Page 27 of Cry of Blood and Joy
“By taking the Anchoring Obsidian Stone.” Each word was enunciated with surgical precision, and I could practically hear the cold smile in his voice. “Without that stone, you know my enemies can open up the portal to send me back to the Elder Dimension—which I have no intention of experiencing again. Or was that yours and Angelo’s plan all along?”
The accusation smashed into me like a sledgehammer to the chest. Shit. Just like that, everything went to hell. My throat was as dry as sandpaper. “I didn’t take it, Keir. Do I seem that stupid to you?” The words came out more defensive than I intended, and Joy’s worried gaze bored into my gut.
Silence stretched over the phone like a taut wire, broken only by the distant sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. Keir’s calculating mind was turning over possibilities, scrutinizing my words against his suspicions.
“Perhaps,” he said finally, the single word dripping with contempt that made my jaw clench involuntarily. “But it was missing after you left.”
Stay frosty.
I drew on every ounce of experience I had to remain calm. “I was never without one of your guards, Keir. So how could I have taken it?”
“If you didn’t, then you better find out who did. And I have another tidbit, enforcer.” He was like a spider toying with a fly, luring me deeper into his web.
Cold sweat broke out all over me as I battled wills with Keir Rankin. But I didn’t have any choice and took the bait. “What?” I ground the word between my teeth like broken glass. Joy tensed beside me, her shadows beginning to ripple with agitation.
“Maximo Barone’s body was just fished out of the Mississippi River.” The casual way he delivered the bombshell made my blood turn to sludge. “A witness named you.”
My stomach churned with cold fear and I had to grip the phone tighter to keep from dropping it. “What witness?”
“I haven’t been able to find out his name. Captain Boudreaux has been tight-lipped about this.” Papers rustled in the background, the sound of Keir multitasking while my entire world collapsed. “There is a warrant out for your arrest.”
The words stole the breath from my lungs, making the room spin slightly around the edges. We’d just gone from hunted to completely fucked.
Chapter Nineteen
Joy
Enzo swore viciously under his breath, the curse words coming out in a
steady stream of English and Italian as he shoved his phone back into his jacket with violent force. The movement was sharp and aggressive, like he wanted to throw the device against the wall and watch it shatter into a thousand pieces. His entire body radiated fury and frustration, locked up like a pressure cooker ready to explode.
“What’s wrong?” I stared up into his dark eyes, which had gone from warm chocolate to something cold and dangerous. The anger burning in them was so intense it made my chest tighten with fear—not fear of him, but fear of whatever had put that look on his face.
“Our list of enemies has just doubled in size,” he said through clenched teeth. The words came out flat and bitter, like he was tasting poison with every syllable.
Rocco crossed his arms over his chest, his flour-dusted fingers digging into his biceps with enough force to leave marks.“What do you mean?” The wine had sharpened his focus rather than dulling it, and calculating intelligence flickered behind his dark eyes as he prepared for whatever bombshell was coming.
Enzo dragged his fingers through his hair with violent frustration, the gesture leaving the dark strands disheveled and wild. “Maximo Barone is dead. According to Keir, the police dragged his corpse out of the Mississippi River, and some damn witness claims I killed him.” The admission came out like a confession ripped from his throat, each word weighted with the implications of what this meant for all of us.
Hysterics clawed their way up my throat like alley cats scrambling up a fire escape. The room seemed to tilt around me as the full scope of our situation hit home. I swallowed hard against the panic, even though my hands began to shake uncontrollably. “There’s a warrant for your arrest.” It came out more as a statement than a question—the logical conclusion to what he’d just told us.
“Yes, dammit!” Enzo exploded, throwing his arm up in the air with such force that I flinched involuntarily. His movement was so sudden and violent my shadows responded instantly, writhing around the room like startled snakes. “The Unseelie’s Anchoring Obsidian Stone is missing. It didn’t go missing until after I left Keir’s.” A vein pulsed in his temple as his anger reached a breaking point.
“Someone’s fucking setting me up,” he snarled, the words coming out raw and savage. His dark eyes turned red and he pulled back his upper lip, revealing his sharp fangs. Fear ripped through me as I watched him lose control. He never lost control—except when it came to me.
The color drained from Rocco’s face as he processed what this meant—not just for Enzo, but for all of us who were now harboring a wanted man.
“Who do you think—” I started, but the words died in my throat as his expression shifted into something that made my blood run cold.
He glared at me with the kind of intensity that could have melted steel, his dark eyes blazing with a fury so pure it was almost beautiful in its terrifying completeness. “Lorcan Blackthorn—Keir’s fucking enforcer.” The name came out like a curse, each syllable dripping with venom and years of accumulated hatred.
“Are you sure?” Rocco asked quietly, but his body had gone perfectly still—the stillness of a predator recognizing a more dangerous apex creature in their midst.
“Well, who else would it be?” Enzo whispered, but it carried more menace than any shout. The controlled violence in his tone made my skin crawl with primitive fear.
I stepped back from him, my body recognizing danger even as my heart protested the distance. The movement felt like betrayal, but I couldn’t help it. This wasn’t the man I loved—this was the vampire enforcer in all his ruthless, dangerous glory. The transformation was complete and terrifying, turning him into someone thirsting for vengeance with single-minded intensity that excluded everything else, including me.
“I don’t know, you tell me.” Rocco leaned forward slightly, his royal breeding showing through despite his disheveled appearance. “You have many enemies right now, Enzo. Would Angelo have done this to set you up?”
