Page 37 of Grayson’s Challenge

He approached. “I’m not leaving my post. I’m staying here until Samson is back.” The massive vampire folded his arms over his chest and squared his stance.

“That can take days,” Grayson said in a low voice, not wanting the sound to carry all the way to the study. “You need rest just like everybody else.”

“I won’t leave, and there’s nothing you or anybody else can do or say.” Orlando narrowed his eyes.

Annoyed at the giant’s stubbornness, Grayson grunted. “I said—”

“Let me propose a compromise,” Isabelle interrupted.

To his surprise, Orlando’s expression softened, when he looked at Isabelle. The tension in his jaw seemed to subside.

“You can stay at the house, if you agree to sleep in one of the guestrooms—”

“I don’t need to sleep!” Orlando protested.

“—for at least six hours,” Isabelle continued undeterred. “And while you rest, we’ll have an additional bodyguard stationed at the house.”

Orlando grunted into his non-existent beard. “Hmm.”

Grayson had to suppress a smirk. Apparently, Isabelle knew exactly how to put a vampire double her size in his place.

“Deal or no deal?”

Another grunt from Orlando, but then he nodded. “Fine.” He turned on his heel and marched to the end of the hallway. There, he opened the door to the study and disappeared.

“Stubborn idiot.” Isabelle shook her head. “He’s bossing everybody around here as if he owned the place. I really don’t know why Dad hired him in the first place. He’s got no manners.”

Grayson chuckled. “Well, looks like you’ve got him under control.”

“And manners aren’t necessary,” Monique added, “when you’re as big and strong as that guy. It’s not like anybody is gonna pick a fight with him for being ill-mannered.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” Isabelle replied.

“Isa, can we set up an extra computer in the dining room, so we can download the prison data?” Grayson asked.

“Let me grab my computer,” Isabelle said and walked upstairs.

When she was gone, Grayson turned to Monique and bridged the distance between them with two steps. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.”

He shook his head. “No, how’re you really doing?” He put his fingers under her chin and tipped it up.

“The truth?” she asked, her voice low. She met his eyes. “I’m scared shitless that I’ll lose my father and will never be able to take back what I said to him the last time I saw him.”

“I feel the same way.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “We’ll get them back.”

Or die trying.

17

Gstaad, Switzerland

It was dark by the time Virginia and Cooper reached the Gstaad Palace, which looked like a small castle with turrets rather than a five-star hotel. Just like the rest of the town, it was brightly lit and still decked out with Christmas decorations. This was the hotel where David and Zach Montague had been staying until the morning of New Year’s Eve.

Cooper unzipped his thick jacket as he and Virginia entered the hotel lobby. Outside, it had been colder than he’d ever experienced, but inside the hotel it felt balmy. Traveling from San Francisco to Gstaad via the portal in Virginia’s home had taken only a few seconds, though it had felt much longer. He’d felt nauseous, but no way in hell would he admit that to anybody. If Grayson and Ryder had used the portals repeatedly while working with the Stealth Guardians in Baltimore, and hadn’t complained about the disorienting weightless feeling, then he wouldn’t complain either.

“How can people live in such a climate?” Cooper asked with a sideways glance at Virginia.