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She gave a listless shrug. “I called Chandra’s family a few minutes ago. Told them you’d be in touch.”
“Good. I’ll take care of them, don’t worry. I’m sorry, Lougenia.”
She nodded and shuffled away down the hall, looking a decade older than she had yesterday.
Outside, the sun had risen on a beautiful summer day. A cool breeze ruffled my hair, and the wide blue sky was dotted with cottony clouds. It was almost too perfect, like the weather had somehow mixed its signals and sent sunshine when it should’ve been smothering us in dark rain clouds.
My spirits lifted anyway.
Gabriel slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and took my free hand. The helicopter had been damaged in the attack, and he’d decided to drive us himself instead of taking the limo. “They’ll be watching for that,” he said.
When we reached the garage, the big blond vampire I knew only as Tomas waited next to a blue sedan along with a dark-skinned female vampire. My step faltered.
Gabriel set his palm on my lower back as Tomas’s mouth stretched in a smile I knew not to trust. “So this is Mila.”
A chill ran over my skin. Why was he pretending we hadn’t met?
On my back, Gabriel’s fingers tensed. But all he said was, “This is Lieutenant Mraz. He’ll be heading the team to extract your brother.”
This was the lieutenant?
I gave Mraz a jerky nod, playing along until I could get Gabriel alone. “Nice to meet you.” An automatic response that I instantly wished I could unsay, because itwasn’tnice to meet him—not this time, and not the first time, either.
The big blond lieutenant never lost his smile, but his gaze raked over me, taking in every detail from the sunflower on my tank top to my purple tennis shoes. Dismissing me as a weak, silly human.
I lifted my chin—and smiled right into his cold, muddy-yellow eyes. All I cared about was getting Joey back. If pretending to like this grinning bastard of a vampire was necessary, then I’d pretend with everything I had.
“Why are you bringing her?” Mraz asked Gabriel.
“Until my security here is fully back on line, she’ll be safer at my penthouse.”
Mraz moved a big shoulder, clearly not caring if I lived or died. In fact, I’d bet he was disappointed I’d survived the night.
We headed out, me and Gabriel in a silver sportscar; Mraz and the other vampire following in the sedan.
As we pulled onto Route 27, I unzipped the insulated bag and stared at the sandwiches, search for the best way to put this. Gabriel clearly trusted the blond vampire. He wouldn’t be heading the team to rescue Joey otherwise.
Gabriel spoke first. “I didn’t know you knew Lieutenant Mraz.”
“I wouldn’t say I know him, but we met. Once.”
“When?”
I zipped and unzipped the bag.
Three years ago, it had been Tomas Mraz who’d given me a hundred thousand in cash to leave town. He’d also advised me—strongly—to depart without telling Gabriel.
“Don’t contact the prince,” Mraz had said. “Not even to tell him you are leaving. He is half-vampire, and we’re possessive bastards. He will not accept that you do this thing for his own good.”
God, I’d been a coward. I’d told myself that sneaking out of town was best for both of us, but that was a lie. It had been for me, because I didn’t have the courage to tell Gabriel straight to his face that I was leaving.
“Three years ago, right before I left. But I think you already guessed that.”
“Not until today, but yeah.”
“Who is he, anyway? A lieutenant—that’s pretty high up, right?”
“He’s my dad’s righthand man.”
