Charlotte stared straight at the vigilante and studied the man carefully before following Sera out back to the center of the dome-like base area where they took a seat at the circle table that was located in the middle point where above hung a glass tiered chandelier that sparkled brightly.
She took a seat with Vincent sitting down to her right side, flipping through the documents that Sera gave him earlier. Charlotte leaned over to the side to read over his shoulder, scanning the words quickly but not quite comprehending them.
"Why did you need the documents?" Charlotte asked.
"Stone had requested them this morning."
Charlotte nodded. "Is he your superior?"
"Yes. I work under him."
From hearing Stone during Vincent's phone calls, he seemed to be a person who got angry quickly and was sharp with his conclusions. He and Vincent didn't seem to be close at all but maintained a somewhat cordial relationship.
Darion pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. "Does the council know that you're bringing Charlotte around with you?"
Vincent lifted his gaze. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"You should be careful in case they start to take interest in her."
Vincent flipped the document pages back to the cover. "I'll see to it when it comes to that point."
Sera shook her head. "Most contractors don't follow their partners around. It isn't safe for her to be with you."
Charlotte pressed her lips together. "I was the one who wanted to go with Vincent, and it isn't safe for me to be alone either. I was at home until some vigilantes showed up at my door and blew up my house looking for Vincent."
"What?" Darion frowned. "It isn't usual for the vigilantes to make such a risky move."
"What did you do, Vincent?" Sera asked.
Vincent lifted his eyes. "I killed one of their leaders."
"But how does Charlotte tie into everything?" Darion pondered.
Charlotte glanced at Vincent, wondering if he wanted her to give all the details, and he gave her a sharp nod. "The first day I met Vincent was when he killed a feral vampire who murdered a woman."
Vincent sighed. "The feral vampire actually murdered more than five people that night. Charlotte was going to be his next one if I didn't get there in time."
A chill ran down her spine as she took in Vincent's words. It was true. If Vincent wasn't there to intervene then everything would have been different.
She knew that the vampire was dangerous after killing the young woman, but she didn't know that he killed more than five.
It was worrying, and she slid a look over at Vincent who kept the information away from her for that reason.
"Feral vampires aren't common right?" Charlotte asked.
"It happens when a vampire loses control over their urges, but it mostly happens when they can't control their bloodlust," Sera answered.
Vincent's phone went off, the ringtone playing loudly, and it was a strong beat of a melody that didn't match him at all which Charlotte found funny. He stood up and strode over to a corner, sliding his phone out of his pocket and pressing the device to his ear.
"Covington."
There was a pause, and Charlotte watched as his jaw worked.
"Alright. I'll be there."
He hung up, and Charlotte pushed back from the table, as she got to her feet. She couldn't tell if it was good news or bad news, but it didn't seem to be Stone who called. Vincent walked back over.
"Who was that?" Charlotte asked.
"The DNA reading is out. We should go see the results in person."
"Of course."
Vincent tilted his chin down at Sera and Darion in goodbye. "It's time for us to head out,"
Sera nodded. "Farewell."
Charlotte waved at them. "Thank you for having us."
Darion inclined his head while Sera waved her fingers. She trailed after Vincent out after bowing once more, reversing their steps back to where they came from.
He pushed open the doors and went over to the thick metal door that greeted them when they first went down the steps. Vincent pressed his fingertip to the scanner before the light turned green, popping the lock.
He quickly took the stairs, and Charlotte raced after him, to the car. She slammed the car door shut and buckled in. Vincent glanced back out the rearview mirror as he backed out and slammed on the gas, making Charlotte lurch forward.
"What is the rush?" Charlotte wheezed.
"It's not good," Vincent muttered. "The DNA results from the blood vials are from the vampires that were locked up there. There were no traces of the vigilantes themselves."
Charlotte tilted her head. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know. We need to head over to the facility as soon as possible."
Charlotte squeezed her knee as she glanced out the window. It was a cat-and-mouse chase that depended largely on endurance. It was only a matter of time before one gave in first. Charlotte just had to ensure that it wasn't her side.