by Lauren Dane
There was a note that donors had been arranged and would be arriving shortly. Clive went in search of Recht and found him speaking rapid fire German over his phone. Orders to handle something from what Clive put together.
He hung up and nodded to Clive. “Where is Rowan? I was told she wanted to speak with me.”
“Resting. I didn’t want to wake her just yet. Have you spoken with anyone at the Keep?”
“He’s taken to sleeping most of the time. The few hours he’s awake he’s cranky and needs diversion, but he hasn’t left the grounds since the last time.” The relief in Recht’s tone was clear and that allowed Clive to relax a little.
Clive was at a disadvantage because he hadn’t been around during any previous bad spots. He could have asked Rowan. She’d have given him the information, knowing why he’d need the details. But he didn’t like to make her relive those dark times in her childhood if he could avoid it.
“The last time this happened, did all the Scions know?” Clive had taken up his predecessor’s tenure as Scion of North America just eighteen months prior.
“Things were different then. We relied on her to keep him calm.” Recht’s gaze had been far away but his focus sharpened on Clive. “We should never have done that to a child. A human. The times before she was born we hid it when we could. The Scions can be volatile. She changed everything. She still does.”
Clive realized what a gift Recht had just given him. Not just information, but an entirely new part of her that clicked into place. What would it have been like to have all that on your shoulders? Yes, he held the lives of the Vampires—and to a certain extent the humans—who lived in his territory. But she’d never experienced a time when she didn’t have the weight of her father’s devotion, sanity and direction to bear.
“Even when she was gone, his behavior was generally controlled. He does not want to disappoint her. He will recover if for no other reason.”
Clive dipped his head below Recht’s in thanks. He’d been trusted with information few others knew. That showed a great deal of assurance that Clive would not only continue to be loyal to The First, but to Rowan.
Like he was Rowan’s husband, Clive realized.
“I did not speak to you before I asked her to wear the ring. I should have. You are her family, after all.”
Recht smiled briefly. “She made her choice before you gave her that ring. I suggest you go to her father and tell him you love his daughter and wish to bond with her.”
The moment was over as Recht slid his impassive mask back on and was once more one of the Five.
Clive shifted the discussion back to The First.
“The sleeping is good. It means on some level he knows whatever this is he’s going through is dangerous so he’s trying to wait it out,” Recht said.
“And the leak? There’s a great deal of high level information being obtained by our enemies. All while they’re using the Nation’s resources.”
“We’re working on it. We have a great deal of data to go through. But thanks to the North American Vampires, we have some sort of program to comb it for clues.”
“Glad to put them to work.”
Being the youngest Scion had its merits. He understood the importance of modern skills in his arsenal. Technology was his weapon to make up the imbalance of his lack of years presented.
He knew how to be savage. Knew how to hunt and kill. Knew how a little violence was necessary with Vampires so they understood his rules were not to be violated. He was quite good at it.
He’d forgotten the joy of a different kind of violence until Rowan had come along and he’d been pulled him into a world where he rolled up his shirtsleeves and beat the hell out of someone on a regular basis.
Being a Scion was also a political position. A part in a larger, more complex network of power held across the entire Vampire Nation. As a potential Scion, he’d been trained by the Vampire Nation for three hundred years before he’d been appointed. Had learned strategy from the brightest minds. He’d lived and worked in London for several centuries, knowing the key to his success was understanding humans set the direction of the society they were inevitably part of.
That was how he’d continue to build the strength of his land. His inner circle was already more dynamic than the other Scions. He would continue to reign in North America and as each term ended and he moved to a new capital location, he would gather the best of the best.
The others would ignore him for another fifty years or so—it used to be that they’d have ignored him for a hundred and change. But his connection to Rowan had raised their attention.
He’d keep to his plan and get as much in place as he could before they started to consider him a real threat. And by then, he’d have all he needed to hold it against all comers.
Warren came in with Alice. Recht quickly brought Warren up to speed and when they came back to the kitchen, David was there directing Marcelo, who carried what appeared to be a great deal of food.
“Rowan is awake. She just got out of the shower,” David said quietly to Clive.
“Did she speak to Hunter Corp. yet?”
“I’ll let her bring you up to speed on that.”
With an internal sigh, Clive headed up the stairs in her direction.
She entered the main salon as he reached the other door. A quick look around said they were alone so she let him hug her, kissing her slow.
Her eyes had gone dreamy for long moments and it was a gift. He kissed her quickly one last time. “Good evening. People will be coming up shortly. There’s a lot of food. David is setting up some sort of staging area. You need to eat. You’re pale.”
She sniffed, annoyed. And yet she leaned into him for several long moments more. He kissed the top of her head, breathing her in. So vital.
