Dark Side of the Moon (Dark-Hunter 9)

Ravyn shrugged. "It could be anything. My money says they've promised them eternal life."

"I don't think so. It's too easy. Think about it for a second. Someone fairly high up is helping them. Why? What could that person stand to gain by allowing Daimons to murder people in Seattle and take out the Dark-Hunters? The human would have to have a vested interest in this, and eternal life doesn't do it for me."

Ravyn grew silent. "You know, the Were-Hunters came into being for one simple reason. "

"And that is?"

"Roughly nine thousand years ago, an ancient Greek king married an Apollite without knowing it. When she died on her twenty-seventh birthday by slowing decaying, the king realized that his sons were going to meet the same fate as their mother. Horrified at the prospect, he immediately set out to magically splice animal strength with his sorcery to Apollites. His goal was to make Apollites live longer."

"And?"

"It worked. He created the Arcadian race, my race, who have human hearts, and the Katagaria race, our enemies, who have animal hearts."

Susan nodded as she remembered that from her reading.

His dark eyes bored into her. "Do you see what I'm saying. Lycaon did everything he could to protect his family. He even defied the Fates when they told him to kill all of the hybrids he'd made. To kill his own sons..."

Her jaw went slack as she finally caught his meaning. "One of the police has married an Apollite?"

"And what if that Apollite were to turn Daimon?"

Susan couldn't breathe as those words went through her like glass. It made complete sense.

An official who would have the ear of the media to help hunt them down. An official who could tamper with evidence and reassign investigators.

"It's either the police chief or the commissioner, isn't it?"

"That would be my bet."

She covered her mouth as her mind whirled. If they were wrong and she went after an innocent man, she'd never live this down. But if they were right...

"We need evidence. Hard, inarguable evidence."

Ravyn nodded. "And we need to cut off their human allies quickly."

Susan couldn't agree more.

"Yeah. It's going to be dangerous, but for now we have to get our hands on Jimmy's journal."

"What journal?"

She looked away as pain gripped her features. Clearing her throat, she met his gaze levelly, but he still saw the hurt she was trying so hard to hide. "My friend Jimmy, the investigator at the clinic, always kept a journal of his thoughts and what he did."

"Like a blog?"

"No, he was too private for that. This would probably be in his house somewhere. Either as a handwritten book or on his laptop. We need to search their house and find it."

Ravyn was skeptical. "Wouldn't the cops know about it?"

"I don't think so. Like I said, Jimmy was really private, especially around the guys he worked with. I don't think he'd have told them he kept a diary of all things."

She had a point. The gods knew he'd never admit to such a thing either. "But if they went to the trouble of killing him, wouldn't they have searched his place?"

"I'm willing to bet no. They think he's silenced and we're on the run. Searching his house might make someone suspicious."

Again, she had a good argument. But one thing, if the cops hadn't searched the house yet, they most likely would soon and whatever evidence or clues Jimmy might have left behind would be lost. So it was either get to it tonight or possibly lose it forever. "Okay, let's go. What time is it?"

She looked down at her watch. "Twelve thirty."

"Where does he live?"

"On Twenty-ninth Avenue West."

Good. Ravyn stretched before he sat up. "That gives us plenty of time to get there, search the place, and get back before dawn."

He noticed her hesitation as she sat on the mattress. "There's only one little problem with that. "

He sighed as he caught her meaning. "I know. They don't want to let me back in here once I leave. But that's okay. I have a secret weapon."

She arched a brow. "And that is?"

"You," he said, smiling. "It was impressive how you got past my father earlier. You really should be a lawyer."

She blushed at his compliment before she set the book aside.

He stood up and held his hand out to her. Taking it, she let him pull her to her feet, but the tug was so forceful that she stumbled into him.

Ravyn's breath left him at the full frontal contact. Every inch of her was pressed up against his body, making him instantly hard and aching for a taste of her. There, for a moment, it made him almost want to be mortal again. There was just something about her that captivated him. "Sorry," he said, his voice faint. "I sometimes forget how strong I am."

"No problem."

But there was a problem, he wanted to pull her even closer to him and taste those lips again. Get your bead in the game, boy.

Forcing himself to step back, he headed for the door and into the hallway. He led her upstairs toward the back of the club where his family should be away from human sight and hearing. From the sounds that echoed, it was obvious that at this time of night the club was hopping. The heavy, thumping beat radiated through his head, making it ache even more. But then he'd never been overly fond of this style of music anyway. He much preferred classic rock.

As they neared a partially opened door on their way out, he paused at the sound of his brothers' voices. And the more they spoke, the angrier he became.

"You know our laws, Dorian," Phoenix snarled. "He should be killed, now, while he's sleeping."

Dorian answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "The law of sanctuary-"

"Screw Savitar's laws. My mate and children are dead. The law of the jungle says-"

Ravyn pushed the door open. "The strongest survive. Always. And in my book, asshole, that's not you."