On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel) by S.B. Alexander

Webb.
    Not to mention all the loose ends. Like what about Ben and his father? My sixth sense was telling me Mr. Jackson might be more of a problem than Edmund right now. After all, Dad had his own worries about the man.
    Still, the one worry that overshadowed everything was my hearing. What if I was convicted of murdering Blake? Would I go to jail?
    “You’re thinking too hard.” The deep timbre of Webb’s voice brought me back to reality.
    “Webb? What do you think Kate wants to talk to you about? And why at the fundraiser?” Another issue that worried me.
    “I have no idea. My guess is she knows the fundraiser is a public place where I won’t make a scene, and she won’t, either.”
    “Do you think any of the other Plutariums will be there, like Edmund?”
    “Not sure. It’s always a possibility.”
    I tensed.
    He pressed my fingers to his lips again. “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. The guardians and sentinels will make sure the event goes smoothly.”
    “Why would Edmund and Kate even go? You said Edmund was lying low right now.”
    “Again, I’m not sure.”
    I didn’t have a warm and fuzzy feeling about the black-tie event.
    “Let’s not worry. We need to get in there.” He nodded to the building behind us.
    We both jumped out of the truck and headed for the back of the building. As soon as we reached the sentinel at the entrance, Webb switched into soldier demeanor. His body straightened, and his face tightened, losing the softness that I’d come to love about the vampire.
    “Lieutenant.”
    The sentinel and Webb exchanged nods as the sentinel opened the door. Once inside, another sentinel stood guarding yet a second door. Dad wasn’t messing around with security.
    “Wait here, Lieutenant,” the inside sentinel instructed as he called the control room.
    “Why?” I asked Webb.
    “Our entire security system changed. Until I have access, I can’t get in.”
    We waited for five minutes before we were cleared to enter. Webb and I headed to Dad’s office first. Actually, Dad had told the sentinel to send us directly to his office.
    As soon as I set foot beyond the door, cold air rushed at me along with the sterile feeling I’d come to know very well. I was home. So why wasn’t I happy?

Chapter 5
    N o sooner had I walked into Dad’s office than he had me in a bear hug. I missed my dad, but being back on base had my claustrophobia squeezing its way up my throat. I’d gotten a taste of freedom. Granted, I’d almost lost my life, but I still needed to experience more of the outside world whether people were trying to kill me or not.
    “Pumpkin, how are you?” Dad asked. “I was worried.”
    From the dark circles under his eyes and the deepened worry lines on his forehead, he looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.
    “Lieutenant, thank you for keeping her safe,” Dad said as he returned to his desk chair.
    Jeepers. Dad spoke as if he’d paid Webb to stash me away for a couple of days while he took care of business around here. I quickly discarded the idea. Webb wouldn’t accept a bribe to spend time with me. No way.
    Webb sat down in one of the chairs in front of Dad’s desk.
    Standing behind the brand new wingback chair next to Webb, I surveyed Dad’s renovated office. The windows had been repaired from the recent explosion. The walls smelled of a fresh coat of paint, and the furniture had been replaced. Aside from the two wingback chairs, a mahogany wood desk replaced Dad’s old steel one. Even the sitting area had new furniture.
    Wow! I had only been gone two days. Whoever remodeled his office had to have worked at vampire speed. Out of all the new furniture and décor, one thing was missing.
    “Where’s your safe, Dad?”
    “I moved it.”
    Dad’s safe had been broken into on two separate occasions. Kate had taken his blood reserves and given them to our enemy, Edmund Rain, who sought to build an army of vampires out of humans. He had used my father’s blood to