She moved away, putting that part of herself aside until they were alone once more.
“I had an interesting day. I will absolutely eat. You’ll get to meet Donna, that’s Marcelo’s wife.”
Before she could say anything else, people came up the stairs and Clive caught her in a totally unguarded moment as she caught sight of David and smiled briefly before she scowled once more.
But David had noticed. One of the things Clive liked about their relationship was the vulnerability she showed around her valet. It was important that she have these relationships in her life. That she be surrounded by people and beings of power who cared about her and were invested in keeping her safe.
Rowan, more than any woman he’d ever known, needed a space to be soft. To be around people who didn’t want something from her. Who didn’t hate her or judge her or try to kill her. He wanted that for her very much. A safe, inner life where she could be unguarded.
She moved to take a few bowls and carted them over to the large table.
“Marcelo, thank you for moving this larger table in here. I appreciate that,” Rowan said as her friend came in.
“We have big dinners every night. You’re here so we’ll be here.” He shrugged. “Donna wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Another woman came up. “It’s your table anyway. It was just down in the shop.”
Rowan held up a hand to pause the conversation until she finished eating the bread she’d dipped in olive oil.
After a few more moments, she sighed happily. “Oh my goddess, that is so good. Sorry. Clive Stewart, this is Donna Goldoni.”
“Don’t apologize for how good my bread is.”
Clive bent over Donna’s hand briefly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Goldoni.”
Warren and Recht came up with wine and water and they all settled at the large table.
“Everyone, fill plates and start eating, I need to speak to Recht for just a moment and then we’ll start talking about what I learned today,” Rowan called o
ut.
Recht nodded and the two of them headed downstairs.
Once there, she spoke. “I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to check in with you about Theo.”
He outlined the situation at the Keep, first updating her about Theo and then the leak.
“I think it’s an old family. I think it’s a trusted family. I also think you know both those things. I can’t say more at this time. I will share what I can when I am able.” Recht’s expression said he wished things were otherwise.
Which meant he was constrained by some Vampire bullshit on what he could tell her. And since he was ranked even higher than Warren and Clive on this hunt, there was only one other being who had the power to deny her information.
“Gah. That manipulative asshole.” Theo was still pulling the fucking strings. On the verge of madness and he was keeping her where he wanted. “He’s conscious what? Three hours a day? And yet he’s got time to tell you not to share things with me. This is dumb. I know you won’t violate his edict and I understand. But I’m caught. I can’t call him out. He’s not well. It could make things worse. And he knows it.”
“On the bright side it means he’s getting better. He couldn’t plan at this level otherwise.”
“Are you kidding me with that? Why does he fuck with my head this way? It’s totally unnecessary.”
Recht smiled. “Little goddess, he wants you to need him. He’s your father. This is what fathers do. Granted, yours can take things to levels far above and beyond what most fathers do. But he’s exceptional in every other way as well.”
Was that it? He was like an alien sometimes—okay all the time. And he was shady as fuck in many, many ways. But then she’d see his madness through someone else’s eyes and realize she might sometimes miss nuances about Theo and his relationship with her.
He did love her. In his way, in whatever sense he connected her to his deep affection compared to everyone and everything else. It was terrifying and yet, she’d missed that while they’d been estranged.
It would likely always be complicated between them. Fraught. They would bicker. But she no longer liked the idea of not having him in her life. In some way. She was quite glad he lived on an entirely different continent so he couldn’t just drop by.
She sighed. “He’s crafty. One of these days I’m going to outmaneuver him.”
Recht found that hilarious. “Not a chance.” He headed back upstairs and she followed after making sure the security system was armed and all was locked down.
She filled a plate and settled at the table next to Clive. He handed her a glass of wine and then clinked his to it. “Eat and then talk.”
He’d gotten even bossier with her since she put his ring on. It was annoying when he poked at her to sleep and eat and that sort of thing.
But she might have also liked it. Maybe it was nice to be cared about by a man like Clive. A super uptight control freak millionaire Vampire who gave her weapons more often than pretty panties. That wasn’t such a bad bargain really.
“Fine,” she snarled as she put some more shrimp on her plate. He made that cute stuffy British sound but he had a smile at the corner of his mouth.
They were so dumb.
She’d been stupid back when she was sixteen and lost her cherry to one of Theo’s guard. Who then told her the sordid truth of who’d killed her birth parents. Spoiler alert: it was Theo.
But lots of sixteen year olds did stupid things. Aside from the bomb he’d dropped into her life, she’d headed off on a path that had been necessary to who she was right at that moment. Who she had to be.
But she was dumb with Clive. Dumb with love. He made her think about maybe one day considering making those noises people used around kittens and babies.
