Page 2 of Lucas
He picked up the overnight bags and handed me mine. “From now on, no more hotels with a thirteenth floor.” With a last look at the two vamps, who would be strong enough to crawl away in the next thirty minutes, assuming hotel security didn’t come calling, Lucas kissed my temple.
“We’ll have our evening. Just not here.” He swung an arm over my shoulder as we hurried toward the exit sign that would open to the stairs.
Next stop—hotel number eight.
Chapter Two
Santiga Bay—Twoweeks earlier
I rolledover and stretched like a well-fed cat. Sun peeked through the blinds. A simple sign that I was going to love this day. There was nothing more beautiful than a morning after an evening rain. The city washed clean, leaving behind a particular sharpness to the landscape as if a thin veil had been lifted.
I reached for Lucas, but his spot was empty. The sheets were still warm, and his heady scent made me gooey inside.
Then I remembered. This was day four.
After the insane but successful mission the team had pulled off in rescuing Hamilton and, most assuredly, pissing off Devon’s greatest enemy, Lorenzo Venizi, Devon had given the Family a three-day rest period. No work. No training. A true mini vacation. We just couldn’t leave the estate. We were, in effect, on a lockdown that would last until Devon’s war with Lorenzo was over.
I groaned as I sat up and rubbed my face. Back to training for me. For as much as I griped about it, the exhaustive sessions seemed to be working. I hadn’t needed my new martial arts skills or my growing array of fighting techniques for what I calledthe Hamilton heist, but it came in handy when Lucas and I ran into vamps at the Renaud Library in San Francisco. And with whatever was coming, maybe I should consider doubling down on the training as my normal routine.
A delicate white jasmine blossom rested on the bathroom counter next to a hand-scribbled note. I picked up the flower and gave the spicy scent a deep sniff as I read the message.
Devon called a staff meeting that will fill the entire morning. Cressa told me to let you sleep. Get a decent breakfast. She’ll meet you in the training room at eleven. How about a late picnic by the lake?
I sighed and took another whiff of the jasmine before sticking it in a glass of water and setting it on the writing desk near the window. That vamp knew how to push all the right buttons. I shook my head. Who would have thought I’d fall for a vamp? The thought sobered me. An ill-fated relationship to be sure, but I tucked the thought away. I wasn’t the type to dwell on those things, preferring to live in the moment.
Once I freshened up and dressed, I wandered down to the kitchen, jonesing for a cup of Lucia’s fabulous coffee. One thing about Devon, he didn’t skimp on his chefs. I dearly loved Cook, who owned his kitchen at the coastal manor, but Lucia gave him a run for his money where coffee was concerned. She was a dazzling chef in her own right, and like Cook, proudly displayed her certificate from an internationally famous culinary school.
The kitchen was less frantic than during the three-day hiatus when a continuous buffet had been set up in the dining room. Since no one was on a time schedule except for the security patrols, Devon made sure food was available throughout the day. Just like on a cruise—or so I’d heard, never having been on one. Now, we were back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Lucia greeted me with a cup of coffee that she shoved in my hands. “Good morning, Ginger. Do you mind taking yourbreakfast in the dining room this morning?” She lowered her voice. “Anna is in there by herself. She’s been out of sorts since she arrived with Lyra before the island raid and doesn’t seem to know what to do with herself.”
Inside, I cringed. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Anna. She was a nice enough person, and a human, but she was so rigid and serious, she reminded me of an old English butler. Not that I knew what an old English butler was like other than in movies. On the outside, I smiled and patted Lucia’s arm. “Of course, we girls have to stick together.”
The relief on her face was enough to encourage me to make the best of my morning with Anna. When I considered my role in the Family, I didn’t have many duties. In fact, I only had one—training in the gym. Anna drove Cressa crazy with all the etiquette and history lessons. After the last mission and the previous threat of Council sanctions against House Trelane, maybe it was time I took living in the household more seriously. I wasn’t a fan of etiquette. My spirit was too rebellious for that, but it was important to know how to fit in among vamps. And though I wouldn’t admit it to most, I was fascinated by history. Maybe an hour or two with Anna wouldn’t be such a hardship.
Anna was halfway through a meal of eggs and fruit when I strolled into the dining room and plopped into a chair across from her.
“Good morning, Anna.”
She’d been so focused on her plate that she jumped at my greeting and choked on her food. Fortunately for her, I knew the Heimlich maneuver, but it wasn’t needed as she cleared her throat and sipped water.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” She appeared more dazed than pleased to see me, but she was like that with everyone. Devon saw something in her, so I would find that spark that was buried deep inside. My own personal mission.
I smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but you were definitely interested in those eggs. Lucia does something different with them than Cook.”
She calmed and nodded. “It’s the cream.”
“Cream?”
She nodded. “Lucia adds a touch of cream, which makes the eggs, well, creamier. Cook prefers water to make them fluffier. Then, of course, they both use different herbs.”
“Wow, I hadn’t thought of it before. I’ve always just whipped the eggs together and was grateful not to burn them.” It was a bit of a lie. I enjoyed cooking and did a pretty good job of it, but I never had the money to try new things. Not until Devon put me up in a condo. It was actually Cressa’s condo, but she rarely stayed there. She preferred being with Devon, which made sense since their relationship had grown intimate. Either way, having the condo and a constant supply of fresh ingredients gave me the opportunity to cook and try new recipes. Those days were gone for a while, at least until the lockdown was over.
My breakfast of oatmeal and a scrambled egg was served by one of the kitchen staff along with a small carafe of coffee. Anna preferred tea, and she received a fresh teapot.
Then silence descended.
Anna seemed a bit skittish and would probably finish her breakfast and leave without another word. The poor thing. The question was, did she not like me? Did she find me too… I don’t know, me? Or was she just shy unless the topic of history and vamp etiquette came up?
