The professor slanted his head and stopped speaking, as if waiting to see what effect his words held.
“Where is this Issac Blackshaw now?” Marcus asked calmly.
“I don’t know. When I met him, he was in New York, close to the Padre. Wherever that man goes, Issac is there. What I do know is he hailed from Wales, of all places. That is where the Padre found him when he attended the NATO meeting. Larry Stein was an honorable guest and part of the president’s team.”
Marcus stared at the man. He didn’t know whether the intel he gave was utter bullshit. But if it was the truth, it confirmed their suspicions that the Padre’s influence ran balls-deep in the government. “Shit.”
“That about sums it up, Drayton. You may think you have the upper hand in this, but I’m telling you, don’t underestimate him. Unless you take him out, you don’t stand a chance. Even then, I’m not sure you would succeed, because that bastard at times—doesn’t seem human.”
Marcus didn’t say a word. Nothing scared him except losing his family. He scratched his beard and eyed the man, wondering what motivated him. It obviously wasn’t sex. Was the man gay? Money must be the answer. He studied the professor as he took another sip of his coffee, which by now must be stone-cold. Having Ella’s brother’s name would be the starting point for a full investigation and manhunt. Could it be a coincidence that Ella mentioned returning to Wales to search for her brother? He didn’t believe in coincidence. Sibling intuition? Did this Issac know about Ella?
“Right, let’s talk about the Padre. How did you two meet? Right from the beginning.”
The professor slouched back and capped his head with both his hands before he stretched his legs lazily out in front. “I had finished giving a lecture on the campus and in walked this portly man surrounded by two giant bodyguards, smoking a cigar….”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Isabella examined every inch of her face before unclipping her long hair and letting it tumble down. Stripping out of her tight olive-green pants and black top, she headed for the shower. The stress of the last two days, and the cold shoulder Jake continued to give her, was enough to make her want to hole up in her room. Away from everyone. She expected Jake to give her a hard time. But equally expected the usually playful and easygoing man to bounce back. Instead, Jake ignored her, even when she approached him and tried to apologize. He walked away. Sighing, she wiped off her makeup with a cotton ball, staring at her pale face and large green eyes. With her face free of concealer, freckles highlighted her small nose and cheeks.
Throwing the dirty cotton balls in the garbage can, she lowered her head. After everything with Marcus, Ella reacted in the same way, pushing her to use her gift. She told them months ago not to mess with the balance between mates. Why did they have to drag her into their stupid mess? She sniffed. She didn’t make friends easily, and Ella’s friendship meant a lot to her. Real friends weren’t easy to find outside of the coven. Most people, most humans, wouldn’t accept her. They were suspicious of her kind, and vice-versa.
She held a hunter’s instinct, or so her sisters told her, which explained why she enjoyed fighting. Isabella dressed in boyish clothes and boots for comfort. Heels wouldn’t work when running after an assailant. How many girls loved to collect deadly weapons, from small but lethal blades to larger swords that she could wield around, killing her victims before they even saw her coming? Isabella pushed her body to the limits and exuded a confidence some women were intimidated by. She bore no shame being a witch from a distinguished coven, and she was proud of her heritage.
However, the conflict surrounding Jake and Roman gave her sleepless nights. In an attempt to analyze her feelings for both men, she started writing a list of pros and cons, with the aim of once and for all deciding where her heart lay. So far, Roman’s list of undesirable traits, such as the fact he was a stinking blood-sucking vamp—a big no-no—should count for at least four, and was by far the longest. However, no matter what she added to his negative traits, she couldn’t ignore the impact his very appearance caused. The minute she locked eyes with the arrogant and conceited vampire, the room shrunk, leaving little oxygen to breathe, and her core ached with pulsing awareness. Hence, the need to step up her scrutiny of Jake, the man—the potential lover. She put her plan into action on Saturday with the kiss.
Jake was an enthusiastic kisser. He put a lot of effort into that simple connection, and she tried hard to ignore the fact that her friends were watching. She tried hard to surrender herself to the moment. Of course, in the end, the kiss fell way short of expectation, which may have been because of the audience. A sinking dread clawed at her that no matter how much she pushed the relationship with Jake, it wouldn’t work.
Twisting the faucet of the shower to run the water, she tested it to check the temperature. She loved a hot shower, and found it soothing. About to let go of the towel, a cold blast of air brushed her shoulders. Gripping the small white towel for dear life as it was all that covered her naked body, she screeched. Standing inches away, in tight pants with a silver dagger at his hip and a fitted white T-shirt that drew attention to his powerful forearms and biceps covered in striking black
