Free Chasing Daybreak (Dark of Night Book 1) by Ranae Glass Page A

around the room. Most of the walls were lined with large, metal filing cabinets. In the back, a few crates were stacked up. I poked at the straw sticking out between the wooden slats and discovered the crates contained wine bottles. There were no windows. The only lights hung overhead in long, narrow tubes that produced a soft buzzing sound. Walking past the door, I craned my neck to get a peek inside. It was the size of a small closet with a simple wooden desk and black leather chair. On the desk sat a green lamp, an old rotary dial phone, and some sort of ledger lying open with a pen in the fold. I bit my lip, wishing I could get a peek at that book. There was no way the vamps weren’t involved in this somehow. Thankfully, Shane managed to leave the part about finding the vampire scent out of the conversation.
    After making my way around the room once, I returned to stand beside Shane. Xavier grabbed another folder—apparently, the one he’d been looking for—tucked it under his arm, and slid the drawer closed.
    “And you believe we had something to do with this woman going missing?” Xavier asked, this time looking at me.
    I took a breath. “This is the last place we tracked her to. It stands to reason that something of a paranormal nature happened. Soccer moms don’t just vanish without a trace.” Unless vampires are involved , I added silently.
    “Her name was Lisa Welch, you say?” He turned back to the file cabinets.
    “Yes.”
    Xavier opened a drawer and retrieved another file before slamming it closed and motioning with both hands for us to go upstairs. He followed, turning off the lights as we reached the top step.
    Catherine sat on a stool behind the register, reading a soap opera magazine. Xavier waved to her.
    “Thank you, Catherine.”
    She saluted sarcastically and went back to reading.
    When we reached the front door, Xavier pressed the second file into my hands. Our fingers touched for only a moment, but the connection was electric, giving us both pause, if only for a heartbeat.
    “This may be of some help. I want to assure you, none of my people would have done this thing.” His expression was serious—if reserved. He turned to Shane. “Shane, I look forward to your introduction next week. Until then.”
    He nodded curtly, and then he crossed the street to a sleek, black limo waiting at the curb. As soon as it sped off, I opened the folder.
    “What does it say?” Shane asked.
    I shook my head, unable to process what I saw. “You aren’t going to believe this.”

 

     
    Lisa Welch was a hooker? I’m just not sure I can wrap my head around that.”
    Shane propped his feet on the coffee table as I brought out a hot cup of coffee for me and a warm cup of blood for him.
    Taking his with one hand, he grumbled, “A paper cup?”
    I’d picked up some disposable travel cups at the store, the kind with lids. That way, I at least wouldn’t have to watch him drink it. Plus, blood stained white coffee mugs. I’d thrown away four of my favorites before I laid down the law about cup segregation. Unfortunately, I’d discovered that segregation wasn’t enough.
    “Yeah, you get blood moustaches when you drink out of the big mugs. If you’d prefer, I could pick up a box of bendy straws.”
    He snorted and took a sip. “No thanks. This is fine.”
    I took the file back from his lap. According to what we’d read, Lisa Welch was an escort, although what that meant in the vampire world, neither Shane nor I knew. The file also indicated that her husband was in serious debt to a bookie associated with the Conclave, but there were no details on that.
    My father had suspected for a long time that the Vampire Council had their fingers in a bit of everything from law enforcement all the way to the highest branches of government. They ran their organization like the Mafia.
    The head of the Council was Sekhmet, the oldest known vampire in existence. She and her two advisors, Nichols Von Wielder and