“’Parently it can make short spatial jumps. That’s how it gets in and out of houses. ” And inside police stations. “But it’s pretty consistent as far as locations. Somewhere within a few miles of water, where there are dark, cool places for it to hide. ”
“So, pretty much the entire city of New York and all the surrounding areas. ” Cripes, everything from Brooklyn to the Bronx fit the bill. If this bastard was hiding in the subway system, I would kill it on principle alone.
“Sorry, Secret. I wish I could give you more. ”
“I know. Thanks. ” I hung up and looked to Desmond, but his chair sat empty.
I hadn’t felt him leave.
Instead of following him, I opened my phone and made another call. I had an idea, and if I was right I would save a little girl’s life. If I was wrong, the Alvarez family would never be the same.
Chapter Thirteen
I met Holden at the corner of Queen’s Boulevard and 40th where he found a parking spot for his BMW a block away from the Paradiso. Across the street a Queen’s bound 7 train had just unloaded and a bustle of commuters exited the covered stairwell of the station. He handed me the item I had requested.
I took the katana and held it in the crook of my arm. As he locked the car he said, “I never thought when you gave me that key I’d be using it to be your errand boy, fetching your weapons. ”
“And I didn’t think you’d use it to break in at all hours and harass me while I slept, so let’s call it even. ”
“It’s only harassment if you don’t like it. ”
My mouth formed a hard line, and if looks could kill, Holden Chancery would be an obliterated pile of steaming vampiric ash. Since I had not yet learned to kill telekinetically, he remained in one solid piece with a smirk on his face that would have melted me under better conditions.
When it became apparent I didn’t find his flirting amusing, he asked, “Where are your werewolves?”
“Dominick followed Desmond. I don’t know where they went. ”
“And you think you can do a better job of finding their sister than they can?”
“No. I think we can do a better job. ”
He sat on the hood of his car and crossed his arms. As usual he looked impeccable, wearing a camel-colored trench over black trousers and a mint-green dress shirt. His hair was brushed back so nothing interrupted my view of his dark-chocolate-hued eyes. Goddamn, the man was beautiful.
“You need me. ” It wasn’t a question, they way he emphasized the need.
Chewing the inside of my cheek, I considered telling him he could take his help and shove it, that I could find Penny myself. The problem was I did need Holden, as much as it pained me to admit it to him, and I wasn’t willing to put pride ahead of the task at hand.
“Yes, I need you. ”
He investigated his nails as if there was something deeply interesting buried under them. There wasn’t. Holden got a manicure more often than most socialites. Was the son of a bitch waiting for me to beg?
“Holden, will you please help me?” What I was thinking was more along the lines of Holden, if you don’t agree to help me, there will be blood all over this sword before I even start hunting for fae.
“On one condition. ”
“Condition? No. Fuck you. No conditions. ” I turned on my heel and walked down the block. I wasn’t ten feet away when the loud clearing of his throat made me pivot back to him. Anger bubbled though my veins and my gums ached, threatening to expose my fangs. I was so livid I wanted to bite him, which meant I was angrier than I’d been in a very long time.
“Secret. ” He frowned and shook his head. My rage must have been palpable.
I growled. “There is a girl’s life at stake here. Even you have to appreciate that. ”
“Someone’s life is always at stake. That’s the world we live in. Sometimes you save lives, sometimes you take them, and sometimes you do nothing. Not everyone gets to live. ”
“How can you be so cold?”
“I’m dead. Whether the living continue to live doesn’t impact me. I only came because you said you needed me to. ”
“Then help me. ”