When Campbell returned to the cave to change into clothes that didn’t smell like burned flesh, Sophia met him at the entrance. The strained look on her face put him on high alert.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are Imperium representatives here to see you.”
“Really? I figured it’d take them longer to get back to me.”
“They’re not here because of your inquiry about contacting the NYPD.”
It took him a moment, but the truth sank in. They were here because he’d killed two humans. His heart sank at the knowledge he might very well never see Olivia again. Probably wouldn’t live to see another day. Damn, damn and double damn. He hated the idea of having to give up his life because of two lowlife pieces of scum like the men who’d attacked Olivia.
But he hadn’t drained them. Maybe that little technicality would be enough to save him.
“What happened?” Sophia asked. “We called Olivia’s diner today, but she wasn’t there and we didn’t dare ask for you. We were afraid you were dead.”
“I very nearly was, as you can probably tell from smelling me. But you might as well hear the story with everyone else. I only want to tell it once.”
After hesitating for a few seconds, Sophia turned and headed down into the main room. There Campbell spotted a trio of familiar faces, the Lex Legis of New York. If V Force was the law enforcement arm of the Imperium, the Lex Legis was judge and jury. He’d had dealings with Annabelle Light, Henry Fowler and Chin Lee Wan before, but he’d never been the one on trial.
“Legisters,” he said respectfully. “Sorry to appear before you in such a state.”
“It seems you had a run-in with the sun as well as the two dead humans,” Fowler said without preamble.
Campbell forced his expression to stay neutral. He’d never liked Fowler, and that was why of the three, Fowler was the only one Campbell didn’t think of by first name. The guy just seemed to glory in his job a little too much. “Unfortunately,” he said simply in response to the guy’s comment.
“You know why we’re here?” Annabelle asked.
“I’m assuming because of the dead humans.”
Annabelle looked genuinely saddened. That sent a surge of concern through him. Would they really execute him? If they did, they’d be stretching the law beyond what it said.
“You know the punishment for killing humans,” Fowler said.
“Yes, I do. It says that vampires are to be executed when they kill a human by draining him. I didn’t even fang them. I broke their necks.”
Fowler started to speak again, but Chin stopped him by simply holding up his hand. Chin was the head Legister and so always had the right to speak before the others.
“Why did you kill them?” Chin asked.
“They were kidnapping humans for the blood-slave trade, we believe at the instruction of the Nefari. I caught them in the middle of trying to kidnap a woman with AB-negative blood.” He did his best to keep any inflection or facial expression that might give away his relationship to Olivia out of his response. There was no law against vampire-human relationships, but he didn’t want to give them any reason to ask the Imperium to implement one.
“You have identified these men?” Chin asked.
Travis took a step forward. “The human authorities have.”
Chin redirected his attention to Travis. “You can track them back to the source, to whoever is responsible for their actions?”
“Yes, sir,” Travis said, betting the farm and quite possibly Campbell’s life on their ability to solve this case.
“Good. We are done here.” Chin headed for the door.
“But, Legister Chin, he killed two humans,” Fowler said.
“He has broken no law. The men were not drained, and he was performing his sworn duty at great personal risk.” Chin looked at Campbell. “Thank you.”
Campbell gave him a respectful nod. “Thank you, Legister.”
Fowler gave him an ugly look as the Legisters filed out of the room. Campbell didn’t know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn’t really give a damn.
Neither Campbell nor any of the other members of the team moved or said a word until they heard the exterior door close behind the Legisters.
“That dude sucked on too many lemons when he was alive,” Billy said.
“Where the hell were you today?” Len asked. “Colin said you raced away with dawn on the horizon.”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Olivia DaCosta’s walk-in freezer.”
There was a suspended moment; then Colin had the balls to laugh.
Campbell punched him in the shoulder. “You try burning to a crisp and see if you don’t think a freezer is paradise afterward.”
Sophia made a sound of distress.
“I’m okay now. Chloe and Olivia got me some blood so I’d heal.”
“Damn, man,” Len said. “You really do like this gal to go through that. I don’t mind pain, but growing skin. Hell.”
Campbell filled them in on the rest of what had happened then looked at Travis. “How close is NYPD to knowing who those guys were working for?”
“Not very.”
Campbell cursed.
“I, however, am a wizard with connections and have a pretty good lead.”
“And you didn’t tell the Legisters?” Kaja asked.
“They didn’t ask if I had tracked them, only if I could. I answered them truthfully.”
Len laughed. “That Wall Street sneakiness does come in handy once in a while.”
That it did. “Who is it?” Campbell asked.
“I got a couple of hits on them having been in contact with Nicky Salmeri.”
Len whistled at the same time Sophia shivered, both with reason. Nicky was really bad news, feared even among the ranks of the Soulless. The Nefari kingpin had the reputation of punishing by baseball bat just so he could watch the vamp in agony as his bones grew back together. Well, he could try tonight, but he would be in for a surprise. If Campbell found out the guy was behind the kidnappings, behind the attempt to take Olivia, he’d be hard-pressed not to use Nicky’s bat on him.
“Wow, this just gets better every day,” Kaja said as she pulled back her hair into the tight braid she wore when they were about to do some serious ass-kicking.
“What’s the plan?” Colin asked as he leaned back against the edge of his desk.
“First I’m taking a shower and changing out of these reeking clothes so I don’t have every dog in Manhattan following me. Then I feel the need to go say hi to the Nefari.”
An impressive line of very large vampires slid into a shoulder-to-shoulder barricade, cutting off Campbell’s view of Nicky Salmeri. He’d bet money not a one of them possessed a sense of humor. No matter, he wasn’t exactly in a joking mood.
“Nicky, you’re going to want to have your goons step to the side or have them charged with obstructing justice,” Campbell said.
A deep laugh came from the table in the back corner of the restaurant. “Obstructing justice? Sounds like such a human term.” He’d heard many a vampire use the same tone of disgust when uttering the word
