Page 179 of Vampire so Virtuous
That sounded ominous.
Cally stared at her phone, Eve’s number still highlighted. She pressed the call button again and clenched her jaw as voicemail picked up.
A few minutes later, Gabe walked in, already on the phone. Unlike before, it was actually pressed against his ear. His expression was grim.
“She’s with me now.”
Antoine.
Gabe listened, his eyes on her, the bleakness on his face not fading. “How many thralls are there?” A pause. “And how many do you have?” Another pause. “Shit. You want me to send you some of mine?” He listened longer, meeting Cally’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe. Half my thralls are headed your way.” He ended the call. “I assume you got the gist?”
“Minh?”
“Don’t know. Seems likely. Maybe others too.”
Cally glanced at the blind she’d left open. Outside, dusk had fallen. She felt for the mark, tugging her toward Fisher Hill. “I feel like I should be with him.”
“I think he’d rather you were anywhere but.”
The same thrall as before entered again, and he also had a phone pressed to his ear. “Boss,” he said.
Gabe lifted one finger, still speaking to Cally. “He’d want you safe, not near the fighting.”
“Boss,” the man repeated, more urgently. “We’ve got problems.”
Gabe turned to face him, frowning, then his eyes went distant. “Well, seems Antoine’s not the only one under attack. I’ve got thralls moving in too.”
“Then go.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and said nothing.
“Just go, Gabe. I’ll be fine here. Go do what you need to do.”
“I told Antoine—”
“You told him you’d keep me safe. I’m safe. Hell, I’m so safe, I’m bored.Go stop Minh.”
“Boss,” the thrall said again, listening to his phone.
Gabe winced, half-turning toward him, then looked back at Cally. “Are you sure?”
“Hundred percent.”Ten four. Affirmative.
Gabe hesitated, still reluctant, then nodded. “Fine. Don’t go anywhere.” He was out of the door in a second, the thrall at his heels.
As soon as he’d gone, Cally hit Eve’s number.
Eve answered straight away. “I was about to call you back. Sorry, I was in the bath.”
Thank fuck.“Are you still at home?”
“Yes, why?”
“I need you to leave. Right now. And go—”Where? Where could she go?“—to the dojang.” She needed to warn Joon, too. And explain it all to him.Damn, that wasn’t going to be fun.
“You want me to—Why?”
Cally inhaled sharply. Her first meeting with Minh had been right next to the dojang. “Scratch that. Go to Antoine’s, please. If he’s not there, tell Marcell I sent you.”She should be safe enough at his house, right? Minh wouldn’t dare attack there.
