Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep
When I finished, I flashed Mosley a thumbs-up, telling him everything was ready.
“All right, folks!” he called out. “Let’s take a break and get some lunch!”
He didn’t have to tell them twice. The workers left their stations and made a beeline for the food table. So did all of the assistants and drivers milling around, waiting to pick up their bosses’ items. Nobody passed up a free lunch.
I made sure that everyone had what they needed, then walked over to Finn and Mosley, who were comparing their lists. “How’s it going?”
Mosley’s smile was far more genuine today than it had been last night. “We’ve already shipped out more than half the items. We should be able to wrap things up here in a few more hours. And then this whole thing will finally be over.”
I didn’t know about that, given what I’d learned about Alanna, but I didn’t want to ruin his good mood, so I smiled back at him.
One of the workers came over to talk to Mosley, and the two of them drifted away.
I looked at Finn. “And how are things really going?”
He shrugged, but worry tightened his face. “Well, they were fine until about thirty minutes ago. That’s when she showed up, right before you did.”
He jerked his head toward one of the ballroom exits. At first, I didn’t understand what had upset him, but then Alanna strolled into view.
She was wearing an emerald-green pantsuit and heels that highlighted her lean, strong figure. She was talking on her phone and pacing back and forth in the hallway outside the ballroom, moving in and out of my line of sight.
My hands curled into fists. “What is she doing here?”
“Supposedly, helping to oversee the packing of the auction items like the other Briartop board members Mosley roped into this,” Finn said. “I was going to text and let you know that she was here when you arrived with the food.”
The two of us watched as Alanna kept talking and pacing.
“She hasn’t made a move on Mosley?” I asked. “No threats against him at all?”
Finn shook his head. “Not so much as a single catty remark. She breezed into the ballroom, air-kissed Mosley, and then pulled out her phone and stalked over there. She’s been talking ever since.”
“I wonder if she’s chatting with her new investor,” I muttered.
He frowned. “What investor?”
I filled him in on everything Silvio had told me about Alanna’s repeated attempts to reclaim her family estate. The worry lines around Finn’s mouth deepened, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.
“But if Alanna doesn’t inherit the estate after Mosley’s death, then why target him at all?” he asked, voicing the same thought I’d had earlier. “And what do Hugh Tucker and the Circle have to do with this?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but we need to keep an eye on Mosley until we figure things out. He’s safe enough here with his men around, but where is he going after this? Back to your apartment?”
“No, I’m dropping him off at Mallory’s. I already coordinated everything with Lorelei. He’s going to spend the night with them. I also convinced a couple of the bank guards to bunk at the mansion. I asked him to stay with me again or go to one of Dad’s safe houses, but he refused. He insisted on going to the Parkers’ mansion and helping them unpack those books that Lorelei bought, but that’s just an excuse. I think he’s worried that Alanna might try to hurt Mallory to get back at him.”
I would have preferred that Mosley go to an anonymous safe house where no one could find him, but I couldn’t fault him for wanting to protect Mallory. Besides, Lorelei was a powerful elemental who could make Ice guns with her magic. I’d seen her use the weapons before, so I knew how dangerous she was. I also knew that she would die before she let anything happen to Mallory or Mosley. It wasn’t ideal, but Mosley staying at the Parker mansion was still a solid option.
Finn nudged me with his shoulder. “I’ve got things under control here. So why don’t you go get your own bookcase? The workers haven’t gotten to it yet, so it’s still sitting in the library, along with that photo of your parents.”
“Are you sure? I feel like I should stay and keep an eye on Mosley, especially since she’s here.”
I looked over at Alanna again, but she was still talking on her phone. I wondered what she was up to. She certainly hadn’t come here to help with the moving and packing.
“Don’t worry, Gin. I’ll watch out for the boss man, make sure that he steers clear of Alanna and gets over to the Parker mansion safe and sound.” Finn nudged me again. “Now, go. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
He walked over to Mosley and the other worker, and the three of them got in line to get some food. Alanna stayed where she was, still talking on her phone. I went over to the far side of the ballroom and headed down the corridor toward the library, itching to get my hands on that photo of my parents.
I stepped into the library, which looked a bit empty now that Lorelei’s bookcase had been removed. But my case was still sitting in the same spot, and I ducked under the red velvet rope and snatched the photo of my parents off the shelf. I was in such a hurry that I almost knocked the blue book sitting underneath the picture down to the floor, although I managed to reach out and shove it farther back onto the shelf. Then I let out a breath and slowly held the picture up where I could see it.
I stared at my mother for a few seconds, but I was used to seeing her face again, thanks to the photos Mallory had given me, so I turned my attention to my father. With his dark brown hair and gray eyes, Tristan was much handsomer than I remembered, despite the tension that filled his face.
I thought back, trying to use this picture to sharpen my own vague, hazy memories of my father, but it didn’t work. Try as I might, I couldn’t remember his smile or his laugh.
