Page 1 of Benjamin and the Thief

1

In the parking garage underneath Scanguards’ headquarters in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, Benjamin LeSang got out of his black Porsche Carrera and walked to the elevator. He had to wait for only a few seconds before the doors opened. When he entered, he realized that the elevator wasn’t empty.

“Hey, Zane,” he greeted the over a hundred-year-old pure-blooded vampire with the bald head and the stoic expression that seemed to be chiseled into his face, rarely allowing for a smile or any emotion, for that matter. “Since when are you working the day shift?”

“I’m not.”

Zane was as taciturn as ever, and normally, he wouldn’t have forced a conversation on him, but after spending ten days on a boring out-of-town assignment protecting a neurotic businessman, he missed the camaraderie that reigned among his extended Scanguards family. However, seeing Zane or any other pure-blooded vampire at HQ during daylight hours was rare, because most vampires slept during the day and worked at night.

“Anything going on? Are we gearing up for something important?”

Zane turned his head, giving him a sideways look. “Guess you’re not in the loop.”

“That’s why I’m asking.”

Zane tapped the gun on his holster, making him aware that he was armed, which in itself was unusual. The bald vampire was known for being one of the most ferocious hand-to-hand combatants Scanguards had on its payroll, and he didn’t need a gun to be lethal. It was common knowledge that he’d once torn the beating heart out of a rapist with his bare hands.

“The hybrids challenged the old-timers to a little sharpshooting competition. It’ll be held next week.”

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’re coming to practice? I thought you were a natural.”

After all, Zane had taught Eddie, Benjamin’s uncle, to shoot, and thanks to Zane imparting his skills, Eddie had been able to save Thomas’s life over thirty-five years ago by shooting and killing his opponent.

The elevator stopped.

Zane grimaced, looking insulted. “I’m not the one who needs practice.”

The doors opened, and he caught sight of Samson, who stood there, waiting.

Zane tipped his chin toward the owner and founder of Scanguards. “Samson.”

“Hey, Zane. Was just about to look for you.” Then his gaze swept to Benjamin. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you just come off a ten-day assignment in San Diego? You’re supposed to be on leave for a few days.”

Benjamin exited the elevator. “Yeah, and that was boring enough. Another day without anything real to do, and I’m climbing up the walls.”

“Ah, the young ones. Always ready for another adventure.” Samson exchanged a look with Zane, whose lips twitched as if he was about to smile.

“It’s not the youth that drives this one,” Zane replied, motioning in Benjamin’s direction. “It’s the fact that he’s got nobody to warm his bed.”

Samson chuckled. “Very true. Now let’s get on with the lesson, so I can go back to my bed. After all, I’ve got an insatiable wife to satisfy.”

Benjamin rolled his eyes while Samson entered the elevator. “Blood-bonded vampires—truly, you’re all cut out of the same cloth. Trust me, I’m not going to let a woman wrap me around her little finger like you guys, or like Damian.”

His twin brother had become decidedly domesticated, preferring to be alone with his blood-bonded mate, Naomi, to wild nights partying.

“Famous last words,” Zane said.

“And if you need something to do, go see Cooper. We just got a couple of new contracts in.”

The elevator doors closed on Samson’s last words. Benjamin went off to search for his fellow hybrid vampire Cooper. They were only a year apart in age, but Cooper had already joined the ranks of the blood-bonded vampires and vampire hybrids working for Scanguards.

It appeared that whenever he blinked, somebody else had found true love. He wasn’t envious of what they had. In fact, he enjoyed his single life and wasn’t in a hurry to give it up. He couldn’t imagine being blood-bonded and having sex with only one woman for the rest of his life. How did the attraction not wane after a while? How could sexual desire remain alive between a couple like Samson and Delilah who’d been together for nearly forty years? And he knew it was still alive. Whenever he saw Samson together with his mate, he could see it in the way they looked at each other and touched one another.

And Samson and Delilah weren’t the only ones who behaved like that. His own parents, Amaury and Nina, were like newlyweds, sneaking away to be alone whenever they could.

They and his friends all had fallen for their respective mates within a few days, if not hours. For a vampire, all emotions were amplified, and despite a vampire’s immortality, none of them had wanted to wait even a week before entering into an unbreakable blood-bond. Sure, he wanted the same—one day, but today wasn’t that day. He had time, even though he was celebrating his 37th birthday later this week. His body didn’t age, and his face would retain the same youthfulness it had shown when he’d turned twenty-one. The only part of him that kept maturing was his mind. He’d been gaining lots of experience in all facets of life in his twenties and thirties. Now, he was a lot wiser and less impulsive. He enjoyed his life fully and with few boundaries.

He loved the excitement of his job as a bodyguard and criminal investigator.