Chapter 43
"I'm sorry, sweetness," he said and turned toward her, pulling her into his arms. "But something doesn't feel right."
"Do you think that Zane's claim has any merit at all?"
"No. You know as well as I do that no father would do that to his daughter. You know I wouldn't."
She smiled at him, and he felt the love between them radiate. "I suspect you'll run background checks on any man who comes near Isabelle?"
Samson grinned. "You bet. But as soon as she's eighteen, she'll be entertaining offers. And he'd better be gentle with her, or I'm gonna take his head off."
Delilah pressed her lips to his cheek. "What's really bothering you about what Zane said if you don't believe he's right?"
"It's not what he said, but how he said it. As if he knew something that n.o.body else did. Delilah, he believed her. Zane isn't someone to trust or be easily fooled. Something happened there. He wasn't as cold and indifferent as he normally is. He was pa.s.sionate about this issue."
"You don't think there could be something going on?" She shook her head instantly. "Zane is more loyal to Scanguards than anybody else. He would never do anything that goes against your rules."
"I'm not so sure about that anymore. When he was here earlier, I sensed him wanting to rebel. He questioned my judgment without being able to back it up with facts. That's not like him. He's acting on emotion."
"Isn't that a good thing? Wasn't that always your worry about Zane, that he's too cold, too emotionless? Maybe Drake's getting through to him."
"After one session? I doubt that very much. No, something else must have happened."
"With the girl?"
Samson hoped he was wrong, but somehow his gut told him to check it out. He would never forgive himself if something happened because he hadn't done his due diligence.
"What are you gonna do?"
He sat up and reached for the phone. "Check in with Oliver. See whether she told him the same story."
Delilah already knew what he was thinking, their telepathic bond sensing his next thoughts. "If she did, then she's playing everybody, but if she didn't, then it's got to do with Zane."
Oliver's cell rang only once before he picked it up and answered it quietly. "Samson?" In the background, there was chatter. Samson figured that he was still at the university.
"Can you talk?"
"Sure. Portia is just saying good-bye to her friends. We're heading back home in a moment."
"Listen, this might sound like an odd question, but has Portia fed you any sob story about what her father is trying to do to her so you'd let her out of your sight?" Samson deliberately didn't say anything about her claim that she needed to lose her virginity. He didn't want to ask a leading question.
There was a short hesitation on Oliver's part before he answered. "No, she's been fine. Hangs out with Lauren mostly. She goes to all her cla.s.ses like a model student and is pretty agreeable."
"So she hasn't tried to escape you or tried to gain your sympathy?"
"No. Definitely not."
Odd. Samson exchanged a look with Delilah who shrugged.
"Thanks, Oliver, good job."
He disconnected and dialed another number. He wasn't satisfied with Oliver's answers. Model student? That didn't sound like the girl her father had been describing to Gabriel.
"Hey, Samson," Thomas answered his phone, his voice a little groggy. "Please tell me there's a good reason you're interrupting my sleep."
"Sorry, Thomas, but I'm worried about Zane."
"What has he done now?"
"Nothing, it's more like what he said-or didn't say. I need your opinion."
"Sure."
"You covered for him when he went to Drake's. What kind of impression did you get of Portia?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. She seemed nice, polite even."
"Did she try to gain your sympathy by giving you some bull story about why her father has us protect her?"
"No. What was she supposed to tell me?"
"Zane came to see me tonight. He claimed that she told him that her father is trying to keep her imprisoned so she won't have a chance at losing her virginity before her twenty-first birthday in five weeks."
There was a pause. Then, "Oh, s.h.i.+t."
Thomas's curse made Samson's body coil in tension.
"Does that mean she told you too?"
"No. But-Samson, this is not good." Thomas cleared his throat.
Instantly alert, Samson pressed the phone closer to his ear. "What do you know? Tell me now."
"Listen, Samson, I'm not one to rat of my friends, but... when I went to Portia's house the other night... I could smell her on him.
"f.u.c.k!"
"I can't be sure," Thomas hastened to add.
"f.u.c.k, Thomas, you should have told me!"
"d.a.m.n it, Samson, I couldn't. I warned Zane. He knew he was on notice. But this, I mean, knowing that she wants to lose her virginity, that changes things."
"It's all a lie, Thomas. There's no way she's still a virgin. No father would allow that to happen to his hybrid daughter. She's using the story to manipulate him so she gets what she wants. And Zane is stupid enough to fall for it."
"You have to pull him off the a.s.signment."
"I should have never put him on it in the first place. It was a huge mistake. He can't be allowed to ever touch her again."
"I hope it's not too late," Thomas mused.
Samson shook his head. He hadn't smelled anything suspicious on Zane and was pretty sure he hadn't touched Portia last night. But he couldn't risk having Zane near her any longer. It would violate the trust their client had placed in Scanguards: to keep his daughter safe. Exposing her to a vampire who would go against her father's strict instructions would break that trust and jeopardize Scanguards' integrity.
