Early spring in D.C. meant cherry blossoms and crowds. I loved the foliage—who wouldn’t—but the tourists with their awe-struck faces and bored children in tow made me late for lunch with my cousin Victoria.
“Henry, stop scowling at the tourists.” Victoria kissed my cheek when we met. “Some of them save all year to come here. Don’t ruin it for them.”
I wasn’t scowling at them. Okay, maybe a little for making me late, but they weren’t the problem. “I can’t figure out Uncle Uriel. He moves out of his mansion, goes to ground, is using a new name, has a new look, barely has any contact with his brothers or the other leaders of our race, we have no clue how to find him and yet, he’s been pulling all the strings with Nick for years. Including, making sure he didn’t date anyone it seems. What’s he up to?”
“No one knows for sure, but it’s clearly connected to Ariel’s death.”
That made no sense. Our fathers and Uncle Raphael didn’t kill Ariel. “You’d think if he cared enough to let your dad know about Nick, he’d do more than lurk in the shadows.”
“Trust me, I agree. And since it’s my job to find him while you make lovey-dovey eyes at Nick, I’m way saltier about his actions than you.”
I scowled and a little kid clutched his mother’s arm tight. The woman turned around, but I avoided her glare. “Bite me.”
“You’re doing it again.”
The fact I snapped at her proved she was right. “Then how about you cut the snarky comments about Nick?”
“Why? Was it someone else who has a date with him tomorrow?”
Why did everyone think it was a date? “It’s not like that.”
“Oh? You weren’t the one who told Trevor on pain of death to refuse to join you two?”
I’d have to talk to Trevor about keeping his opinions to himself. “It’s totally not how you’re making it out. I need a chance to talk to Nick alone. Trevor hovered like a mother hen who smelled a fox.”
“He’s been protecting Nick for six years. They’re tight like brothers. Brothers who like each other, unlike you and your siblings.”
She was one to talk. Her sister and brothers all but hated her because she was the heir and not them. “This has nothing to do with them.”
“Not judging you, just commenting.” There was a hint of bitter in her voice. “Neither of us know what it’s like to be close to our siblings. That’s why we have each other. And Wallace.”
I loved Vicky like a sister, but cousin Wallace? Maybe more than my siblings, but not by much. “Anyway, it’s not a date.”
“Sure it’s not.”She patted my arm and gave me a fake smile.
I sucked in a breath to control my irritation. “It’s not.”
“And yet you’re taking a two hour drive each way to see a tiny little town that isn’t all that exciting.”
My assignment was to protect him. To do that, I needed to be around him and not make it seem forced. “I needed a natural sounding way to be around him. I used his interest in the car to suggest we take a short road trip.”
“Right. This has nothing to do with you wanting to ride him.”
Maybe Grant had been right about my man-whore reputation. “Don’t be crude. I’m not trying to sleep with him. I asked him before we said ten words to each other. We’re just going for a drive, poke around old town Frederick, maybe have dinner, and come home so he can have brunch with his friend Alex on Sunday. Which by the way, how come there’s almost nothing in Nick’s file about him?”
“There’s not much to tell.” She shrugged. “He’s a retired pharmaceutical executive who has been friends with Nick’s grandparents for thirty years. He’s been a mentor to Nick since he moved to D.C. Alex gave Nick the security deposit for the apartment and took him clothes shopping before he started work. They have brunch every third Sunday. Our operatives shadowed them the last time they met, and it’s just as it seems. Why the interest?”
Her question seemed odd. Nick was close to this guy and we knew almost nothing about him. “Are we sure there’s nothing more?”
“Jealous much?”
I frowned, but not for the reason she’d believe. Every aspect of Nick’s life was monitored, yet no one dug further into this ‘mentor.’ “Whatever. The guy’s, what? Seventy-five?”
“Seventy-one. Clearly Nick likes older men. And since you’re more than a hundred and fifty years older than Nick, it should give you hope.”
Why did I think it was a good idea to tell her my plans? “You’re enjoying this aren’t you? I’m just doing what Uncle Michael asked me to do.”
Who was I trying to convince? Nick was much more interesting than I’d expected. But I’d offered to take him to Frederick before we spent the night talking.I barely avoided a kid running from his parents. Grabbing the change in my pocket, I let the coins slide around my fingers out of habit.
