“It was probably tampered with,” Elizabeth chimed in.
With the camera taking in the whole room, Elizabeth’s eyes were glued to the images of Emily leaving the table with three of her girlfriends in tow. She turned down the same hallway as the bathrooms and the security office.
“Looks like a bathroom break,” Dylan suggested and glanced at her. “Why do you girls go in pairs?”
She grinned. “So we can talk shit about the men at the table.”
They fast-forwarded to see if they’d been followed down the hall or if they’d come out of the hallway.
Within ten minutes, they all walked back out and straight through the club toward the front doors. “Do you recognize her friends?”
“Yeah, they meet up at the bar about once a week,” Rhys answered.
“Sadie, Marie, and Jennifer,” Dylan supplied.
“Are they shifters?” she asked.
“Yes.” Rhys glanced up at her.
“If she’s friends with shifters, why was she begging everyone to convert her? Why couldn’t they just do it?”
Colton cleared his throat and stepped to her side. “The ability to change someone from human into a shifter is passed down only through male DNA. It was intended as a way to ensure that any male shifter could change his mate, assuming the female was strong enough to endure the enzymes. It’s not uncommon for a female to die trying if she’s too frail or sick to handle that particular strand of the DNA code.”
She spun on him accusingly. “How come you never told me that?”
“Because it didn’t matter,” he answered. Colton glanced at the others. “Do you really want to discuss that here? Now?”
That was one conversation they would be having, just not in present company. If females could die from the DNA, those bastards had been trying to kill her using not one male’s DNA but several. Her anger returned, coursing through her veins as if her abduction had just happened yesterday. If she could kill them all again, she damn sure would. Elizabeth felt the raging heat rising through her body. Her gums ached as her sharp teeth tried to press through.
“Elizabeth, your eyes,” Colton said.
She took a long, deep breath and started grinding her teeth in an attempt to calm herself. Rhys pressed a palm on her arm. “Lizzie?”
Her anger dissipated with his touch, simmering to a controllable point. He calmed her beasts into submission, making them purr with giddiness that he was near. Should she be grateful or pissed? She pressed her lips together and turned back to the monitor. Rhys gave a slight nod before releasing her. He spun in his seat, reaching for the button to shut down the video, but Elizabeth stopped him. She pointed toward the darkened corner. “There. Look, that guy is following them out. Do you know who he is?”
“Evan Stone,” Max answered.
Evan moved around the crowded tables heading for the door before he paused and glanced directly toward the camera. He flashed a smug smile with a predatory gaze. Lifting his arm, he tapped on the face of his watch before disappearing out the front door.
“What the—”
Elizabeth cut off Max’s question as she hopped off the table and turned to address the men in the room, taking charge in the only way she knew how.
“We need names and addresses for all of the other women.” She glanced at Colton. “I’ll pick up Evan and bring him in for questioning.”
Rhys rose slowly from his seat. His eyes flashed with protest as he stalked closer toward her. “Like hell.”
Her eyes narrowed and locked onto his gaze. She wouldn’t be backing down. She had a damn job to do, even if it meant staying the hell away from the big bad bear.
“Rhys.” Colton’s voice rang in her ears, but her gaze held steady.
As if Rhys sensed her determination, knowing he wouldn’t win this battle, he took a deep, calming breath. “That came out wrong.” He glanced over her shoulder toward the others before returning to her gaze. “What I meant to say was, wouldn’t it be better if you talked to the other women? They might be more receptive to opening up with you because you’re a woman.”
“He’s right.” To her chagrin, Colton agreed. “I’ll take a team and pick up Evan while you go get statements.”
Elizabeth tossed her hands up before using her shoulder to push through the group, only to be stopped by Colton’s palm on her arm.
“Establish contact and get statements.” His jaw ticked. “I expect you to go in armed. We don’t know what we’re up against, and I don’t want you ambushed. Let’s just hope all of her friends didn’t fall victim to the recent abductions.”
