Zane shrugged as if he didn’t even understand her objection. “It’s safe. And it’s run by an ally. But what’s most important, nobody will suspect you here.”

At the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs, Ursula turned her head. A gorgeous Chinese woman in an elegant business suit glided down the staircase, her walk as graceful as that of a princess. Her black hair was piled high on her head, and her face was enhanced with subtle make-up, emphasizing her expressive eyes. She looked no older than thirty.

“Zane,” she greeted the vampire in a husky voice.

Zane simply nodded, then pointed to Ursula. “Vera, thank you for agreeing to this. This is Ursula.”

Vera let her eyes run over Ursula, giving her a thorough inspection. “So you’re the special one. I’m Vera. I run this place.”

She stretched out her hand, and Ursula felt compelled to shake it. Despite the polite gesture she couldn’t suppress her next comment. “So you’re my new jailor.”

“Ouch!” she replied dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest, before glancing at Zane. “What have you done to her that she has such a bad opinion of us?”

Zane grunted. “Nothing.”

“I see, so you were your usual pleasant self.”

When Zane glared back at her, Ursula almost wanted to smile. It appeared that Vera wasn’t afraid of him. She had to be a vampire herself. No human would dare piss off Zane, nor would many vampires.

“As Samson requested: keep her here, don’t let her out of your sight, and don’t give her any access to a phone or any other means of communication. She’s not to have any contact with anybody from Scanguards, particularly not with Oliver.”

Vera raised her lids. “Oh? What’s the poor guy done now?”

Ursula huffed at that. Poor guy? “Jerk!” she let out under her breath. First he’d seduced her and then he’d betrayed her.

“Ah, I see. Well, leave it to me. I’ll take good care of her.”

Without another word, Zane turned on his heels and left. When the entrance door fell shut, Vera put her hand on Ursula’s arm and motioned her up the stairs.

“I’m having a room made up for you on the top floor. It’s very secure and comfortable.”

Ursula tossed her a sideways glance. “You mean I won’t be able to escape.”

Vera gave her a chiding look. “Now, now. Why so hostile? I was planning to treat you like a guest. If you’d rather be treated like a prisoner, however, that can be arranged.”

Ursula pressed her lips together.

“Listen, my dear, I’ve been told what you’ve been through, and it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anybody. But it happened, and you have to let it go. I look at you and I see myself when I was your age.”

They reached the second floor and continued on to the next flight of stairs.

“Only I was pregnant then,” Vera confessed.

Surprised, Ursula looked at her. “But you’re a vampire, aren’t you? If you know all this about me and are associated with Scanguards, you must be one of them.”

She smiled. “Yes, of course. But I was human once. And young like you.”

“You’re still young. Look at you.”

“My shell is young, but inside, I’ve aged. I’ve grieved for the child I was never able to raise. And the years I wasted trying to get revenge for the wrong that was done to me. Don’t make the same mistake I did. It’s time to live.”

Ursula dropped her lids. “I wish it were that easy. But I’m not alone in this. There are others like me, and as long as they’re suffering, I’m suffering.” She hadn’t forgotten the women who’d become her sisters over those years, the women who’d endured the same hardships as she had.

“Let Scanguards take care of them.” Vera opened a door to a room and motioned Ursula to enter.

A young woman was putting finishing touches on the bed, then moved into the adjacent bathroom.

“Do you trust Scanguards?” Ursula asked.

“With my life. They’re honest and dependable. You won’t find anybody with higher ethics than the men who work for Scanguards.”

Ursula huffed indignantly just as the young woman exited the bathroom. “Well, if that’s the case, then I guess Oliver is the one bad apple that spoils the batch!”

“Oliver?” Vera asked, clearly surprised, and even the other woman stopped in her movements and stared at her. “Oliver is the sweetest man anybody could wish for. Full of integrity, honor, and—”