"Gin? Gin, what are you doing?" Eva called out behind me.
I ignored her and walked on through the house with all of its comfortable furnishings in their muted colors and the elaborate iron sculptures standing in various nooks and crannies. My boots smacked out a loud pattern, while softer slippers scurried on the wooden floor behind me, as Eva hurried to catch up.
"Gin, what's wrong?" she asked.
I didn't respond. I hurried past the downstairs living room where Eva and Violet had been watching a movie last night. Had it only been last night? Seemed like a lifetime ago.
To my surprise, Violet Fox poked her head out of the living room, clutching a tub of popcorn in her hands. She and Eva must have been having another girls' night in. Violet's dark eyes widened behind her glasses when she saw me, and she started following me down the hallway, just like Eva was.
After about a minute of brisk walking, I came to the door that marked the entrance to Owen Grayson's study. I rattled the knob. Locked. I turned to face Eva.
"Do you have a key for this?" I barked.
Eva started at my harsh tone. "Yeah, somewhere up in my room-"
No time for that. I reached for my Ice magic, and the familiar silver light flashed on the spider rune scar on my palm. Eva let out a small, surprised gasp at my display of elemental power. Violet just stood behind her, watching me.
A few seconds later, I let go of my magic and went to work with the two Ice picks that I'd created. It took me less than a minute to open the office door. I snapped on a light and walked over to the rows of silverstone weapons hanging on the wall. Eva and Violet followed me inside.
"Owen's not here," Eva said in a desperate voice. "I don't know what you want or what you're doing, Gin, but if you'll just wait for him, he'll be back any minute."
"Sorry," I replied, scanning the weapons for what I needed. "No time to wait."
There. Those would do nicely. I plucked the matching set of long swords that I'd noticed last night from their spots on the wall. I hefted the silverstone swords in my hands, checking their weight and balance. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Owen Grayson truly was a master craftsman. And I was going to put his weapons to good use tonight.
A black leather scabbard with two slots in it hung next to the swords, and I grabbed it as well. I turned and was headed toward the office door when Eva stepped in front of me.
"Oh no," she said. "Owen's absolutely insane about his weapons. He never lets anyone take them out of the office, not even me."
I tried to go around her, but Eva sidestepped in front of me again. She was persistent, if nothing else. Just like her big brother was.
"I don't have time to argue with you, Eva," I snapped. "Get out of my way. Right now."
Her blue eyes narrowed at my sharp tone. "Or what? You'll stab me with one of those swords? I don't think so."
"No," I said. "But I'll shove you out of the way. How about that?"
Eva's face paled at my threat, but she held her ground. Brave, but stupid. Reminded me of Bria. I didn't want to hurt Eva, but I would if it meant I'd get to Roslyn Phillips in time to save the vampire.
Violet Fox stepped up beside her friend and regarded me with her dark eyes.
"You're going after someone," Violet said in a quiet tone.
I let out an angry breath. "Yes."
She nodded. "All right then. That's all I need to know." Violet put her hand on Eva's arm and drew her friend to one side. "Let her go, Eva. Just let her go."
"But Owen-the weapons-" Eva sputtered.
"I don't think he'll mind since Gin's the one taking them. Even if he does, well, I doubt he will for long. Isn't that right, Gin?" Violet gave me a crooked smile.
I found myself smiling back. "That's right, Violet. Thank you."
Eva looked at her best friend, then at me. Violet slowly pulled the other girl to one side. Eva had a decidedly dazed expression on her lovely face, but I knew Violet would fill her in on what she needed to know. I nodded at Violet and walked past them, out of the office, and back down the long hallway. The girls followed me, but neither one said anything, and Eva didn't try to stop me again.
I reached the front door, which was still open. Outside, my car beckoned, a silver beacon telling me to get on with things. But I found myself pausing, turning around, and staring at Eva. "If I don't come back, tell your brother, tell Owen..."
I struggled to find the right words. Spouting mushy sentiment on command had never been one of my skills. Besides, I wasn't even sure what I felt for Owen Grayson, other than a prurient desire to feel his naked body pressed against my own.
"Tell him what?" Eva asked.
A grim smile tightened my face. "Tell Owen that he's a hell of a kisser."
With those words, I stepped outside and shut the door behind me.
Thirty minutes later, I turned off my Benz and clicked on a small flashlight that I kept in the glove compartment. Using the information in Finn's file, I'd driven up into the most rugged section of the Appalachian Mountains that cut through Ashland, way up north, well above the genteel confines and estates of Northtown. Technically, I was still in the city, but there were more mountains up here than people.
I'd parked the car to one side of a small gas station that lay at the foot of this particular ridge. My Benz hid between a rusted-out pickup truck that might have had green paint at one time and a white Dodge van propped up on cement blocks, its tires long since rotted away to bare rims. It was only seven thirty, but the station had already closed for the evening, probably due to the cold and hard bits of snow that continued to coast around on the night wind. The old, clapboard station reminded me of Warren T. Fox's store, Country Daze, which wasn't too far from here.
I played my flashlight over the maps that Finn had compiled for me. Finnegan Lane might be a designer-suit-wearing, caffeine-addicted womanizer of the highest degree, but when he dug into someone, he got every single bit of dirt there was on them. Which is why the folder of information on Elliot Slater contained not only glossy magazine spreads of his mountain retreat but more useful topographical maps as well, along with the blueprints to Valhalla itself.
I sat in the car, feeling the cold creep in through the doors and windows, and studied the maps, searching for the best way to slip into the mansion. First, though, I'd have to hike up the mountain. Only one road curved up the rugged hillside, and whatever guards Slater had posted would be able to see the headlights from any car a half mile from the mansion-something I couldn't afford to have happen. Like so many of my other jobs over the years, the element of surprise was the key to my success, more so tonight than ever before, since the giant was holding Roslyn Phillips hostage and was doing or had already done who knew what to her.