Page 12 of Let Sleeping Vampires Lie

Con’s jaw flexed. “I hope he’s wrong.”

“So do I,” I said, though the words felt thin. “But Dimitri wouldn’t look that pleased unless he believed every word.”

“He wouldn’t be that happy unless it were true,” Con finished.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, tension pressing behind my eyes. “If Marcus is involved in any of this, Raven will insist on going to Club Spice herself.”

Con nodded, voice dropping into a resigned tone. “She absolutely will.”

“And Rene is already weakened,” I said. “The last thing we need is Raven in the middle of a volatile situation.”

“Which means we go tell her now,” Con replied. “Before she hears it another way.”

I exhaled slowly, bracing myself. “I hate this. I hate every part of this conversation.”

He held my gaze for a moment. “But you’re the one she’ll trust to tell her.”

I wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

We climbed the stairs, the weight of the information growing heavier with each step. The mansion’s atmosphere was still tense, but quieter—like the eye of a storm gathering strength.

When we reached Raven and Rene’s suite at the top floor, the hallway lights glowed softly, illuminating the ornate door. Magic lingered in the air, a comforting signature that belonged only to Raven.

Con lifted his hand to knock, then paused, glancing at me for confirmation.

I nodded, though my stomach tightened.

He tapped on the door.

Inside, footsteps approached.

And all I could think was how much I wished we weren’t about to break Raven’s heart.

CHAPTER 3

The drive to Club Spice felt longer than usual, even with the city lights sliding past the windows in quick, fractured streaks. Raven sat in the back seat beside me, her hands clenched together so tightly her knuckles were pale. She tried to look calm. She failed.

Con drove in tense silence, eyes fixed on the road, jaw set hard enough to crack stone.

Raven hadn’t believed us at first. She refused to. I understood why. Marcus had always been polite, stable, attentive with Isra. Not flashy, not dramatic, just… safe.

But once our magical tether flared, once Raven felt the truth twisting like a blade inside me, her doubt crumbled.

Now she sat with her shoulders curled inward, barely breathing.

The bond between us pulsed with her fear, her frustration, her desperate hope that Dimitri was lying. A pressure built in my chest as her emotions bled into mine, not overwhelming but insistent. Like a heartbeat that wasn’t mine.

I placed a hand on hers.

“We’ll figure it out,” I said softly.

Her sad violet eyes lifted to me. In them I saw everything she wasn’t saying—panic, disbelief, a growing dread she didn’t want to name.

“Isra hasn’t loved anyone like this since… well, me,” she whispered. “I really hope Dimitri is playing us.”

“Me too,” I answered.

But neither of us believed it.