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As the man spoke, Lawrence found himself thinking of medieval Edinburgh. He’d been there many times, had lost his virginity there. Alec had seen to that on a night they might have called his “initiation” in modern times. He’d forgotten that trip, one he and his brother had fondly remembered for many years afterward.
“Have you been back recently?”
Lawrence snapped out of it. “No.”
“Hmmm—” the man took another sip of whiskey, “—if I were from somewhere that interesting, I’d be visiting all the time. As it is, New Jersey is a fine place, but . . .” He shrugged.
As they lapsed into silence, Lawrence allowed himself to think of his home. He thought of the last battle he’d fought against Kenton Morley, the bastard that was now his friend.
Kenton Morley, his friend. Surely a stranger thought than returning home to see what had become of Bowden Castle.
No. He couldn’t bear to see the ruins of his home.
“So what are you doing in São Paulo?”
Lawrence looked out the large window as a plane landed. He watched as it skidded to a stop and began to turn. He and Laria had been terrified on their first airplane voyage, thinking it akin to witchcraft. Funny, really, given what they were. Torr had refused to do it for many years, and even now, the strongest and toughest of all in their former clan, Torr drank heavily each time he took off.
“Meeting up with my brother and sister,” he said. He’d texted Laria earlier to let her know, waiting until the last minute to do so.
Her protests had been coming all morning.
We got this . . . Don’t you dare . . . WTF Lawrence? . . . Please stay in Stone Haven!
And his least favorite:
What about the bank? And Toni. Heard about that!
Who’d told her about Toni? Had she been corresponding with Alessandra?
His sister would soon be tossing You’re worried because I’m a woman at him, along with If it makes you feel better, Torr is here.
She had wanderlust, badly, but she knew he did not. She knew he wanted to find somewhere to stay. Didn’t matter. Eternal life would be a torment for him if she were killed. The Sect wasn’t a large group, but it was dangerous.
“Pleasure, then?”
He chuckled. “No, definitely work.”
Pleasure would be having Toni in his arms right now. Taking off every item of clothing, piece by piece, until he claimed her, body and soul. Telling her he loved her and asking her to be his partner, to open the bar with him and not leave his side for even a moment.
“Ah, sorry about that. So you have someone waiting for you back home?”
Lawrence cocked his head to the side.
“How did you—”
“You’re not the only observant one here.” The man smiled good-naturedly as he called Lawrence out on his guessing game. “It’s all over your face. And since you’re not wearing a ring, I can only assume she’s a girlfriend?”
I wish.
“Kind of—”
“Kind of?” His companion looked down into his glass, picked it up, and downed the remainder of the amber liquid. “In that case, let me give you some advice, since it appears I have a few years on you.”
Lawrence didn’t even crack a smile.
“Turn ‘kind of’ into ‘definitely’ if you care for her. As a widower, I can attest to the fleeting nature of life. Regret is a bitch, and she’s a ruthless one at that.”
Care for her? Lawrence loved her as much as he’d loved anyone in seven hundred years of life.
“Well, nice talking to you,” the man said. “Have to catch a flight.”
His airport bar drinking companion grabbed his duffle and carry-on and walked off.
Regret was a bitch. He knew it well. Lawrence hadn’t even left the country yet, but he already knew he was making the biggest mistake of his life.
Fuck.
