“Where are you, Vivienne?”
She looked around and then said shakily, “I was heading back to the apartment. I’m just going to come to you.”
“Are you alone?” Max asked suddenly and Conall tensed. It was a typical question for a friend to ask, but something about the way Max said it made him want to reach through the phone and strangle the human. It was almost as if he were blatantly asking about Conall and hoping she weren’t with him.
***
Vivienne looked over to Conall with round eyes. “No, I’m with a friend. Do you know what they took?”
She remembered her mother’s jewelry and prayed they hadn’t gone off with those pieces. Evelyn had left France with few things, her mother’s jewelry, which had been in her family for generations, and her Bible. “Do you know if they took my mom’s jewelry?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Where’s Drew? Can I talk to her?”
“She’s sleeping, Viv. She’s traumatized.”
Vivienne placed her hand to her head. “She’s not hurt though, is she? Max?”
“No, she’s not hurt. We’re fine.” Something about the way he said it made her ask, “You’re not just telling me this so I won’t worry?”
“No. I’m serious. We’re both fine.”
“Okay. Okay. Um, I’ll call you when I’m there.” She closed the phone and stared blankly ahead.
“Someone broke into my apartment,” she said as an afterthought. “Why would they even? We don’t have anything—at least they’re both okay. Oh my God, I can’t believe this.” She lifted her hands to her temples and began slowly massaging them. “My mother’s jewelry. I hope they didn’t take her jewelry. It’s the only thing she has left of her mother. Cassie has some too but I can’t believe—”
“Vivienne,” he said, reaching out and taking one of her hands in his. She was still in shock and her reaction was slow. “Vivienne.” She turned to look at him, or rather look through him. “You’re fine, your friends are fine. Everything else, we’ll deal with together.”
She nodded, still in disbelief over Max’s call, and went back to staring ahead.
***
Conall’s mind swirled with possibilities. Her home had been broken into and robbed the same day he’d felt a witch searching her out. He didn’t believe in coincidences, had never believed in coincidences. It was why he’d survived centuries.
“Can you take me to—?” Vivienne read the address in a little voice.
“Of course,” he replied instantly, staring at her crestfallen face. “Vivienne, it’s going to be okay.”
She nodded, but he knew she didn’t believe him.
***
“If I remove the gag, do you promise not to scream?” Max asked as he stared down at a furious Drew.
After minutes of trying to explain he wasn’t going to hurt her or Vivienne, with Drew screaming obscenities he was sure had never left her mouth prior to that day, Max had finally torn apart one of his T-shirts, and gagged her. With her voice silenced, she’d taken to kicking and punching at him and so, he’d dragged her over to his bed and tied her there. It wasn’t the way he’d imagined this scenario when he’d thought of it countless times, but it was necessary to keep her quiet. This was his safe house, this spacious, loft apartment with protective charms at every corner and protection spells bouncing off the walls. No witch would be able to find this place unless Max used his powers. And that was the other reason he was in this predicament with Drew. He couldn’t pull her memory of him killing the tracker without having half of his covenant, including his father, at his door.
“Drew?” Almost an hour had passed since he’d tied her up and gagged her, and she’d stopped struggling with bindings during the last fifteen minutes.
She glared up at him, and he could see the anger and scorn in her eyes. Finally, she nodded.
Max bent down and loosened the gag, waiting for the shrill scream to touch his ears. When it didn’t come, he removed the cloth entirely, staring at her lips and waiting to see them open as she breathed deep.
“What are you?”
He drew back slightly. He wasn’t expecting that. Hysterics, crying, screaming, those he expected, but he should have known. Drew was always one to surprise him.
“I’m human.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Her voice was harsh. “After all the time you’ve known me, you really think I’m that stupid, Max? Is your name even Max?”