She should be horrified and ashamed of this entire mental dialog but the problem with love was that you found stuff like getting a handgun tucked in a high end handbag really nice. Maybe even romantic because it was thoughtful.
She’d probably been colonized by an alien pod or something.
“I have no idea what you’re thinking about, but you’re going to have to tell me later,” Clive murmured.
Ignoring him—okay not really, she found him sort of adorable—she tried some of the greens with red peppers and moaned. “So good.”
Donna beamed, happy with the praise for her cooking. “You should live here full time. You can eat at my table every night if you want.”
Rowan warmed. Yes, she would be welcome at their house any time. That was nice. Like family, only appropriately weird.
Ack. She was getting so goopy.
“I could. Stay out late, get up late. Eat. Nap. Eat. Go out. Sleep. Yes, that’s a nice life.” She finished her wine as no one in the room bothered to believe that she’d actually retire and relax.
“All right. Let me tell you how today went.”
Chapter Eighteen
Right as she slid her blade into the sheath at her back, her phone rang. A look told her it was Susan.
“I need to take this.” Rowan excused herself, going up the stairs and into her room.
“That was quite the meeting,” Susan said by way of greeting.
“Right? I’m never attending a meeting with Roth again.” Being dead meant you couldn’t go to meetings, though Rowan bet if he could, Roth would. Suck ups like him loved tedium.
“I’m not sure that’s a promise you can keep. He’s trying to stir even more trouble right now.”
“I warned him not to come for me. I hope he’s got his affairs in order.” Rowan told Susan about the information her investigator dug up. “This time I’m handling this like Rowan, not a hunter he works with. He and Hilary are up to something. One or both of them either are the leak or they know who it is. They need to be investigated.”
“This all takes time. Celesse and I are working on it at this end. When you’re done, come to London and we can deal with every last bit of nonsense once and for all.”
Being told to be patient rankled. It was normal Hunter Corp. politics sure, but this was far more serious than the usual petty bullshit she regularly ignored so she could tolerate it and not stab anyone.
“I dropped by the HC villa and it’s being watched. This needs to be addressed right now. It can’t wait until this is over.”
“Rex brought it up, opening an investigation. Celesse seconded. Roth volunteered to head it. I said no. There was more fighting.” She paused and Rowan sighed.
“Say it.”
“They’ve tabled it until you come to London to present evidence. He managed to sway enough people. Said he’d only checked in before the meeting to brief himself on what you were up to. They don’t know about the threat to David, remember?”
“Are you kidding me? They know plenty about everything else. I’m here now, in danger because of this leak. The person who has already interfered and endangered me on multiple occasions is far more knowledgeable about my location than any of you have ever been. I normally handle my own travel arrangements. And when I don’t that’s the time he’s suddenly so fascinated with my itinerary? It’s just a coincidence? This is the loyalty I’m going to be shown? I’m here for Hunter Corp. taking out the garbage yet again and the safety of me and the other hunters in the field is not important enough?”
“I don’t like the tone in your voice, Rowan. Don’t be rash. There is absolutely no reason to believe we won’t win on this. You’ll come and we’ll put down this ridiculous uprising.”
“I’m not being rash. I’m finally just facing the truth. I have some killing to do. And then I’m coming to London. And I won’t be sparing anyone’s feelings.”
“I wish things were different. I wish we had more ability to sway them. The information you gave me is quite powerful. I’m sorry.”
“Scrub it for anyt
hing that might identify a source’s identity. If you can do that and protect my people, you have my permission to share it with them. The relevant bits anyway.”
“All right. Hilary seems to have gotten a few more partners behind her. This Vampire you’re hunting has made your job more complicated.”
“Sure, but that’s her job. It’s not the job of the other full partners to do it too. I have to go.”
“You know Rex and I support you totally, don’t you?”
Rowan’s anger softened at the alarm in Susan’s tone. She and Rex were Rowan’s family. She trusted them both with her life. She understood what internal Hunter Corp. politics were like.
“I’ve never doubted it.”
“Excellent answer. All right, sweetheart. Go kill that nasty creature. When you get here we’ll have dinner and you can bring Clive as well.”
“Yeah, about that. I have a lot to share but I can’t get into it now.” Rowan looked at her hand, the amber threads in the ring catching the light.
“Did he hurt you?”
Despite all her worried, that made her smile. “He didn’t. It’s good news, not bad.”
“All right. Do be careful. We love you.”
“I love you too,” Rowan said and then disconnected the call.
She turned around, knowing Clive had come in. “I take it you heard all that.”
He nodded. “I’ve already said how displeased I am with the way they treat you so I won’t repeat that.”
“You totally just did.”
He fought a smile and she rolled her eyes.
“You’re powerless when faced with an I told you so, Clive. It’s part of your make up. You’re driven to say it.”