leaving in five!” Walker shouted.
I sighed. “I’ve got to go,” I said to Dominic.
“Ask Ian about Julia-Marie Frost, and maybe then you’ll understand the minefield between him and Bex.”
“Maybe you should worry less about Walker’s loyalty and more about your own,” I said hotly. His words reminded me of how little I really knew about Walker and his past, and having Dominic throw that ignorance in my face made my temper boil over. “It’s been weeks since Nathan disappeared, and you have nothing to show for your efforts. Assuming you’ve put forth any effort to find him.”
“If you’re late to call me going forward, I will assume the worst and come for you,” Dominic said, ignoring me. “This is your only warning.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I whispered. “What about the truce? Bex would consider your presence an act of war, or so you’ve claimed. Isn’t that why I’m here in your stead?”
“The war that will ensue should you force my presence will be on your shoulders,” Dominic hissed. “I expect you to call five minutes before dawn, so I know that you have survived the night without injury.”
“What about Nathan? You remember him—five foot eight, nose ring, my hair, my eyes? It’s been weeks, and you aren’t any closer to finding him than when you started.”
“We made a deal, and if you uphold your end of the bargain, I promise you, I will uphold mine,” Dominic purred. “Have a good night, Cassidy DiRocco. I’ll look forward to your next call.”
“You have no trouble finding me wherever I am,” I said, exasperated. “I don’t see why it should be so difficult for you—”
The phone went dead.
“—to find Nathan.”
I shoved the phone in my right jacket pocket, but remembering the hole, I switched it over to the left with Walker’s borrowed silver nitrate spray. I bit my lip as Dominic burdened my thoughts. He wouldn’t risk breaking the truce with Bex. He’d sent me here deliberately to avoid initiating a war with her, but his words made me wonder. I knew how fast he could move. I knew how fast he could fly. Was the 300-mile distance a false sense of security? If he decided to come for me, could he really?
“I meant five seconds, not five years, DiRocco!”
I opened the bathroom door and caught the barrel-end of his bellow. “Coming, Walker,” I called back. I left the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.
Ronnie looked up at my approach. Her mascara was smeared across her cheeks to her temples from wiping at tears. I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Walker.
His expression was set like molded plaster.
“You still have the silver nitrate spray?” he asked.
I patted my pocket. “Armed and dangerous.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked.
Ronnie sniffed. I glanced at her and then back at Walker.
“What’s going on?”
Walker glanced at Ronnie, and then he met my eyes, his expression unreadable. “There’s been another animal attack, under the old train overpass on Elm Street.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Under the old train overpass?”
Walker nodded tightly.
“Where we just stopped to speak to Bex?”
“Yes,” he bit out.
Ronnie’s gaze sharpened on Walker. “When did you speak to Bex? The sun just set after you came home.”
“We’ve got to go,” Walker said, ignoring Ronnie.
I nodded slowly, still trying to puzzle together why Ronnie was near hysterical. “Do you know the victim personally?”
“Victim s ,” Walker said, emphasizing the plural. “John Dunbar and his wife, Priscilla. Sounds like their car was found abandoned on the side of the road, their bodies yards away. And torn apart.”
“Torn apart? Is there any connection between the Dunbars and Lydia?”
Walker shook his head. “I need to research Lydia’s wounds and examine the Dunbars before we assume anything. If the Dunbars have the same injuries, maybe the same animal who attacked Lydia this evening attacked the Dunbars
I sighed. “I’ve got to go,” I said to Dominic.
“Ask Ian about Julia-Marie Frost, and maybe then you’ll understand the minefield between him and Bex.”
“Maybe you should worry less about Walker’s loyalty and more about your own,” I said hotly. His words reminded me of how little I really knew about Walker and his past, and having Dominic throw that ignorance in my face made my temper boil over. “It’s been weeks since Nathan disappeared, and you have nothing to show for your efforts. Assuming you’ve put forth any effort to find him.”
“If you’re late to call me going forward, I will assume the worst and come for you,” Dominic said, ignoring me. “This is your only warning.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I whispered. “What about the truce? Bex would consider your presence an act of war, or so you’ve claimed. Isn’t that why I’m here in your stead?”
“The war that will ensue should you force my presence will be on your shoulders,” Dominic hissed. “I expect you to call five minutes before dawn, so I know that you have survived the night without injury.”
“What about Nathan? You remember him—five foot eight, nose ring, my hair, my eyes? It’s been weeks, and you aren’t any closer to finding him than when you started.”
“We made a deal, and if you uphold your end of the bargain, I promise you, I will uphold mine,” Dominic purred. “Have a good night, Cassidy DiRocco. I’ll look forward to your next call.”
“You have no trouble finding me wherever I am,” I said, exasperated. “I don’t see why it should be so difficult for you—”
The phone went dead.
“—to find Nathan.”
I shoved the phone in my right jacket pocket, but remembering the hole, I switched it over to the left with Walker’s borrowed silver nitrate spray. I bit my lip as Dominic burdened my thoughts. He wouldn’t risk breaking the truce with Bex. He’d sent me here deliberately to avoid initiating a war with her, but his words made me wonder. I knew how fast he could move. I knew how fast he could fly. Was the 300-mile distance a false sense of security? If he decided to come for me, could he really?
“I meant five seconds, not five years, DiRocco!”
I opened the bathroom door and caught the barrel-end of his bellow. “Coming, Walker,” I called back. I left the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.
Ronnie looked up at my approach. Her mascara was smeared across her cheeks to her temples from wiping at tears. I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Walker.
His expression was set like molded plaster.
“You still have the silver nitrate spray?” he asked.
I patted my pocket. “Armed and dangerous.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked.
Ronnie sniffed. I glanced at her and then back at Walker.
“What’s going on?”
Walker glanced at Ronnie, and then he met my eyes, his expression unreadable. “There’s been another animal attack, under the old train overpass on Elm Street.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Under the old train overpass?”
Walker nodded tightly.
“Where we just stopped to speak to Bex?”
“Yes,” he bit out.
Ronnie’s gaze sharpened on Walker. “When did you speak to Bex? The sun just set after you came home.”
“We’ve got to go,” Walker said, ignoring Ronnie.
I nodded slowly, still trying to puzzle together why Ronnie was near hysterical. “Do you know the victim personally?”
“Victim s ,” Walker said, emphasizing the plural. “John Dunbar and his wife, Priscilla. Sounds like their car was found abandoned on the side of the road, their bodies yards away. And torn apart.”
“Torn apart? Is there any connection between the Dunbars and Lydia?”
Walker shook his head. “I need to research Lydia’s wounds and examine the Dunbars before we assume anything. If the Dunbars have the same injuries, maybe the same animal who attacked Lydia this evening attacked the Dunbars
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