Page 88 of An Oath at Midnight

His body jerked.

“He’s still alive,” Bram bit out, yanked out his phone, and quickly called for an ambulance. “We need to leave, now,” he said when he disconnected. “It’s only a couple minutes away.”

A door slammed somewhere in the building. I took off, sprinting in the direction of that sound, Bram right behind me.

We’d interrupted the killer.

I ran down the hall, bursting into the main room and sprinting for the exit. The door flew open before I could reach it, and I slammed on the brakes as a tall male in a dark suit filled the doorway, blocking my way.

Demon, or at least half. I sensed it instantly.

He scowled down at us. “What the fuck are you doing in my club?”

That’s when I recognized him. “Brent? I mean…Mr. Silva.”

His scowl deepened, and I had to stop myself from shrinking under his hard stare. Brent Silva was a powerful sex demon. I’d only met him a couple of times, when I was with Willow, but it was a long time ago. I knew he owned several clubs, I just didn’t realize what type of clubs they were.

“Did you see anyone when you came in, did you pass anyone?”

“Answer me,” he demanded.

Bram stiffened and took a step forward, and I grabbed his hand, doing my best to hold him back. “I don’t know if you remember me? We’ve met a couple of times. My name’s Magnolia. I’m Willow Thornheart’s sister,” I rushed out. “Did you see anyone?”

Recognition filled his gaze and some of the fury dissipated. “No, I didn’t see anyone. Now how about you explain why you broke into my club?”

“It’s a long story…” Sirens wailed, they were close. Too damn close. “Look, I don’t have time to explain. Someone tried to kill a guy in one of your private rooms. His pulse is weak, but he’s still breathing. The ambulance is almost here and it’d be a lot better for us, and for Willow, if no one knew we’d been here.”

His dark eyes burned into me. “Did you do it?”

“No.”

“I’m gonna need an explanation.”

“And I’ll give you one, but the witches council can’t know I was here.”

Someone banged on the main door. We were trapped.

Brent’s gaze slid to Bram and back to me, his jaw like granite. He pulled something from his pocket, keys, and tossed them to me. “Behind the bar, up the stairs. Wait up there.”

I nodded, and Bram and I ran across the room, in behind the bar and out the back. There was a door on the left. We rushed through, and up a set of stars. I unlocked the door at the top and we shut ourselves in.

It was a small apartment. It didn’t look like anyone used it, just the bare minimum of furniture. I strode to the window and peered around the edge of the curtain.

Witches, shifters, others, we had our own ambulance and hospital, and when the medics down there realized Golden was a witch, they’d contact the council. If they knew I was connected with the crime scene in any way, well, it wouldn’t be good for me or Willow.

I turned back to Bram. “If we hadn’t gotten there when we did, Chase would be dead now.” My hands balled into fists. “They were here. Whoever’s behind all of this, they were right fucking there, and I let them get away.”

“We had no idea what we were walking into. Chase is alive. He might know something. I fucking hope so, because whoever did that, they need to be put the fuck down.”

He wasn’t wrong. Whoever hurt Chase and tortured and killed the others was a twisted monster.

The kind only death could stop.

* * *

The council descended on the club like I knew they would. Hours passed and somehow, while we waited, I fell asleep.

The phone in the apartment rang, startling me awake. I lifted my head from Bram’s chest. The room was dark. I had no idea how long we’d been up here, but it was late, the moon high in the sky.