Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [242]
“Absolutely not.”
Chase hadn’t meant to cut her off so abruptly, but the idea of Elise leaving the sanctuary of the Darkhaven during daytime hours to venture into the worst parts of the city made his blood run cold. She would be beyond the protection of himself or any other members of the Breed so long as the sun was out, and while the Rogues would be no danger then for the very same reason, there was always the risk of running into their Minions.
“I’m sorry, but it’s out of the question.”
Her eyes widened momentarily in surprise. Then she quickly glanced down, giving him a polite nod, but he could see that she bristled beneath the veneer of her propriety. As her closest kin, even by marriage, Breed law gave Chase the right to impose a daytime curfew on her—an antiquated measure that had been in existence from the origination of the Darkhavens nearly a thousand years ago. Chase had never imposed it, and while he felt like an ass for doing so now, he could not allow her to risk her life while he stood by and watched.
“Do you think my brother would approve of what you want to do?” Chase asked, knowing that Quentin never would agree to such an idea, not even in an effort to save his own son. “You can help Camden the most by staying here, where I know you are safe.”
Elise lifted her head, those pale purple eyes flashing with the spark of a determination he’d never seen in them before. “Camden is not the only child missing. Can you save them all, Sterling? Can the warriors of the Order save them all?” She let out a small sigh. “Nobody saved Jonas Redmond. He’s dead, did you know that? His mother senses that he’s gone. More of our sons are disappearing, dying every night, yet we are supposed to do nothing but sit here and wait for bad news?”
Chase felt his jaw go rigid. “I have to go now, Elise. You have my answer on this subject. I’m sorry.”
He brushed past her, shrugging into his coat as he headed out. He knew she followed; her white skirts rustled softly behind him with each quick step she took. But Chase kept going. He grabbed his keys out of his pocket and threw open the main door of the Darkhaven building, clicking the remote lock of his silver Lexus SUV in the driveway outside. The vehicle chirped, lights flashing in response, but Chase wouldn’t be going anywhere fast.
Blocking the drive was a black Range Rover, its engine idling in the dark. The windows were tinted beyond legal opacity, but Chase didn’t need to see through them to know who was inside. He could feel Dante’s rage pouring through the steel and glass, rolling toward him like a frost heave.
The warrior wasn’t alone. He and his companion, the stone-cold one called Tegan, got out of the vehicle and strolled around to the lawn. Their faces were deadly calm, but the menace radiating off both huge males was unmistakable.
Chase heard Elise’s gasp behind him. “Sterling—”
“Get back inside,” he told her, keeping his eyes locked on the two warriors. “Now, Elise. Everything’s all right.”
“What’s going on, Sterling? Why are they here?”
“Just do as I say, damn it! Go back in the house. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Harvard.” Dante prowled toward him, those wicked, arced blades at his hip glinting in the moonlight with every long stride of the warrior’s legs. “I’d say things are about as fucked up as they could be right about now. Thanks to you, that is. You get lost last night or something? Maybe you just misunderstood what I told you to do with that drug-dealing scum—that it? I told you to haul his ass in to the compound, but you thought I said let the bastard walk?”
“No. There was no misunderstanding.”
“What am I missing here, Harvard?” Dante drew one