Page 14 of Lady of Darkness
Alaric: Why?
Me: Because I think he’s going after my best friend, Gemma.
Theo: Luka Jovovic. 24. Confirmed member of Acadia.
My heart beats wildly against my ribs.That was fast,but of course, Theo has the world at his fingertips.
Me: He’s in New York with Gemma. I think he was looking for me. She met him taking pictures outside of her building.
Theo: One sec. Let me search his travel history. He’s on my suspect list for Brenda’s murder. He’d been in London that same day.
I swallow.
God, what the hell have I gotten myself into?
It was one thing to sacrifice myself–to subject myself to this life. But Gemma? She’s innocent, and her parents are almost never around. She’s young and vulnerable, and I hate myself for putting her in danger.
Gideon: The timing would match up.
Theo: Yup. Confirmed. He caught an evening flight from London to NYC the same day we found Brenda’s body. Which means he was in NYC the next day.
Me: That’s the day you boxed up my stuff, and the day he met Gemma.
Me: Oh God. We have to keep her safe. What if they kill her?!
Sterling: Relax, Harlow. We’ll take care of it.
Me: Just keep her safe. Please.
Theo: I’ll keep a close eye on him. Four of my guys are on their way to Gemma’s flat. In disguise, of course.
Alaric: We’ll keep her safe, little monster.
Me: Thank you.
I set my phone down and look around the rose garden. They’ll protect her. They’ll keep her safe. Everything is going to be okay. If there’s one thing I know is true, it’s that they are powerful, and they can call on hundreds–or thousands–of people to do their bidding.
Please, let Gemma be safe.
Standing up, I look up at Blackwell House, ornate and grand against the deep blue sky. I love how late it stays light here in the summer–as a kid, it meant I could play outside longer. Stretching my legs, I begin the short walk back to the house when a man appears from behind one of the rose hedges.
Panic fills me as he saunters closer, an overcoat flowing behind him. His dark hair is coiffed perfectly–longer on top, shaved on the sides. He has golden skin and black eyes. He’s frowning, and he’s also huge. I stiffen, trying to remember what the guys taught me about self-defense. But before I can even process what’s happening, another man appears to my right, also wearing a dark overcoat.
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice higher than I intended. I hold my fists up.
The first man chuckles. “Ah, I figured you’d already guessed. After all, weren’t you just talking about me?”
Luka.
I open my mouth to scream, but the second guy wraps an arm around me and presses a cloth to my mouth. I inhale once, smelling something ether-like and sweet, before everything goes black.
CHAPTERFIVE
Sterling
I set my phone down,rubbing my eyes and turning to face the guys. We’ve been at the office since Harlow’s frantic texts about an hour ago, working on locating Luka Jovovic. His trail went dark earlier today, likely as a precaution. He’s well-connected. There’s a good chance he knows, or at least suspects, we are keeping tabs on him. Still, I don’t like not knowing where he is, especially with Harlow’s friend so vulnerable. Our guys just arrived at her flat, and they’ve confirmed she’s safe and sound. I open up the security app to check on Harlow, but I don’t see her anywhere.
“Is she still in the rose garden?” I ask, squinting at the back camera. The video feed cuts off near the brass gate, and we saw her go in, but she never came out.
