excellent.” Luca strode past the other man, toward their interrogation rooms. He didn’t get far before he found Peyton and Jack standing outside one of the rooms, each with carefully blank expressions. The door was wide open, and even a human would be able to hear Robert Hammond arguing with his lawyer from this distance. The cool politician wasn’t quite as cool as usual. Just the way Luca had hoped this would go.
Jack nodded to him while Peyton continued to stare in silence. No doubt Hammond had been a complete dick to them. But Luca had hoped for that too. He’d owe his agents a round of beer tonight to make up for this. Stepping just inside the room, he felt spells close in around him. Interrogation rooms were warded against magic of any kind to protect agents from being attacked by suspects and to protect witnesses from magical coercion by agents. Being stripped of all his extrasensory abilities always took a moment of adjustment. It made many Magickals uncomfortable and twitchy, which he’d used to his advantage more than once.
He took the opportunity to watch Hammond and his lawyer standing on the far side of the table. The lawyer was clearly trying to placate his client, but it wasn’t working. Luca addressed Robert, cutting off a tirade about his inadequate treatment.
“What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?” Keeping his focus pinned on Hammond, he offered his most patronizing grin.
“Nothing, Agent Cavalli,” the lawyer hastened to assure him. “We’re just waiting for your people to finish up with Mrs. Hammond.”
Robert growled low in his throat and spat, “You send two animals to interview me? A mangy dog and a weak little sheep.” He nodded to Jack. “Or was he sent along as a snack?”
Luca gave his Normal agent an assessing glance. “He does look like a tasty morsel, doesn’t he?”
Jack straightened to alertness, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two vampires.
“Poor thing, looks so worried.” Robert’s smile was vicious. His lawyer shifted uneasily.
Luca snorted, stepping forward to sit in one of the chairs his men had abandoned. They’d left a few files on the table, no doubt related to the evidence they’d gathered on this case. He waved Robert and his legal counsel back into their seats. “It may be awhile. Delta is a bit chatty when she’d questioning someone. You might as well get comfortable.”
The corners of Hammond’s mouth twitched. “I’ve met her before. She’s certainly a well-endowed vampire. Excellent…teeth.”
Meaning she was stacked like a brick house. Luca flicked away his annoyance at that disrespect to one of his agents. A low snarl told him Peyton had heard and wasn’t as interested in letting it slide. Hammond had to have really pissed the wolf off for anything to get to him.
Giving an imperious wave—a ruler to his loyal peasant—Luca dismissed his men. “Leave us be. Come get us when Agent Dubois is done speaking to Cecily.”
“Yes, sir.” Jack’s voice remained neutral. He shut the door behind him while Hammond smacked his lips together as if the Normal was the most delicious treat he’d ever seen.
Luca would bet every penny of his paycheck that within thirty seconds Peyton, Jack and probably Merek all had their noses pressed to the other side of the one-way observation window into this room.
“So you live feed?” Luca arched his eyebrows as if surprised.
“Many vampires do.” Robert rolled his shoulders. “Among family, at least. Reinforces the blood bonds between us. You know that.”
“Hmm.”
“You can’t tell me the Cavallis don’t.” The man’s smile turned sly. “My mother would claim otherwise.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard. We’re practically brothers, or so my dad says.” Luca let the corners of his eyes crinkle, not quite grinning. He shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day Father found someone else. It was hard on him—on the whole family—when Mom passed.”
Hammond waved an
Jack nodded to him while Peyton continued to stare in silence. No doubt Hammond had been a complete dick to them. But Luca had hoped for that too. He’d owe his agents a round of beer tonight to make up for this. Stepping just inside the room, he felt spells close in around him. Interrogation rooms were warded against magic of any kind to protect agents from being attacked by suspects and to protect witnesses from magical coercion by agents. Being stripped of all his extrasensory abilities always took a moment of adjustment. It made many Magickals uncomfortable and twitchy, which he’d used to his advantage more than once.
He took the opportunity to watch Hammond and his lawyer standing on the far side of the table. The lawyer was clearly trying to placate his client, but it wasn’t working. Luca addressed Robert, cutting off a tirade about his inadequate treatment.
“What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?” Keeping his focus pinned on Hammond, he offered his most patronizing grin.
“Nothing, Agent Cavalli,” the lawyer hastened to assure him. “We’re just waiting for your people to finish up with Mrs. Hammond.”
Robert growled low in his throat and spat, “You send two animals to interview me? A mangy dog and a weak little sheep.” He nodded to Jack. “Or was he sent along as a snack?”
Luca gave his Normal agent an assessing glance. “He does look like a tasty morsel, doesn’t he?”
Jack straightened to alertness, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two vampires.
“Poor thing, looks so worried.” Robert’s smile was vicious. His lawyer shifted uneasily.
Luca snorted, stepping forward to sit in one of the chairs his men had abandoned. They’d left a few files on the table, no doubt related to the evidence they’d gathered on this case. He waved Robert and his legal counsel back into their seats. “It may be awhile. Delta is a bit chatty when she’d questioning someone. You might as well get comfortable.”
The corners of Hammond’s mouth twitched. “I’ve met her before. She’s certainly a well-endowed vampire. Excellent…teeth.”
Meaning she was stacked like a brick house. Luca flicked away his annoyance at that disrespect to one of his agents. A low snarl told him Peyton had heard and wasn’t as interested in letting it slide. Hammond had to have really pissed the wolf off for anything to get to him.
Giving an imperious wave—a ruler to his loyal peasant—Luca dismissed his men. “Leave us be. Come get us when Agent Dubois is done speaking to Cecily.”
“Yes, sir.” Jack’s voice remained neutral. He shut the door behind him while Hammond smacked his lips together as if the Normal was the most delicious treat he’d ever seen.
Luca would bet every penny of his paycheck that within thirty seconds Peyton, Jack and probably Merek all had their noses pressed to the other side of the one-way observation window into this room.
“So you live feed?” Luca arched his eyebrows as if surprised.
“Many vampires do.” Robert rolled his shoulders. “Among family, at least. Reinforces the blood bonds between us. You know that.”
“Hmm.”
“You can’t tell me the Cavallis don’t.” The man’s smile turned sly. “My mother would claim otherwise.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard. We’re practically brothers, or so my dad says.” Luca let the corners of his eyes crinkle, not quite grinning. He shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day Father found someone else. It was hard on him—on the whole family—when Mom passed.”
Hammond waved an
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