Then, less than a month later, Marquin came across Baylin in a pub in Galway. He’d been turned and abandoned, left as a newbie vamp to find his own way. Marquin saw a lot of himself in Baylin, so he brought him home, and Saiden and Baylin learned how to become vampires together. Three hundred plus years later, he still considered him his baby brother.
Since they always had each other’s backs, he knew Baylin would take his call regardless of whether he was sleeping, fucking, or hacking.The only three things Baylin was ever doing.
“‘Sup, bro?” Baylin answered on the fourth ring.
Thank goodness, Saiden thought. The lack of a prominent Irish brogue told Saiden his brother was sober. Of all his family, Baylin adapted to the changing times better than anyone. It was part of his gift from Lilith—his ability to absorb, understand, and retain information at an astounding rate. As modern times brought modern advancements, he went from scholar to tech wizard and never looked back. Except when he was drunk. It was as if copious amounts of alcohol acted as a time machine, tossing him straight into the back alleys of Northern Ireland.
“Hey, I need a favor,” Saiden replied in greeting.
“Name it.” Baylin’s tone was alert and his breathing steady which meant he was already in hacker mode, and Saiden hadn’t interrupted either of his brother’s other favorite bedroom activities.
“I have a woman with me, and I need—”
“Way to go, big bro,” Baylin interrupted, and Saiden could practically hear him sending a virtual high five over the phone. “It’s been what, two years, three years since you last got laid?”
Five, but that was so far off topic at the moment that he didn’t bother to correct him.
“It’s not like that,” he gritted out, finding himself upset that Baylin had reduced Cora to a simple lay. He knew a mate’s protective instincts were powerful, but he didn’t expect to feel this murderous toward his brother over a simple offhand comment. It was probably a damn good thing he was warning them before he just showed up with her, and even better that Derrick was out of town. Baylin was usually respectful toward women, but Derrick would no doubt make a lewd comment and then Saiden would have to explain to Marquin why his cousin’s spleen was splattered across the front steps.
“Dude, it’s not a rogue, is it?” Baylin asked. “You know it almost never works out when you try to save them.”
“You’re lucky Marquin didn’t feel that way when he first met you,” Saiden shot back. He hated being reminded that his efforts to save rogues almost always failed, but Baylin hated being reminded that he nearly was one, so the retort was only fair.
“Yeah, yeah,” Baylin muttered. “So, what’s up?”
“You heard Marquin sent me down to compel that female who knew a little too much about our kind, right?”
“Yup,” Baylin said, and Saiden heard him cracking open a can. He didn’t even need to be there to know it was some foul-tasting energy drink with enough caffeine to send even a sloth into overdrive. He never understood how his brother could drink those things when vampires naturally had plenty of energy. It was like Baylin wasn’t happy unless he was literally vibrating.
“Well, there was a hitch.”
“A hitch?”
“Yeah. I tried to compel her and…” The words lodged in his throat. He really would have rather told his brother in person. In their world, this was pretty much epic level news, and it deserved more than a phone call. Given the givens, though, he had no choice.
“...and I couldn’t.”
The silence coming from the phone lasted for so long that Saiden had to check to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected.
“Say something,” he urged, sitting up ramrod straight in the car. It was killing him not seeing Baylin’s reaction. He wanted his brother to be happy for him, but there was also a certain bone-deep sadness that hit when someone else found their mate and you were still waiting. He felt it himself more than once among a few acquaintances, but thankfully the couple had never been one of his own cadre. He couldn’timagine the soul crushing agony of having a newly mated pair living just down the hall from him.
“I am so fucking pissed,” Baylin started.
Saiden cringed. He couldn’t blame his brother. He should have been prepared for this.
“...that you aren’t here right now so I can give you a massive freaking hug!”
A tidal wave of relief washed through Saiden, and he collapsed back into his seat.
“You’re not upset?” he asked.
“Only that you told me over the phone, you jackass. Why aren’t you here? I want to meet her. Is she amazing? I bet she’s amazing. And I know she must have the patience of a saint to put up with you.”
Laughing, Saiden pictured Cora’s flushed face during her ranting earlier. “You might think that, but it's pretty much the opposite. And not the main reason I called. I need you to help me out with something, and you’re not going to like it.”
There was another bout of silence before Baylin asked warily, “What is it?”
“There’s a slight problem with Cora. Well, two problems if I’m being honest, but only one you can help with. You know how Marquin sent me down here because you found her script with our secret? That’s what she does for her career by the way, she directs horror flicks, and she’s unnervingly passionate about it. You and I both know the film has to be stopped and the script destroyed, but the problem is that she’s, well, let’s just say she’s less than willing to cooperate. I need you to hack her phone, her laptop, anything you can find and destroy all traces of it. Make sure to find anybody she’s shared it with also.”
