Penance

Chapter 4

Chapter Three

Duncan

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Duncan surveyed Victor’s property before approaching the cabin, and it appeared relatively quiet. He flew to Nikki’s balcony and snuck inside.

As he sniffed the air, he could tell right away that the cabin was empty of lycan. Relaxing, he slipped into the hallway and made his way to Anne’s old room. When he opened the door, he found her king-sized bed stripped bare, and the walk-in closet empty. Next, he checked the rest of the cabin, which also showed signs that the place was being abandoned – the furniture was covered with sheets, the electricity had been shut off, and the refrigerator was empty. He opened up the cupboards, which were also bare.

Not even dog food, he thought wryly. Yep, Victor has definitely ditched this place.

Chuckling to himself, he searched through several drawers in search of forgotten or discarded mail, but found nothing. Everything, but the furniture and kitchenware had been cleared out. Frustrated, he walked out the back door and was about to fly away, when he noticed the brown garbage bin next to the garage. He raised the lid and pulled out a large, white plastic bag from the top, grimacing from the horrendous smell.

“I can’t believe I’m digging through that asshole’s garbage,” he mumbled, his stomach roiling in protest.

Most of the items inside of the bag were empty food containers and random junk mail. As he dug further, a torn envelope caught his eye. He pulled it out and found that it was addressed to Victor. There was nothing inside of the envelope, but the return address definitely interested him.

It was Club Nightshade’s.

He wondered what kind of dealings Victor had with the club, and decided that it was worth checking out. He quickly finished his search of the trash bin and then headed toward the club.

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Nightshade was closed when Duncan arrived and apparently wouldn’t open until four p.m. With Faye gone, he wondered who was actually running the club.

He walked around the building and noticed that there were a few cars parked in the parking lot. The employee entrance at the back was locked, so he decided to check out the terrace above. Not seeing anyone, he leaped into the air and landed on the rooftop, where he noticed an open stairwell leading inside of the building. Once inside, he found a hallway that led to the penthouse apartment, which, to his luck, was unlocked.

Not sensing anyone inside, he walked through the extravagantly furnished condo. From the white leather furniture, plush mauve carpeting, and feminine décor, he assumed it had to have been Faye’s. Then, when he walked into the chic master bedroom, he noticed a large nude portrait of the shape-shifter on the wall and shook his head and chuckled. Only a vain woman like Faye would have a picture of herself, in the buff, facing her bed.

Still grinning, he turned around and came face-to-face with the dead woman herself.

Her eyes glittered darkly and she smiled. “Boo.”