Kitty and the Silver Bullet (Kitty Norville 4)

This felt like a trap. I could see it. We were supposed to draw Arturo out, not race into the heart of his territory. “You can’t take his stronghold. He’ll have people protecting it—”

“It’s his stronghold, which means he’ll have to come back. I’ll wait for him, then take him.”

“But Rick, where is he? Where’d he go?”

“I was hoping one of your people had spotted him.”

“I haven’t heard anything.” I gripped the phone and gritted my teeth. My spike in anxiety seemed to be making up for his calm. “This could be a trap. He leaves, makes it real obvious so you know about it, and

as soon as you show up he busts your ass.”

“That’s why I’d like you and Ben to come help me. And any of the other werewolves you can call on.”

My first impulse was to yell at him. Did he think we were his lackeys? Did he expect to be able to call on us the way Arturo called on Carl? But that had been the arrangement—an alliance to help each other. My getting cold feet didn’t change that.

“What about Carl and Meg? Where are they?” I said.

“Again, I was hoping you’d have heard something.”

“Geez, Rick, what do you expect me to be able to do? I can’t battle a lair full of vampires. I can’t ask anyone else to do that.”

Ben had emerged and was leaning on the wall by the sofa, watching me, brow raised in a question. I found I couldn’t look at him. But I could feel him, smell his presence washing over me.

The flavor of Rick’s calm changed, taking on an edge—tension, held tightly in check. “You can’t quit now, Kitty. You’re way beyond being able to back out of this. I’m moving on Obsidian, and you’ll help me because you can’t let Arturo win this.”

He was right. I’d set this series of events in motion. Backing out now would mean losing. This wasn’t a game where I could pick up my pieces and go home. But I still didn’t like it. “Have you given any more thought about who your spy is?”

“I’m not convinced there is one. I think Arturo had one of us followed and got lucky with the warehouse. Listen to me. We trap Arturo—I only need to get him alone for a few minutes, and I need you to watch my back. Dack, Violet, and Charlie are already here. When Arturo’s gone, he won’t be able to help Carl and Meg. Then we can take them out.”

“Or we can take them out first—they’re scared, we riled them up.”

“You’ve seen them, then? You’ve confronted them?”

I hesitated. “Yes.”

“And they’re still alive?”

“The cops were there, there were too many people, I couldn’t just—”

“But you see, Kitty: I can. You’ve taken us this far. Let me carry us the rest of the way.”

I covered the phone and stared at the ceiling. Point of no return. I’d sped by it without even noticing.

Ben went to the door and picked up my backpack. He stayed there, waiting. He had a trunk full of gear that said we could do this. Damn Cormac and his armory.

I turned back to the phone. “When should we be there?”

“Now.”

I hissed out a breath. “Okay. Fine. We’re on the way. I’m going to make some calls. You’d better keep your phone handy in case I find out this is all some horrible trick.”

“Will do. Park a block south of the building and I’ll meet you.”

I shoved the phone in my pocket. When I reached the door, Ben handed me my bag.

“We’re going to Obsidian?” he said.

“Yeah.”