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Gabrielle flipped open the phone, more resolved than ever to make the call. Before she could dial Kendra's number, the device flew from her fingers and appeared in Lucan's hand. He closed it, then slipped the phone into his jacket pocket.
"Gideon," he said conversationally, even while his steely gaze remained locked on Gabrielle. "Ask Savannah to come and see Gabrielle to more comfortable quarters while we finish here. Get her something to eat."
"Give it back to me," Gabrielle said, ignoring the current of surprise that ran through the other men when she challenged Lucan's attempt to control her. "I need to know that she's okay, Lucan."
He came toward her, and for a second she feared what he might do to her as he reached out to touch her face. In front of the others, he stroked her cheek tenderly, possessively. He spoke softly. "Your friend's well-being is out of your hands. If she's not yet been bled dry by this Rogue - and believe me, that's a very real possibility - then he poses no further danger to her now."
"But what if he did something to her? What if he turned her into one of those Minions?"
Lucan shook his head. "Only the most powerful of our kind can create Minions. That gutter trash who blew himself up in the tunnel was incapable. He was nothing but an expendable pawn."
Gabrielle moved out of his caress despite the comfort his touch gave her. "What if that's how he saw Kendra? What if he turned her over to someone who does have more power than him?"
Lucan's expression was grim, but unwavering. His tone was as gentle as she'd ever heard it, which only made his words harder to accept. "Then you should forget her entirely, because she is already as good as dead."
Chapter Twenty-one
I hope the tea isn't too strong. If you'd like a little milk in it, I can get you some from the kitchen."
Gabrielle smiled, truly warmed by the hospitality of Gideon's mate. "The tea is perfect, thank you."
She had been surprised to learn that there were other women in the compound, and felt she'd made an instant friend in the beautiful Savannah. As soon as she'd arrived to fetch Gabrielle on Lucan's order, Savannah had gone to great lengths to ensure that Gabrielle was comfortable and relaxed.
As relaxed as she could be, at any rate, surrounded by heavily armed vampires in a maximum-security bunker housed several hundred feet below the ground.
Not that she would have guessed that, seated as she was now, across from Savannah at a long, dark cherry table in a tastefully appointed dining room, sipping an exotic, spicy tea from a delicate bone china cup while music played softly in the background.
This chamber, and the spacious residential suite adjoining it, belonged to Gideon and Savannah. From all appearances, they lived as a normal couple within the compound, in comfortable living quarters, surrounded by sumptuous furniture, countless books, and beautiful objets d'art. Everything was of the finest quality and all of it impeccably maintained, no different than one might expect to find in a pricey Back Bay brownstone. If not for the absence of windows, it would have been close to perfect. And even that lack was compensated for, with a breathtaking collection of paintings and photographs adorning nearly every wall.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Savannah gestured to a silver tray of pastries and cookies that lay between them on the table. Next to that was another gleaming platter of dainty finger sandwiches and aromatic sauces. Everything looked and smelled wonderful, but Gabrielle had pretty much lost her appetite the night before when she'd watched Lucan shred the Minion's throat with his teeth and then proceed to drink his blood.
"No, thank you," she said. "This is more than enough for me right now."
She was amazed she could hold down anything at all, but the tea was hot and soothing, and she welcomed its warmth both inside and out.
Savannah watched her drink in silence from across the table, her dark eyes friendly, her thin brows knit into a sympathetic furrow. She wore her tight black curls short against her shapely skull, but the effect was more sophisticated than gamine when paired with her striking features and pretty, feminine curves. She had the same open, easy demeanor as Gideon, something Gabrielle greatly appreciated, after having dealt with Lucan and his dominating ways the past few hours.
"Well, maybe you can resist temptation," Savannah said, reaching for one of the crumbly scones, "but I can't."
She spooned a dollop of thick cream onto the biscuit then broke off a piece and moaned happily as she popped the bite into her mouth. Gabrielle knew she was staring, but could hardly help it.
"You eat real food," she said, more a question than the statement it sounded like.
Nodding, Savannah dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "Yes. Of course. A girl has to eat."
"But I thought? If you and Gideon... Aren't you like him?"
Savannah frowned, shaking her head. "I'm human, same as you. Didn't Lucan explain anything to you?"
"Some." Gabrielle shrugged. "Enough to make my head spin, but I still have a lot of questions."
"Of course, you do. Everyone does, when we're first introduced to this new, other world." She reached out, gave Gabrielle's hand a gentle squeeze. "You can ask me anything. I'm one of the newer females myself."
The disclosure made Gabrielle sit up with piqued interest. "How long have you been here?"
Savannah glanced upward for a moment, as if counting time. "I left my old life in 1974. That's when I met Gideon, and fell madly in love."
