Page 23 of Soulmarked

“I'm a giver,” he deadpanned. Then his expression turned serious. “But let's get one thing straight, Cross. If this goes sideways, if it comes down to solving your mystery or putting down a threat, we do it my way. No debates, no moral quandaries. Clear?”

I met his gaze steadily. “Crystal. As long as you understand that if you're wrong about this being simple, we do it my way.”

The tension in the room could have been cut with one of his many knives. Finally, Sean nodded, just slightly.

I expanded the holographic display, my fingers moving through the projected data with practiced ease. The blue light cast stark shadows across Sean's arsenal of weapons as I pulled up Phoenix Pharmaceuticals' employee database, or at least, the parts of it I'd managed to access.

“Look at this,” I said, highlighting personnel files. “Each victim was part of their R&D department. Different projects, different clearance levels, but all working on something.” Izoomed in on their security badges, arranged in a neat grid. “This isn't a random predator, it's targeting specific people.”

Sean frowned, leaning closer to study the faces of the dead. His expression shifted subtly as he processed the information, professional instincts overriding his earlier dismissiveness. “You think the vampire's being directed?”

“Or it's eliminating loose ends.” My mind was already working through the possibilities, connecting dots that had been nagging at me for weeks. “Either way, this isn't just about feeding. There's intent here. Look at the timing, each kill happened within 48 hours of the victim accessing certain restricted files.”

“Jaysus,” Sean muttered, running a hand through his hair. “This just got a lot messier.” He started pacing, something I was beginning to recognize as a sign he was actually engaging with the problem. “Vampires don't usually work for hire. They're territorial, proud, they don't take orders well.”

“Unless they're getting something worth more than pride.”

Sean stopped pacing. “Like what?”

“That's the question, isn't it?” I pulled up another file, security footage I definitely wasn't supposed to have. “Watch this.”

The grainy video showed one of the victims entering Phoenix's main lab facility three days before their death. But it was what happened next that had caught my attention.

“There,” I froze the frame. “See how they're carrying their keycard? Left hand, even though their personnel file lists them as right-handed. And look at their neck.”

“Bite marks,” Sean finished, eyes narrowing. “Already under thrall before they died.”

“Exactly. The vampire wasn't just killing them, it was using them. Getting them to access something inside Phoenix first.”

Sean muttered something in Irish that I was pretty sure was profanity. “This isn't a hunting ground, it's an operation. Professional. Planned.”

Then both our phones pinged simultaneously.

The message was brief, but it made my blood run cold. Another body, same signature wounds, found less than a mile from Purgatory. But this time, something was different.

“Dr. Sarah Chen,” I read aloud. “Head of Development.”

Sean was already moving, checking weapons with practiced efficiency. “This isn't just cleaning house anymore. They're escalating.”

“Why now?” I studied Chen's file, something nagging at the edges of my awareness. “What changed?”

“Wrong question,” Sean said, sliding silver knives into hidden sheaths. “Ask yourself why they'd kill the project head after taking out the support staff. What was she working on that was worth this much attention?”

I expanded Chen's file, and suddenly the pieces clicked into place. “She was requesting a transfer. Said she had 'ethical concerns' about the project's direction.” I looked up at Sean. “The meeting to review her transfer was scheduled for tomorrow morning.”

“She was going to talk.” Sean's expression hardened. “And someone couldn't let that happen.”

Our eyes met across the blue glow of the hologram, and something shifted in the air between us. This wasn't just about a rogue vampire anymore. This was bigger, darker, and far more dangerous than either of us had initially thought.

Sean's expression darkened, determination replacing his earlier skepticism. “We work together on this.” It wasn't a question.

I hesitated for a moment, weighing options. Working with a hunter went against everything my training and instincts toldme. But looking at Chen's file, at the pattern of death and corporate secrets, I knew this was too big to handle alone.

“Partners?” I offered, half expecting him to scoff.

Instead, Sean's lips curved in what might have been the ghost of a real smile. “Don't push it, fed. Let's just say... temporary allies.”

“Good enough.” I started gathering my equipment. “We need to move fast. If Chen was about to expose something.”

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