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I released him. “Agreed.” I didn’t like it, but Father was the Primus. “But only to question her. None of this is proof Lougenia’s a slayer. It’s not even proof she’s working for them. Until I get to the bottom of this, you’re to treat her like she’s your own goddamned mother, understand?”
Disdain flickered over Tomas’s broad face. I could almost hear him thinking:Spineless half-breed.
After all, the housekeeper was merely a human, and a servant at that.
And we both knew that at the first opportunity, he’d report my deficiencies—in detail—to my father. Well, fuck them both. I refused to condemn Lougenia without a fair hearing. If that made me weak, then so be it.
And I was damned if I’d give up Milaorlet my father strip me of my rank. I might have been born the crown prince, but I’d more than proved myself over the years.
Tomas’s mouth twitched up in an insolent curve. “We are done here?”
I jerked my chin in assent.
“I will leave for Montauk, then.” He turned on his heel and left.
I stared after him, going over the conversation in my mind. But although Tomas had nodded when I told him to stay away from Mila, he hadn’t actually agreed not to touch her.
Holy Dark Mother.
Fear sank icy claws into my nape. My father wouldn’t dare set Tomas on Mila. Would he?
But he had three years ago. What made this time any different?
Retracting the switchblade, I shoved it into my pocket while with the other hand, I punched out a call to one of the guards stationed in my penthouse.
“Lock down the apartment—now. No one gets in—even Lieutenant Mraz.EspeciallyMraz. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Cutting the connection, I strode into the outer room and told my P.A. to order me a limo. “And I want itnow.”
Shanice was a human in her fifties with cropped gray hair and warm brown skin. Nobody and nothing rushed Shanice, and yet she got things done faster and more efficiently than any of my past three P.A.s.
One look at my face and she set down her coffee to press a button. “The boss wants a limo A.S.A.P.”
“Five minutes,” was the reply.
“Make it three,” she returned and reached for her coffee again.
I took the stairs to the surface at a run.
The two bodyguards charged after me. “What’s up, boss?” one asked as I reached the surface and looked around for the limo.
I chose my words carefully, unwilling to accuse my father and Tomas without proof. “I’ve received intel that someone might target my new thrall.” That was close enough to the truth, and as vampires, that was something they’d appreciate.
The guards nodded gravely. They might not understand love, but they understood possession. No self-respecting vampire would tolerate another man messing with his thrall, especially one who’d accepted the blood bond.
The limo arrived and we piled in, one of the bodyguards in the back with me and the other riding shotgun in the front seat.
As we pulled into traffic, I called Airi and gave her the news about Lougenia.
“You’re sure, sir?” she asked. The enforcer didn’t have much use for humans, but even she trusted Lougenia.
I massaged the bridge of my nose. It had been a long day, and it was about to get longer. “Actually, I think she’s been set up. But we can’t take any chances. Take her into custody. Tomas is coming out to interrogate her. See that she’s treated well.”
“Of course. And sir? We found the bug in the system that allowed O’Brien to let in Redbone and his men. I have our best tech working on it right now.”
My brows lifted. “Good work. But you’re on probation for the next thirty days. Any further fuck-ups, and you’re gone.”
