously swept through him. Jealousy he had no right to feel after telling Ian they were done.
Nails dug into his palm where he clenched his fists so tightly it hurt as another idea occurred to him.
Was Ian VLCD too? Had he known what Jesse was all along?
Jesse had seen all the members at one time or another, but it had been six months since the last inspection. They could easily have had someone else new join in that time. But the only new member they’d mentioned to Raph was Jones. Ugh, his head hurt with all the fucking awful possibilities.
He hadn’t hurt Ian though.
While the VLCD probably didn’t like vampires fucking around with humans, it wasn’t against the agreement they had in place. He couldn’t get into trouble for that.
But if Ian turned out to be VLCD, Raph—and the rest of the coven—would be severely pissed off with him.
And rightly so.
