Page 15 of Blood Taken (Blood Mafia 2)
"Hey, Lacey. I need your help."
She pulls up the sleeve of her oversized shirt, covering her shoulder. She crosses her arms over her stomach. Her jet-black bangs are heavy against her forehead and she pushes her glasses up, wiggling her nose as Colt and Mateo come to stand behind me.
"Your company smells of desperation."
I look at Mateo, sayingsettle downwith my eyes. He prides himself on being hard to read, but the past month he's been an open book. Ever since Demi crashed into our lives. Lacey's poking at him to get a response. If they fight, we'll never get anything done.
"Leave him alone, Lace. This is serious."
She steps aside. "Well by all means, please come in. I do love vampire drama."
Mateo lets out a breath, enough of a reaction to tell me she's already annoying him. The two have never gotten along. Lacey's been with the Blood Mafia ever since I found her. When we need something witchy done, we come to her.
We're vampires, we can't hex or track people we've never met. Sometimes witches come in handy.
Colt and Mateo follow me to her sitting room. Two threadbare flowered couches sit facing each other and the three of us take the longer one while Lacey gingerly sits on the loveseat, trying and failing to hide a smirk. Mateo shifts forward, resting his elbows on his legs. I kick my ankle over my knee and place my arms on the back of the couch, forcing Colt and Mateo to give me more room since I'm in the middle.
"So, who's the girl?"
"Who says there's a girl?" Colt asks, his tone defensive.
She picks at imaginary lint on her black leggings. "We all know there's a girl, why don't we cut the crap and get to the point, hm?"
"We can't follow her scent or aura line. It's disappeared."
I let Mateo do the talking, he's best with being straightforward and he's the boss. Even though Lacey is technically indebted to me since I saved her, I still respect the hierarchy and give him lead.
"Did you bring me something of hers?"
"Of course we did," I say with a smile. "You know me well enough to know I always come prepared."
She sniffs, but her lips twitch. She puts on a tough front when others are around, but she enjoys my humor and thinks of me as a brother.
"Give it here," she demands, holding her palm out and making a hand-it-over motion.
"What's the magic word?" I ask, reaching for the small bag I carried in.
"Remind me why I help you?"
I laugh. "Because you love me and you want me to be happy?"
She shakes her head. "Grayson, you're full of yourself."
"She's not wrong," Colt deadpans, rolling his head in my direction.
"Fuck off," I say to him and hand the bag to Lacey.
Unzipping it, she shifts through the contents. A hairbrush, a shirt, the licorice, and the knife she used to stab Colt. She pauses on the last one, frowning at it and glancing at the vampire.
"You're sure you want to find her?"
Colt closes his eyes and clenches his jaw. "Yes."
Lacey's eyes light with interest, but she doesn't ask any more questions. "Okay, I can work with this. Will you make some tea while I work on the tracking spell?"
She's looking at me as though she thinks I know how to make tea. I raise both my hands in a shrug. "Vampire, remember?"
Mateo abruptly stands, startling the witch. She flinches slightly, but does her best to hide her reaction.
