He felt the tension build in her body before it released and she took her face out of his skin and rested her cheek on it.

She got a lock on it.

“Sleep,” he urged.

“Okay, baby. ’Night.”

“’Night, bao bei.”

It took her time, but she found it.

Abel didn’t.

Then again, she hadn’t seen the videos.

He had.

They played in his head and he let them. Used them as kindle to feed the flame in his gut. A flame that had been burning hot with desire to see to it that Delilah was safe, to make certain they had a life together. But now that flame also burned to wreak vengeance for Leah’s people.

He was no nearer to falling asleep when he heard the muffled tone of his phone ringing in his jeans’ pocket.

Carefully extricating himself from Delilah, he left their bed, grabbed his phone, and, when he saw who was calling, engaged it and put it to his ear.

“Yeah?”

“Miko was assassinated tonight,” Callum shared.

Abel sucked in breath.

“They knew he was taken,” Callum continued. “They found all the cameras but one. We didn’t have eyes, but we did have ears. Your control held—he told them nothing about what he gave up at the compound—but they knew we’d had him, took him to the compound, and then turned him loose. After they took his head, they talked about autopsying him. They think we have a drug.”

“Patricio?” Abel asked.

“His name was mentioned. They’re gonna demand a meet.”

“How’d they know he’d been taken?”

“Got him chipped. They knew he was at the compound and how long. From what Ryon heard, they have them all chipped, including Patricio, so in case they get caught, they know where to send a rescue team, or an assassination squad.” Callum’s voice turned into a disgusted mutter. “Chipping vampires. Unbelievable. We wouldn’t even think to expect something that vile.”

Fuck.

“You got any good news for me?” Abel requested.

“Miko gave us twenty-seven names. So far, fifteen concubines have been successfully extracted. One of them is Leah’s cousin, Natalie.”

“Thank fuck,” he muttered.

“Yes,” Callum agreed.

“Maybe now I can get some sleep,”

“Yes,” Callum repeated. “Do it well.”

“Back at you.”

They disconnected and Abel put his phone on the nightstand before again joining Delilah in bed.

Then, finally, he slept.

He just didn’t do it well.

* * * * *

Abel’s phone sounded with a text the next morning as he and Delilah were walking down the hall toward Lucien and Leah’s room. She wanted to check on her friend. He wanted to let her do that and then find Gregor.

He felt her gaze as he dug his phone out and looked at the screen.

You’re needed in the library.

Gregor.

“I can get there myself,” Delilah told him, and he knew she’d read the text.