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Kerry’s brows raised in surprise. I suppose she was wondering why I required a guard. All I cared about was that I wasn’t going to be locked in.
“Thank you,” I mouthed at Brien.
He gave a curt nod and strode out of the foyer along with Talon and Cain. As they entered the hall, a man in black pinstripe Armani stepped out of the shadows, intercepting them. Demon hissed and jumped out of Brien’s arms, streaking down a side passage.
Jules Leclerc. I would’ve known Brien’s father anywhere. He was a little shorter and thinner than Brien, and he had dark hair, not blond, but the two shared the same handsome, chiseled features.
“Father.” Brien inclined his head cooly.
An unpleasant smile warped the older vampire’s face. “Where have you been?”
William stepped in front of me, using his broad body to conceal me. “Stay back,” he ordered out of the side of his mouth.
My brows climbed, but I was happy to comply. Something about the primus made my Spidey-senses tingle.
“In Quebec City with Régis Dussault,” Brien told him. “He agreed to our terms, by the way.”
“Negotiating?” asked Jules. “With Régis?” Then he inhaled audibly. “Who’s that behind William?”
A chill went over me. My Spidey-senses went from wary to a five-alarm alert.
I instinctively went for the blade I always had hidden in my left shoe before I remembered I didn’t have any weapons. I swallowed a curse and brought my hand back to my side.
“No one important,” said Brien. “Here, let me tell you about Quebec City. We could’ve used you there.”
Jules snarled. “You shouldn’t have gone without my permission. You take too much on yourself.”
“My apologies,” Brien said tonelessly.
Their footsteps receded. I peeked around William in time to see Jules shake off the hand Brien had placed on his lower back and stalk off ahead of his son. Brien and the other two men followed.
I stared after the four of them. WTF?
Jules was supposed to be an intelligent, ruthless primus, but he’d sounded more like a sulky five-year-old. And where was his mate, Lenore?
Combined with the way the GQ twins had hovered protectively around Brien, something was very wrong at the top of the Maritime Syndicate. Because if I had to guess, I’d say Primus LeClerc was in the early stages of blood madness.
I fingered the folded slip of paper thoughtfully.
“This way, Miss.”
Kerry led the way down the side passage that Demon had taken, a stone corridor with slits for windows and only a few doors. Gas torches burned at intervals along the walls, barely penetrating the gloom. It was like I’d been transported back to the time when vampires like Jules Leclerc had ruled their territory with absolute power.
The helplessness I’d felt in Fleur’s lair flooded back into me. My steps slowed. I’d thought anything would be better than staying with that cold bitch and her coven. Now, though, I wasn’t so sure.
Kerry glanced over her shoulder. “Come with me or not,” she said matter-of-factly. “But you should know it’s best not to be out and about when Prince Brien takes his day sleep. The primus is old enough to be awake even during the daylight.”
That got me moving again. No way did I want to become prey for a blood-mad vampire.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I said.
She hmphed. “Don’t thank me. The prince seems taken with you, and it would be more than my job is worth to let harm come to you.”
We went down two flights then wound our way through a series of tunnels. If I hadn’t had a good sense of direction, I would’ve been hopelessly lost.
Somewhere beneath the back of the castle, Kerry stopped at a thick, silver-reinforced door. She opened it and gestured for me to precede her into the suite.
My eyes widened. “This is the garden suite?” I’d braced myself for something dark and gothic, but the living room had a relaxed, beachy vibe: warm tropical woods, creamy yellow upholstery, sea-green walls.
