“Is a devious, sadistic bastard who’s lived this long because he’s a controlling dickwad who stamps out the first sign of a revolution,” Zack replied. “You’ve said that a few times. But we’re going to hit his blind spot.”
“We have to becareful,” Roger said.
“I know that.” Zack tensed, his arms squeezing tighter together. Then he pursed his lips and said, “If you can’t stop being terrified of him, we’re fucked.”
With that, he spun on his heels and headed for Nell’s door. Only long years of practice kept Roger from gaping. What Zack had said wasn’t entirely wrong, but that fear had kept Roger alive. He couldn’t simply abandon it when they’d need his awareness to keep them alive.
Instead of arguing, Roger put on his best calm demeanor and followed Zack into the office.
Some vampires’ homes felt like tombs, but Nell’s style was elegant without being unnaturally pristine. Her desk was at the side of the room, far enough away from the door that it didn’t crowd someone’s entrance, but she could easily spot an intruder and defend herself if need be. She stood beside the gleaming mahogany, an expressionless mask much like Roger’s gracing her features.
She wasn’t alone.
The man sitting across from her, and therefore in the center of the room, appeared to be in his early twenties. He had short black hair, cool, fawny skin, and pale blue eyes. His suit was rumpled, with his jacket over his knees, his white shirtsleeves rolled up, and his tie loose. His hair had been styled spikier, but much like the rest of him, it was travel-worn. He had the slump of someone who had been awake far too long, yet he had plenty of energy in the calculating gaze he leveled on Zack and Roger.
Takashi Sato was one of Nell’s trusted captains and one of Roger’s … could someone be considered an ex-boyfriend if they’d never gone on a date? They’d been lovers and had been close when Takashi came with Nell to Chicago in the 1920s. They’d reconnected at a meeting of regional vampires in Nashville in 1985.
“Roger,” Nell said, “shut the door.”
Ashamed that his own shocked reaction had caused a delay, Roger swiftly shut the door behind him. By the time he turned around to face the room again, he had forced his embarrassment below the surface and presented himself as the ageless vampire he was.
Takashi lightly sniffed the air. “Did you feed? Nell, why did he have a chance to do that while I haven’t?”
“Takashi,” Nell said, her tone firm.
Takashi sat up in his seat. “You summoned me from Cairo. Halfway across the world, and I didn’t bother to pack. I had to sleep in a coffin on a plane, and you know I hate doing that. Excuse me if I’m hangry.”
Zack went to the far corner of the room and kept his hands loose at his sides. Was he armed? Should Roger have checked him for weapons? Surely he wouldn’t try to murder Nell before they left Taliville.
I’m growing paranoid. Zack likes her and this place. He wouldn’t hurt her. Roger slid his hands into his pockets and strode further into the room to stand near Nell and Takashi. “I wouldn’t be surprised if your whining is an act and that your appearance is to put me at ease. Considering your penchant for disguise, I’m not convinced you’re tired or hungry.”
A small smile curled the left side of Takashi’s mouth. His focus became razor-sharp, and he leaned back against his chair. “The years haven’t dulled your memory.”
“Nor my curiosity,” Roger said. “Nell, what’s the point of this meeting?”
“He’s going with you to Chicago,” Nell stated.
If Roger needed to breathe, he would’ve stopped. “Excuse me?”
“I need assurance that your friendliness hasn’t been a ploy against my domain and you need the help,” Nell said.
“Zack and I have things well in hand.”
Nell glared at him with a coldness only a true immortal could master. “I will not see your mission fail, Roger. Seamus must be eliminated.”
She had sent a warning flare last night, but Roger had ignored her. She didn’t trust him, and he shouldn’t have trusted her so completely. Staying in Taliville had lulled him into a false sense of security. He wasn’t an ally; he was another pawn for her to manipulate across the board.
If he was ever going to lead, he needed to promote himself beyond the board and move his own pieces.
Too bad wishing doesn’t make it true. Roger flattened his expression into an equally hard glare. “You mean that you want a spy in my household.”
“Takashi will be an asset to both of us,” Nell replied.
“How do I know this isn’t a scheme to take the coven?” Roger demanded. “What will stop him from staking me in the back, claiming the GLC, and acting as your vassal?”
“I do not want to annex that territory. It would be too much land to govern, too many disparate groups of supernaturals to keep happy, not to mention the Wrights. I am quite content with my domain.”
“For now,” Zack drawled. His voice was low with a note of seriousness. Desire flickered in him. Nothing sexual, not in the least, but Roger couldn’t figure out the flavor of it without diving past Zack’s mental shields. “Takashi came from Cairo, so clearly, you planned on adding him to our group before you checked our room.”
