Today being a workday, he would be in a suit going to the office. The diamond studs in both his ears sparkled even as his gaze toward Nick was serious.
“Did he say where she was? Where they are?” Rome asked sitting back in his chair.
Rome had been the Faction Leader for almost ten years now. He’d been Nick’s best friend for even longer. Rome knew Nick’s moods just as Nick knew his. Right now the FL was concerned for Caprise and reserving judgment on this current situation.
For about two seconds Ezra looked uncomfortable. The guard exchanged a look with his twin, and they both finally shrugged.
“If you know something, you’re bound by your duty as Lead Guards to tell me now,” Rome said tightly. “Not to mention the fact that you’re as close to us as brothers. Nick deserves an explanation if you have one.”
Ezra nodded. “You’re right, boss. Look, Seth called last night or early this morning, and said that X had taken her to his place. When he checked in this morning he said they were still there, had been all night.”
The room was quiet and still except for the buzz of irritation that filled its space.
“Okay, she’s with X so she’s safe,” Nick said, even though something about that statement seemed a bit off to him. “So get X on the phone and find out when they’re heading to Havenway.”
Ezra nodded. “Right.”
When the two guards left the room Nick stood for a few moments at the slim window looking out to the Great Falls National Park. That was where Havenway was located, deep within the park, hidden by dense trees and a small creek that almost gave the impression of their home in the Gungi. Well, not almost, but probably as close as they were going to get. The Virginia location was about an hour and a half away from their law firm in DC.
“What are you thinking?” Rome asked.
“Something’s not right,” Nick replied immediately. “Why didn’t he bring her back here? Why keep her in the city? And what the hell is she doing stripping?” He figured he’d be the one to approach the subject since he knew Rome was probably thinking it.
When he turned to look at his friend he was rewarded with a look of relief on Rome’s face.
“I wondered that myself. Do you know where she’s been for the last five years?”
Nick rolled his neck, listened as muscles cracked with the effort, and tried to let his shoulders relax. “She didn’t say. I told X to look into it but he hasn’t gotten back to me with a report. I know she’s always loved to dance and was even enrolled in dance school before she left. This just doesn’t sound like Caprise.”
Rome nodded. “She seems different now. I’ve noticed it in the weeks she’s been here.”
“Ary’s been talking to her. She thinks Caprise is starting to adjust. But I don’t know,” Nick admitted.
“She’s still not happy about being a shifter, that we all know for sure.”
Nick shook his head. “She’s never been happy about that. I thought at least she’d come to terms with it by now. But she’s still in denial.”
“Which isn’t good for us if there are Rogues roaming the streets, out for shifter or human blood,” Rome stated.
“X was investigating Athena’s because Sabar’s savior drug was reportedly circulating there.”
“You think she may be taking the drug?” Rome sounded skeptical but the question still stung.
“No,” Nick replied adamantly. “She’s not on any drugs. I would know.” Or at least he thought he would.
For the last few weeks he’d seen Caprise every day. Some days she looked almost happy and others she was sullen and agitated. Yesterday he remembered she’d made some remark about their parents and everyone having secrets. He’d been running late for work and so hadn’t stopped to ask her what the hell that meant. Now he wished he had.
“It’s just a thought, man. I know she’s your sister but we’ve got to keep an open mind about this. I don’t believe in coincidences,” Rome said.
“So the fact that Caprise was stripping at the same club X was investigating for the savior drug and they run into Rogues there is all connected?”
“What do you think?” Rome asked.
Nick sighed. “You’re right. It’s connected. I just hope—”
His next words were cut off as his cell phone rang loudly. Reaching down to the case at his waist, Nick pulled the phone free and answered, “Delgado.”
“Nick, it’s me, Caprise.”
She was talking fast and she was whispering. Nick was instantly on alert.
“Where are you? What’s wrong?”
“I’m locked in the bathroom at X’s place. Some cop just came in talking about arresting him for murder.”
“What?”
“Just get over here as soon as you can!” she said. Then the line went dead.
Rome had already stood and was glaring at Nick when he clicked off his phone.
“What’s up?”
“X is being arrested for murder,” he replied quizzically. Then he turned and quickly left Rome’s office.
The pounding at his door was incessant and irritating as hell. X rolled out of the bed cursing fluently as he moved through the condo, heading toward the door. He wasn’t wearing anything but the scowl he knew was on his face, and whoever was at his door at this ungodly hour deserved to get a damn eyeful.
After disengaging the locks he pulled the door open and was shocked to see Agent Dorian Wilson standing on the other side.
Agent Wilson was likewise shocked to see X in the state he was in, as witnessed by the widening of his eyes then the setting of his features.
“Mornin’, Agent Markland. I need a word with you,” he said. “But I can wait until you’re a little more decent.”
X stepped to the side, letting the agent into his home. No apologies, no words. He just let him in and stalked back to his room to throw something on. Caprise was still asleep, thankfully. The last thing he needed was her questions on top of asking himself why Agent Wilson was here in the first place—which, by the way, was a good goddamn question.
He remembered this guy as the one Kalina had been working for to look into Rome’s financial dealings. His entire profile had come up in the database search he’d done on Kalina. He was a thirty-three-year-old native of the DC metropolitan area; single, two siblings and parents still living. Eight years with the DEA, army four years, three years MPD, and elevated to DEA after one major drug bust. Those were the immediate details coming to X’s mind. The question of the hour still remained: Why was he here in X’s apartment, right now?
Upon his return to the living room he saw the agent studying one of the black-and-white pictures on his wall.
“It’s South America,” he offered, crossing the room to take a seat on his couch.
Agent Wilson nodded. “Been there recently?”
“I’ve got family there” was X’s reply. “What can I do for you, Agent?” he asked because this small talk wasn’t going to work well for him.
Wilson turned around, keeping his eye on X as he crossed the room to sit on one of the remaining chairs.
“I have some questions for you, Markland.”
Not
“Do you know a woman named Diamond Turner?”
X remained perfectly still while inside his cat paced, watched, and waited. “I met her about a month and a half ago. She was standing outside of Athena’s.”
“Did you see her again after that?”
“No.”
“Did you have any contact with her after that night?”
