Corbin took the card and looked at it. “Thank you. And, may I ask you for a favor in return?”

Oliver shot him a curious look. “Yes?”

“May I ask you to please not tell anybody about the fact that I went to a place where they keep women with drugged blood? I really don’t want to be judged by my peers. I’m new in town, and you know how it is when gossip makes the rounds.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

Oliver left the house, satisfied that he’d been able to confirm Ursula’s claim. She had told him the truth, and that news made him feel a whole lot better. However, he wasn’t any closer to finding out where Ursula’s captors had taken the other girls.

23

Ursula eyed the two newcomers cautiously. They had arrived minutes earlier with big suitcases in tow and worried expressions on their faces. Blake had greeted them enthusiastically and introduced them as Rose and Quinn, his fourth great-grandparents.

Neither of the two looked any older than twenty-five. Rose was a classical beauty with long golden hair and a model figure to die for. Quinn wasn’t any less handsome. His blond hair looked windswept, and his hazel eyes were alert and beautiful.

“You must be Ursula,” he greeted her and offered his hand.

Not wanting to be impolite, considering she was staying in his house, she shook it. “Nice to meet you.” Whether her statement would prove to be true wasn’t decided yet.

When he released her hand, he addressed Blake, “Where is Oliver?”

“Out.”

“Out where?”

Blake crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know.”

Before Quinn could say anything else, Rose put a hand on his arm, making him look at her. Instantly, the expression in his eyes softened, and he smiled at her.

“Don’t, love. He’ll be back.” She motioned to Ursula. “I can’t see him staying away for long.”

Slowly, the tension in Quinn’s shoulders seemed to ease. “You’re right. I just feel that we should have never left. He’s not ready yet to be left alone.”

“Don’t coddle him,” Rose cautioned. “He’s a grown man.”

“I’m still responsible for him.”

Ursula watched their exchange with interest. So this was Oliver’s sire, the vampire who’d turned him. And by the looks of it, he was nothing like any of the vampires she’d encountered in the last three years. Rather, he looked like a concerned father. He reminded her of her own father, how he’d worried when she’d moved to New York to go to college. At the beginning, he’d called her daily to reassure himself that she was all right. Maybe that memory was the reason why she now wanted to soothe Quinn’s concerns.

“Oliver went out to feed. He’ll be back soon.” She kept the fact that he was looking for the man whose wallet she’d stolen to herself. It wasn’t something she could reveal without giving away things she wasn’t willing to share. The situation was complicated enough.

Quinn let his eyes wander over her face. “So you know that he doesn’t drink bottled blood. Does that scare you?”

She hesitated. When she’d seen Oliver only a short while ago with his extended fangs, his sharp claws, and his red eyes, she’d felt true fear course through her, but now, that memory seemed so distant that she couldn’t recall the feeling. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

“Why don’t we all sit down for a bit? I’m exhausted from the trip,” Rose confessed and pointed toward the living room.

Having no reason to refuse her invitation, Ursula walked into the living room. She eyed the clock over the mantle. Oliver had been gone for a long time. Had he run into trouble with the vampire whose wallet she’d stolen? She knew she shouldn’t worry about him. After all, he was a vampire and a trained bodyguard. And he was armed.

A prickling at her neck suddenly made her turn her head back to the door. Her heart nearly stopped: Oliver was back. He stood between door and frame and stared at Rose and Quinn, not even noticing her.

“What are you doing back so soon?” he asked, his voice clipped.

“Is that the way you welcome your family these days?” Rose replied, bracing her hands at her hips.

“Of course not,” Oliver deflected quickly and walked toward her. “Welcome home, Rose, how was your honeymoon?” He pulled her into a quick embrace, when his eyes suddenly fell on Ursula.

When he freed himself from Rose, he nodded to his sire. “You must be tired from the trip. Why don’t you two go upstairs and rest? I can carry up your suitcases.”