Page 74 of Edge of Darkness

“Yes. Austin and I will return via the shadows. It’s faster. We’re going to the penthouse and sleeping for a few hours, then I want to have dinner, your time, with you. We have a lot to talk about.”

“What about Kit? Do you want him there too?”

“I’ll leave that up to you, but I feel like he should know what I’ve discovered,” Kage said.

“Okay. Be here by six. We’ll visit for a bit, have dinner, and then discuss this over drinks.”

“See you then.”

CHAPTER TWENTY –CONNIE

CONNIE WHISTLED loudly. “I have to say, I didn’t seethatcoming.”

Hudson shook his head. “A damn twin. Why didn’t we think of that?”

Connie sat on the edge of Hudson’s desk, one of his legs swinging freely. “We just didn’t, but let’s be thankful for small mercies—at leastthisguy isn’t a mimic.”

“And apparently Nox didn’t figure out how to clone himself.” Hudson leaned back in his chair. “Thank the dragon gods for small mercies.”

“You know….” Connie pursed his lips. “Both of us have picked up the scent of a feline shifter lately.”

“Yes, we have. But why?” Hudson stared out the windows in his office at the lush greenness. “Why is this guy targeting us? And Kit? Why isn’t he focused on Kage, like Nox was? Not to sound like an ass, but we don’t have anything to do with their family drama.”

“We’re dragons. Ninety percent of the time we sound like asses, but I get what you’re saying. Nox targeted Kit so he could lure Austin into a trap. So why is Lennox targeting Kit? No way Austin and Kage are going to fall for that again, so why?”

“Also, something else comes to mind.” Hudson linked his hands behind his neck and frowned at Connie. “How involved is Lennox with the hunters? Nox claimed he was Nighthawk and the head of Illuminacon, remember?”

“Shit.”

“Makes me wonder if Nox actually was. Frankly, he seemed a little too psychotic to be in charge of running such a huge corporation.”

“Obsessed with Kage too.”

“Psychotic. Obsessed.” Hudson shrugged. “Either works. He sacrificed a working lab that also held prisoners. We found Axel and one of Kage’s clan members in that lab. We questioned that, remember?”

“Maybe Nox wasn’t Nighthawk and didn’t have some grand scheme like we thought. Maybe Lennox is the mastermind behind all this.”

“We need to know more about Lennox’s life,” Hudson said. “Did he go to college? If so, where? How? How did he start up his company? So many questions.”

“What warped him? We know what did Nox.”

“Yeah. Here’s something else—maybe everything Nox did was more flying by the seat of his pants and Lennox let Nox have free rein so Nox would be out of Lennox’s hair.”

“Which is absolutely terrifying,” Connie said.

“Right? It also begs the question—if Nox was the unstable one, what are we dealing with now?”

“Good question.”

Hudson straightened in his chair. “I need to update everyone. This can’t wait until our meeting. While I do that, I need you to touch base with Torres and inform him to beef up the security around here.”

Connie snapped to attention. That was Hudson’s authoritative voice. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Please inform Stella we’re having Kage and Austin for dinner tonight and that we won’t be eating in the communal area.”

“Okay.”

“Since Kage likes steak, request enough porterhouse rib eyes for all of us, baked potatoes, side salads, and dinner rolls. Maybe some appetizers also. Ask her to pick that out.”

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