"I need you to take over from Oliver at sunset." At least with Thomas he knew there would be no problems: he was not susceptible to a woman's charms, no matter how enticing she might be. It was one advantage of having a gay vampire on staff.
"I'm on it."
"Thanks." He pressed the disconnect b.u.t.ton.
"And now?" Delilah asked.
"Zane is in for a dressing down." A major dressing down.
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
Zane reared up from his bed, for a brief moment wondering what had awakened him, when he heard the sound once more: his cell phone was vibrating. He s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the bedside table and looked at caller ID.
s.h.i.+t, it was never good to get a call from one's boss at this time of day.
"Samson, what-?"
"I'm taking you off your a.s.signment. As of immediately!" Samson's voice sounded decidedly p.i.s.sed off.
An instant curse escaped him before he could clamp his mouth shut. "f.u.c.k!"
"Yeah, you f.u.c.ked up big time. I want to see you in my office a half hour after sunset!"
"What the f.u.c.k did I do?"
"Oh, you know very well what you did. You touch that girl once more, and I'll have your head for it. Are we clear?"
s.h.i.+t, f.u.c.k, c.r.a.p!
Quinn!
That b.a.s.t.a.r.d had told Samson that Portia had been at his place, in his bed even. And Zane had pretended that night that he'd had a woman there for s.e.x. Quinn, that f.u.c.king traitor, had promptly run to Samson and ratted on him.
"In my office a half hour after sunset!" Samson repeated and disconnected the call.
Zane slammed his fist into the mattress, his mood as dark as it had ever been. He bolted from the bed, ready to beat his friend to a pulp. Friend? He had no friend!
How could Quinn go behind his back like that? Without even a warning!
Black hate chased disappointment as he considered Quinn's action and what it meant. Two things came to mind instantly: Portia would remain a virgin her entire life, and Zane would never see her again.
Both options hurt equally. Hurt him, the man who thought he could feel no more pain because he'd felt it all before. But it was as strong as ever: white hot pain as if somebody were driving a hot iron through his beating heart. Yes, it was beating, harder than before, but not because he needed his heart to pump blood through his veins, but because he felt compa.s.sion for another person: Portia.
Despite the things that were written in her file, in his heart he knew that she had told him the truth. She might have tried to manipulate him in other ways, but he couldn't deny what was in her eyes.
And he'd be d.a.m.ned if he'd desert her now and leave her in the care of people who didn't believe her.
He rocked to a halt in front of Quinn's bedroom and retreated. It wouldn't do him any good to satisfy his need for revenge right now. Quinn would get the beating he deserved soon enough. For now, Zane needed to take care of more important things.
As quietly as his anger allowed him to move, he went into his bedroom suite and got dressed. A quick look at his watch confirmed that it was still at least two hours to sunset. It didn't matter. He had to act now and get a head start before anybody caught onto what he was planning.
Zane snuck down the stairs, carefully avoiding those that creaked. In the hallway, he turned toward the door that led into the garage.
A soft whine made him spin around. Z looked at him, eyes big, his tail wagging excitedly.
"Go back to sleep," he whispered.
Apparently the animal didn't understand and jumped up his leg, hugging his calf.
Zane crouched down. "No, you can't come."
Big round eyes begged him to reconsider.
Ah, s.h.i.+t!
"Fine," he growled low and dark. "But don't complain if you're freezing."
He grabbed the dog and hooked him under his arm, then slid through the door into the garage. He didn't bother switching on any lights, and instantly opened the door to his Hummer, plopping onto the driver's seat quickly.
He set Z onto the back seat and eased the door of the vehicle shut.
When he started the engine, he cringed inwardly, hoping that the noise wouldn't wake Quinn. His bedroom was in the back of the house, away from the garage, and since his guest hadn't gotten used to the particular noises of this neighborhood, he could only hope that Quinn thought the sound of a car starting or the garage door opening belonged to the adjacent house.
Zane pressed the automatic garage door opener and backed out of the garage as soon as it had lifted sufficiently enough. It closed behind him as he backed onto the street and drove off.
Traffic in the late afternoon in the Mission was murder. It was always a risk to be out during daytime, even in a specially equipped car or one of the blackout vans Scanguards possessed to transport vampires during daylight hours. One accident was enough to put a vampire at risk for death. It was one of the reasons he'd bought a Hummer. Very little could damage the car that was practically built like a personal tank.
He was as safe in this car as he'd ever be outside during daytime. Still, it was a risk, but one he couldn't avoid today.
As he navigated through traffic, he dialed Portia's cell number.
It took two rings before she picked up. Before she could say a single word, he issued his order. "Say 'hi, Lauren'."
"Hi, Lauren." Portia's voice shook for a second, but she caught herself immediately. "What' going on?"
Relief flooded him at her quick comprehension. "Listen carefully. Do you still want to lose your virginity?"
"Yes, of course."