Sadness rippled through me, dimming some of my joy and excitement. I’d always thought that it was highly ironic—and more than a little disheartening—how I could clearly remember so many of the horrible things that had happened to me but so few of the good ones.
Or maybe that was simply because the bad had outweighed the good for so much of my life.
But this photo was a good memory of my father. Well, technically, it was the only memory I had of him, but I’d take what I could get. I would have to give the picture to Silvio and see if he could scan it and crop Mab out of it completely so that only my parents remained—
“Ah, Ms. Blanco. How lovely to see you again,” a cool, familiar voice called out.
Startled, I whirled around to find Alanna staring at me. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn’t heard her walk down the corridor or step into the library, despite her high heels. I clutched the picture a little tighter in my left hand and casually dropped my right arm down to my side, ready to palm the knife hidden up my sleeve at the first sign of trouble.
“Ms. Eaton. So lovely to see you again as well.” A bald-faced lie, but I was going to match her fake politeness for fake politeness, as was the way of Southern women when engaging in verbal warfare.
Alanna glided forward, once again moving with that eerie, sinuous, catlike grace. It was like she didn’t have any bones in her entire body, just muscles and tendons that would bend, move, and stretch her limbs however she wanted. I almost expected her head to swivel all the way around on her neck, like a monster from some horror movie.
She glanced at the photo in my hand, and her lips flattened out into a thin, unhappy line. The same sour expression had curdled her face when she’d seen me staring at the picture last night.
I wondered why it bothered her. Maybe it wasn’t the picture that upset her as much as the fact that I’d outbid her for the lot. Or maybe Tucker had told her that the photo featured my parents. Maybe she just didn’t want me to have this reminder of them when her own mother was dead.
That familiar mix of guilt and shame twisted my stomach, but I forced it away. Fletcher had always said that emotion woul
Once again, I wondered if she knew that I had killed her mother, and once again, there was no way to know.
At least, not until she tried to kill me.
Something that was probably going to happen very, very soon, unless I missed my guess. But I’d never been one to back down from a fight, so I decided to try to wind her up.
“Tell me,” I said, “did you ever get that nice, bloody steak you were talking about last night?”
“Not yet,” she murmured. “But I have high hopes that I’ll be dining on it and much more in the near future.”
Her green gaze focused on my throat, and she touched her tongue to the tip of one of her fangs, like she was testing if it would be sharp enough to tear into my neck. I held back a shudder at the thought of her eating me like a filet mignon.
After a few seconds, she lifted her gaze to my face. “Here to collect your new treasures?”
“Of course.” I gestured at the bookcase. “I can’t wait to get everything home and see all the first editions and other surprises.”
“I would have thought you would have sent your assistant to fetch everything.” She gave a delicate sniff, as if she thought it was terribly inappropriate that I’d come myself.
“Oh, I’m very hands-on,” I drawled. “Always have been. I don’t like to delegate, especially not when it comes to the hard, dirty work.”
“Mmm.”
We both knew that I wasn’t talking about picking up the bookcase anymore. Alanna stared at me, and I looked right back at her. Yet again, I wondered if she knew what I’d done to her mother, but she was so calm that I couldn’t tell. No emotion sparked in her gaze. No anger, no rage, no hate. It was like staring at a blank wall. That was how unnervingly empty her face was.
But as the old saying went, still waters ran deep, and I was betting that Alanna had a whole host of feelings about me—and that none of them were good. Even if she didn’t realize that I’d killed her mother, Tucker had to have told her about my being the Spider. Plus, I had stopped her from getting her hands on Mosley the other night. If she was anything like her mother, Alanna would happily kill me for that perceived slight alone.
Footsteps thumped along the corridor, and a couple of giant movers stepped into the library. I stared at Alanna a moment longer, letting her know that I wasn’t afraid of her, then waved over the two men, the same ones who’d helped me bring the food inside earlier.
“Well, it looks like my movers are here. It would be rude to keep them waiting. So nice to see you again, Ms. Eaton.”
“And you too, Ms. Blanco.” Alanna tipped her head at me, then pivoted on her stilettos and glided out of the library.
I watched her go, once again getting the feeling that I was the mouse and she was the cat, just waiting for the right time to leap out of the shadows and finally, fully eviscerate me.
Chapter Sixteen
I stared at the doorway for several seconds, wondering if Alanna might linger outside in the corridor to spy on me, but she pulled her phone out of her pocket and started texting as she walked away. So I turned my attention back to the task at hand.
Under my watchful eye, the two giants carefully pulled the books, crystal paperweights, and other knickknacks off the shelves, covered them with padded plastic, and gently nestled them together in several cardboard boxes. The boxes were then placed on a large cart, along with the bookcase itself. The only thing that didn’t get packed up was the photo of my parents, which I was still holding. I wasn’t letting it out of my sight, not even to box it up for the drive home, and I cradled the silver frame up against my chest as I followed the movers out of the library.
