we can get her sample? Will she come with us if we need her?”
“Yes, Deputy Director Palmeri is more than willing to lend a hand.” Abe laughed once again.
“Marla? You’re sure?” Lily asked wide-eyed. She had no idea Marla was related to the third donor.
“Yes, I’ve already tested a sample. She’s a match. We’re good to go.”
“Thank heavens.” Lily looked upward in a sign of thanks before Ryan wrapped his arms around her. “Now the real work can begin.”
She heard me! She heard me, you fucker! Ian shouted with all his might.
Gideon tried not to panic, as Becca brought him into what he assumed was her room.
“Are you tired? You can take a nap.”
“I’m not tired. Come sit with me.” Gideon took her hand and walked over to her bed. They sat on it and rested their backs against the headboard.
“That was awkward,” Becca stated.
“Yes, but I didn’t expect it to be easy. My ex, your ex, Lily’s husband . . . a little overwhelming, wouldn’t you agree?”
She squeezed his hand before turning to face him. “Yes, I would.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“Well, you know I’ve received my powers since I was able to heal you.”
“Yes, I had an inkling.” He smiled and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.
“It’s all kind of new. Lily was explaining a few things to me just before you came in.”
“Really? Anything of concern?” He wondered if Lily’s continued presence would pull his Rebecca away from him.
“Just that I should be careful these first few weeks. I might have surges of adrenalin, or any number of different hormonal changes. I just need to be careful not to let things get out of hand.” Becca smiled, hoping he would understand.
“We won’t be picking up where we left off before Liam broke us up, then?”
“No, not right away.”
Not ever, prick. She will see. She will know you’re not me. Ian let out a satisfied mental chuckle, which only brought forth a groan from Gideon.
“Sorry, but I just can’t trust myself, and I don’t want to rush into anything. Things are complicated enough right now.”
“I understand, but this doesn’t mean you’re leaving me behind, does it?” Gideon fought the urge to hold her.
“Not unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“Not in the least. Right now, I just want to be near you.”
“All right.” She kissed him before pulling back. “But you do need some rest. I don’t think I can angelically give you the energy you’ll need to function.”
He laughed. “I concede, this time.”
Becca got off the bed and pushed him down on his back.
“A little bossy, are we?”
“Just rest. I’ll be back to wake you in a few hours.” She left him with another soft kiss and a sigh.
Gideon took advantage of being left alone at last to make the call he should have made days before. He took Ian’s cell phone from the nightstand beside the bed. Gideon had the presence of mind to keep it close throughout the whole ordeal and made sure it would be found with Ian. He searched through the contacts for Liam’s number, the one he’d saved under an alias.
“Hello?”
“Liam, it’s Gideon. We’ve got problems.”
Liam let out a frustrated groan. “What now?”
“Lily is still alive.”
“I had a feeling.”
“You had a feeling! What the hell does that mean?” Gideon whisper-yelled so as not to be heard by everyone else in the manor.
“You could call it a sire thing. I could feel that our connection hadn’t been broken.”
“Get Debir and Filipp on this right away. They need to get rid of her, for their sake, as well as mine.”
“I’ve got a few problems of my own here, but I’ll work on it.”
“Problems of your own? What, the vampire life you begged us all for isn’t what it was cracked up to be?” Gideon laughed.
“It turns out my vampire elders have handpicked around thirty humans for
“Yes, Deputy Director Palmeri is more than willing to lend a hand.” Abe laughed once again.
“Marla? You’re sure?” Lily asked wide-eyed. She had no idea Marla was related to the third donor.
“Yes, I’ve already tested a sample. She’s a match. We’re good to go.”
“Thank heavens.” Lily looked upward in a sign of thanks before Ryan wrapped his arms around her. “Now the real work can begin.”
She heard me! She heard me, you fucker! Ian shouted with all his might.
Gideon tried not to panic, as Becca brought him into what he assumed was her room.
“Are you tired? You can take a nap.”
“I’m not tired. Come sit with me.” Gideon took her hand and walked over to her bed. They sat on it and rested their backs against the headboard.
“That was awkward,” Becca stated.
“Yes, but I didn’t expect it to be easy. My ex, your ex, Lily’s husband . . . a little overwhelming, wouldn’t you agree?”
She squeezed his hand before turning to face him. “Yes, I would.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“Well, you know I’ve received my powers since I was able to heal you.”
“Yes, I had an inkling.” He smiled and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.
“It’s all kind of new. Lily was explaining a few things to me just before you came in.”
“Really? Anything of concern?” He wondered if Lily’s continued presence would pull his Rebecca away from him.
“Just that I should be careful these first few weeks. I might have surges of adrenalin, or any number of different hormonal changes. I just need to be careful not to let things get out of hand.” Becca smiled, hoping he would understand.
“We won’t be picking up where we left off before Liam broke us up, then?”
“No, not right away.”
Not ever, prick. She will see. She will know you’re not me. Ian let out a satisfied mental chuckle, which only brought forth a groan from Gideon.
“Sorry, but I just can’t trust myself, and I don’t want to rush into anything. Things are complicated enough right now.”
“I understand, but this doesn’t mean you’re leaving me behind, does it?” Gideon fought the urge to hold her.
“Not unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“Not in the least. Right now, I just want to be near you.”
“All right.” She kissed him before pulling back. “But you do need some rest. I don’t think I can angelically give you the energy you’ll need to function.”
He laughed. “I concede, this time.”
Becca got off the bed and pushed him down on his back.
“A little bossy, are we?”
“Just rest. I’ll be back to wake you in a few hours.” She left him with another soft kiss and a sigh.
Gideon took advantage of being left alone at last to make the call he should have made days before. He took Ian’s cell phone from the nightstand beside the bed. Gideon had the presence of mind to keep it close throughout the whole ordeal and made sure it would be found with Ian. He searched through the contacts for Liam’s number, the one he’d saved under an alias.
“Hello?”
“Liam, it’s Gideon. We’ve got problems.”
Liam let out a frustrated groan. “What now?”
“Lily is still alive.”
“I had a feeling.”
“You had a feeling! What the hell does that mean?” Gideon whisper-yelled so as not to be heard by everyone else in the manor.
“You could call it a sire thing. I could feel that our connection hadn’t been broken.”
“Get Debir and Filipp on this right away. They need to get rid of her, for their sake, as well as mine.”
“I’ve got a few problems of my own here, but I’ll work on it.”
“Problems of your own? What, the vampire life you begged us all for isn’t what it was cracked up to be?” Gideon laughed.
“It turns out my vampire elders have handpicked around thirty humans for
Similar Books
