Thomas could only agree. “The new guy who says he bought it doesn’t look like the sharpest tool in the shed either. I get the feeling he’s just a puppet. He has no idea about the business, and I can’t help but think that he’s a front for somebody. Maybe we should look into this.” He looked at Samson.

Zane interrupted. “I’m way ahead of you. I made a few inquires and found out that he sold the place for next to nothing.”

Samson grunted. “I don’t like it. Do you think he was coerced?”

“Looks like it,” Zane confirmed. “And he’s definitely left town. I checked out his flat. Looks like he left in a hurry, only taking some personal items. His furniture is still there.”

Thomas scratched his head, not liking at all what he heard. “Al isn’t the kind of guy to make hasty decisions. Besides, he hates change. He wouldn’t just move from one day to the next.

That’s not like him.”

Zane rocked back on his heels. “Looks to me like he was shit-scared of something.”

“But what?” Thomas asked.

“Zane, why don’t you get a couple of guys on it to see what’s going on?” Samson suggested.

“Let us know what you find.”

“Sure, will do.” Then he pointed toward the door. “Looks like our guest of honor just arrived.”

Thomas looked to the door of the lounge and saw Haven entering, Yvette by his side. The witch-turned-vampire was a big man, broad-shouldered, and strong. Even as a human he’d been able to hold his own, but now, as a vampire, he was among the strongest of them. Yvette was both his mate and his sire, a combination that made their bond even stronger if that was possible.

While she’d always worn her hair short, after meeting Haven she’d stopped cutting it and it had grown back during her restorative sleep to the length it had had at her turning. She looked a lot more feminine now, and the hard edge she’d always had to her personality seemed to have softened too. Haven was good for her.

Haven had had his reservations about joining Scanguards after being a vampire hunter for most of his life. Luckily his love for Yvette had helped him see that his view of vampires, which had been influenced by a tragedy in his past, was too narrow-minded. Now that he had gotten to know their particular group of vampires, he’d finally accepted that even vampires could be good.

Thomas walked toward Haven and Yvette to greet them, Samson and Zane following him.

Before he reached them, the door opened again and Eddie entered. Instantly, his heart started beating faster, and his fangs itched, wanting to descend.

Eddie looked as fresh and innocent as always. He wore a hooded sweatshirt over his jeans and immediately pulled it over his head to rid himself of it since the lounge was overly warm. As he did so, the T-shirt he wore underneath pulled up with it, exposing toned abs and a hairless chest.

Of course, he’d seen Eddie shirtless before, but no matter how often he got a look at his perfect body, it always caused the same visceral reaction in him: his mouth went dry, his palms became damp, his heart started beating into his throat, and he had to fight against his vampire side to stop it from bursting to the surface, wrestling Eddie to the ground, stripping him naked and driving his aching cock into him while sinking his fangs into his neck and drinking from him.

Eddie tossed the sweatshirt onto a nearby chair and pulled his T-shirt back over his jeans, depriving Thomas of the sight.

Maybe it was better that way. Maybe he should simply remove himself from temptation.

Still, it wouldn’t eradicate his daydreams, nor the fantasies he had about Eddie and himself: how they would shower together, stroking each other; how they would share a bed, making love; how they would feast on each other, sharing their blood.

So many fantasies, yet not a single one would ever turn into reality.

6

Eddie saw how Haven and Yvette were already beleaguered by their colleagues, who shook Haven’s hand and congratulated him on his new position: bodyguard at Scanguards. Eddie remembered how proud he’d been when he had joined Scanguards over a year-and-a-half earlier.

Back then he’d been human and had had no idea about the vampires that ran Scanguards. Much had happened since. Good and bad stuff.

He walked past the crowd, noticing that Thomas too was shaking Haven’s hand. He’d known that he would find Thomas here. Nevertheless, his heart started beating faster, and nervousness crept up his spine, spreading over his entire body. He didn’t know anymore how to behave around his mentor. Ever since he’d overheard Oliver and Blake, he felt awkward when talking to Thomas. And always on edge, as if he needed to weigh each word he uttered, careful not to say anything that might give Thomas the impression that Eddie was into him—because he wasn’t.