DeLeina, Maya - Veil of Seduction [Ambrose Heights Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Maya DeLeina Page B

sat along the mountain range. Her heart raced as her eyes traced the illustration, searching for it, hunting it out.
    There it was. Ambrose Heights.
    Mysterious.
    That is what the locals would say about the neighborhood, but even this didn’t fully amount to what Anya was feeling of about the property now.
    Ambrose Heights just became mystifying .
    The next hour was filled with further discussion and signing of legal documents with the attorney. After he left the office, the detective wrapped up the meeting with a few more lines of questioning. Anya tucked away the business cards she’d collected in her wallet and gathered the stacks of papers. She made her way out of the office and followed the detective’s escort down the hall and back through maze of offices and doors.
    “Anya, we’ll update you on the case progress and share what we can. In the meantime, if you think of anything that might have a bearing to Anise or the case, please contact me.” The detective handed her card to Anya. “And please, call me Madeline.”
    “Thank you,” Anya whispered.
    She turned and made her way slowly out of the glass doors.

    * * * *

    Alex emerged from a darkened corner of his hall, his fangs receded, tucking behind their protective membrane as he wiped his mouth in pure satisfaction. He swiftly made his way to Madeline and settled in next to her as she remained fixed on Anya, watching intently as she exited the building.
    “She has no clue about Anise and Ryan,” Alex said.
    “No, she absolutely doesn’t,” she responded. She turned to look at Alex and suddenly pulled him into her by the arm.
    “You’re a bit of a mess, Alex, clean it up!” Madeline angrily whispered in his ear as she casually pointed to the corner of her mouth to signal Alex.
    Alex angled his tongue to the crease of his mouth and licked up a drop of blood that had been carelessly overlooked.
    “I only erased the feed, nothing else. Alan will remember everything. I didn’t interrupt anything that was already fated. He just won’t remember anything between leaving your office and getting in his car,” Alex said in response to the Madeline’s scornful stare.
    “What? I couldn’t help it. I was craving something…spicy,” Alex admitted.
    “I hope you know that feeding from an attorney gives you heartburn.”
    “Oh, a little heartburn couldn’t kill a vampire. I think I’ll survive.”
    Madeline sighed and turned around to make her way down the hall. Alex followed by her side.
    “And what of the preliminary results on the other body found in the well, Ryan Evans, or one of ours?”
    “Ours,” Alex stated confidently. “Definitely not human. But, he was too far into the depletion process to make a definite ID.”
    She stopped in her tracks.
    “Depletion? My god!” She shook her head with the thought of the pain the depletion process would have on a vampire. “It’s been some time since we dealt with a case involving depletion.” Madeline began walking once again. “And you checked all the usual sources, Ryan has not been seen or heard from?”
    Alex reached for the office door. “No one has seen him for several weeks now. Basically checks out with his wife’s story.” Alex closed the door behind him and leaned against the door. “So I finally got to touch a piece of Anise’s remains.”
    “You got to touch her remains? Excellent,” Madeline said with a refined excitement.
    “Yeah, that was the phone call I got…why I had to excuse myself. The humans, they retrieved what they could of her body and got it into my lab. But it was enough for me to see things. Want to know what happened?”
    “I’m waiting,” Madeline responded as she settled into her chair. She folded her hands in her lap.
    “Well, I was right with my initial hunch. Ryan and Anise, they were going at it for awhile. But, it wasn’t just Anise. Ryan loved conquests.” Alex walked over and sat in the chair directly across the detective. “Now, I’m a little