Most folks were still eating, but Finn had already gone back to work, although he had his clipboard in one hand and a sourdough roll stuffed with barbecue chicken in the other. The two giants rolled the cart over to my brother, who ticked the lot off his list and directed them to the plastic-wrapping station so the bookcase could be cushioned for the ride to my house.
I glanced around the ballroom, but I didn’t see Alanna anywhere. Finn noticed my searching gaze. He downed the rest of his makeshift sandwich, licked the barbecue sauce off his fingers, and came over to me.
“She left,” he murmured. “I saw her follow you into the library, so I sent the movers back there to check on you. I don’t know what you said to her, but she looked pissed, and she stormed out of here without saying a word to anyone.”
“Are you sure she’s gone? Maybe it was just an act so she could sneak back and get close to Mosley.” I looked over at the dwarf, who was chowing down on cobbler and ice cream.
Finn shook his head. “Nope. I followed her outside. She got into her car and drove away. Trust me. She’s gone.”
I should have been relieved that Alanna had left, but cold worry trickled down my spine instead. If she had still been here, Finn could have kept an eye on her. Now I didn’t know where she had gone or what she might be up to.
Finn promised to update me if anything unusual or suspicious happened, as well as pack up any leftover food from lunch, which meant there was nothing more for me to do here. The giants had finished wrapping up my bookcase, so I said good-bye to my brother and followed the movers outside.
I pointed out my white van, and the giants carefully loaded the bookcase into the back and tied it down with bungee cords so it wouldn’t slide around. They stacked the boxes of books and knickknacks all around the case, then shut the back doors.
I tipped them both generously for helping me with the food and the bookcase, got into the driver’s seat, and locked the doors. I laid the photo of my parents in the passenger’s seat, then cranked the engine and left the estate.
I cruised slowly down the hill, careful of the cargo in the back and trying to jostle it as little as possible. My puttering pace gave me plenty of time to admire the botanical gardens on the opposite side of the road.
Since it was the dead of winter, the trees had shed their leaves for the season long ago. Perhaps it was my own whimsy or all the books in the van, but the bare branches looked like spiky brown fingers of ink bleeding up into the blank gray page of the sky. The gusting breeze tangled the branches, making it seem like all those gnarled fingers were clawing at the clouds, desperately trying to pull the puffy masses down to their level.
Despite the cold wind and bleak winter colors, it was still a pretty drive, and I was in no particular hurry to get home. I rounded a curve, going even slower than before so the boxes of books wouldn’t move around. I was definitely keeping that first edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but I’d probably end up donating most of the other volumes to one of the local libraries. Maybe the librarians could auction off some of the first editions to raise money for their literacy programs. That would certainly do more good for the community than Mab ever had.
A few minutes later, I stopped at an intersection. No cars were coming, so I took a longer look at the botanical gardens, once again admiring the dance of the branches against the sky. I was quite familiar with this intersection, and through the trees, I could just make out the beginnings of the gardens’ enormous hedge maze. The scene of another one of my many crimes.
The low growl of an engine sounded, drawing my attention. The noise increased, and a black sedan appeared in the distance, racing toward the intersection from the opposite direction, going far faster than the speed limit.
That was the first sign that something was wrong.
The second was the sharp squeal of tires behind me.
My gaze snapped over to the driver’s-side mirror. Another black sedan was zooming up behind me, also going far faster than it should have been.
That worr
I was being ambushed.
* * *
Three giants with guns poured out of the car in front of me. I didn’t recognize any of them, although I spotted one familiar vampire in the mix. Spiky blond hair, hazel eyes, muscled body. Terrence Phelps, Alanna’s head of security.
Phelps climbed out of the driver’s side of the sedan. He shouted an order, then waved his hand. I barely had time to put the van into park, turn off the engine, and grab hold of my Stone magic before he and his giants raised their weapons and started shooting at me.
Crack!
Crack! Crack!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Bullets blasted against the windshield, making me curse and hunker down. Shards of glass hit my Stone-hardened skin and rattled off, adding to the chaos and confusion. One bullet punched all the way through the engine block and the glove compartment before slamming into the photo of my parents that I’d propped up in the passenger’s seat. The glass shattered, and the silver frame dropped to the floor and busted open, although I couldn’t tell how damaged the photo itself might be.
White-hot rage scorched through my body. Oh, those gun-toting bastards were going to pay for that.
But first, I had to quit being a sitting duck and get out of the van. I raised myself up just enough so that I could look into the driver’s-side mirror, expecting the two female giants racing toward the back of the vehicle to start shooting as well. But instead of a gun, one of them was carrying a crowbar. I frowned. What was she going to do with that—
Screech!
The giant rammed her crowbar between the two back doors, trying to pop them open and making the van rock from side to side. Smart to come at me from both directions at once, but my attackers were still in for a very rude awakening. It took more than a few giants and guns to rattle me. They’d picked the wrong person to ambush, and I was going to turn the tables and kill every last one of them.