Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [852]
Even Andreas Reichen’s mate, Claire, who’d only recently recovered from her own ordeal at the hands of Dragos and his associates, was apparently getting involved in Order business. Using her gift for dreamwalking, she’d been trying to make contact with some of the known Breedmates who’d been reported missing over the years.
“You know,” Brock added wryly, “when Niko recruited me for this gig a year ago, I was expecting it to be just a great excuse to kick some Rogue ass.”
Kade grinned, recalling their initial patrols around Boston, which typically involved taking out the city’s feral blood addicts and making things go boom. “Kind of makes you miss the simplicity of the first few months on the job, doesn’t it?”
Brock grunted in agreement. Then, “Speaking of Rogues, how’s it going up there in the icebox? Been two days and counting. You got that situation swept up yet?”
“I’m following up on a few leads, but nothing solid right now. I’ll probably be here another few days, maybe a week.”
Brock’s exhaled curse told Kade what he thought of that prediction. “Better you than me, my man. Better you than me.” There was a pause before he asked, “You have a chance to see your family yet?”
“Yeah,” Kade said, tipping his head back to stare at the thick beam rafters of the cabin. “My arrival home went over about as well as I expected.”
“That good, huh?”
“Put it this way, I get a warmer reception stepping outside in the twenty-below darkness.”
“Harsh,” Brock said. “I’m sorry, man. Seriously.”
Kade shook his head. “Forget it. I don’t need to talk about my welcome homecoming. Just wanted to touch base and pass along another bit of info that Gideon might find interesting.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“I found the asshole who posted the video clip of the attacked humans. His name is Skeeter Arnold, local burnout, probable small-time dealer. I watched him leave a bar and take off in a shiny new chauffeured Hummer. He was brought to some kind of mining company office out in the sticks. The name on the gate was Coldstream Mining Company. Put Gideon on that when he gets a chance. I’m curious to know what kind of business this loser might have with them.”
“You got it,” Brock said. “You take care out there. Don’t freeze off anything you might need later.”
Kade chuckled despite the unease he felt just thinking about this whole assignment. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, and ended the call.
As he set the phone down on the lamp table beside him, a firm rap sounded on the cabin’s front door.
“Yeah, it’s open,” he said, expecting to see his father. He steeled himself for the disapproval that would follow. “Come on in.”
Maksim entered instead, sparking a relief Kade could hardly hide. He rose, smiling, and gestured for his uncle to join him in front of the fire.
“I didn’t think you’d come back,” Max said. “At least, not so soon. I hear it did not go well between you and my brother the other day. I wish he wasn’t so hard on you.”
Kade shrugged. “We’ve never seen eye to eye. I sure as hell don’t expect us to start now.”
“Now that you are one of the Order’s warriors,” Max said, his eyes lighting with eager conspiracy, his deep, slightly accented voice edged with unhidden admiration, “I am proud of you, nephew. Proud of the work you are doing. There is honor in it, just as there has always been honor in you.”
Kade wanted to dismiss the praise as unneeded, but hearing it—particularly from Max, who, although he was a couple centuries older than Kade, had always felt like a brother to him—felt too damn good to pretend it didn’t matter.
“Thanks, Max. It means a lot, coming from you.”
“No need to thank me. I speak the truth.” He stared at Kade for a long moment, then leaned forward, his elbows planted on his spread knees. “You’ve been gone a year. You must be doing important things for Lucan and his Order.”
Kade grinned, seeing Max’s angle from a mile away. Like him, Max craved adventure. Unlike him, Max had committed himself to serving as second banana to Kade’s father, the leader of the Fairbanks Darkhaven. Max’s loyalty had