"And what will you and Kade be doing?" Quinn asked the question that was sitting on my lips.
"We'll be paying a little visit to the company who manufactures these devices." He held up the plastic-wrapped laser.
Rhoan and I shared a glance. If Kade was involved in something like that, he was definitely more than just a builder.
Jack tossed me a phone. "Don't go anywhere near that club until we call you."
"Just make sure you call me before three tomorrow. I doubt Misha will take kindly to being kept waiting."
"And yet he will wait. Remember, he's probably got as much to gain from all this as us. Let's move it, Kade." He headed for the door, but threw over his shoulder, "Rhoan, call in a cleanup team and ensure all Directorate goods are out of here before you leave."
My gaze shot across to my brother and I couldn't help my grin. Sometimes, things did fall into place.
He just rolled his eyes and shook his head as he said, "Quinn, do you want to head downstairs and find yourself a car? I'll meet you out front with Riley."
He waited until Quinn had left, then picked up the com-unit and walked over to hand it to me. "You do know he's going to check that all items were picked up from this place. Which means he'll realize soon enough this com-unit is missing."
"By which time, I'll have returned it." I kissed my brother's cheek. "Don't worry, I won't drag you into this one."
"How often have I heard that?" His voice was dry and I grinned. We both knew the answer to that particular question was "more often than necessary." He touched my elbow lightly and motioned toward the bedroom I'd woken in. "Let's go grab a bag of clothes for you."
I walked into the room and dropped the unit on the end of the bed then headed for the wardrobe. "I just hope the passwords I know will get me deep enough into the system to uncover who the hell Kade is."
"If you haven't got full codes, it might be better not to tackle the Directorate's data, but rather, go for outside sources. As his assistant, you have clearances into most Government systems."
Now there was a thought. And it was less likely to get me in deep shit with Jack. "Uncover what he isn't, you mean?"
He nodded, and walked across the cut-open window. His short red hair barely stirred in the cool breeze as he stared out into the night. Given his expression—or rather, the chilled lack of it—those creatures wouldn't want to attack a second time.
"If Kade is a builder, there'll be trade certificates, business registrations, stuff like that. And you should be able to find other pointers, like birth certificates and school reports, to confirm he is who he says he is."
"And if he isn't who he says he is, I'll beat the damn information out of him." Hey, I had to take my frustrations over fate and the shit she was shoveling my way out on someone.
Rhoan's sudden smile lifted the coldness from his eyes. "Or you could tease him, then withhold sexual privileges. That'll get the information out of him right quick."
I smiled. "Ah, but that'll be punishing myself, as well."
"There's plenty of wolves out there who'd be more than willing to cure that particular affliction."
"Not to mention a particular vampire who'd be more than willing," I muttered without thinking.
"Is that why he's still here?" Rhoan asked. "Because he's finally realized he let a good thing go?"
I snorted. "It's not the only reason, no. I'm never the only reason he's down in Melbourne."
My voice held an edge, and he frowned at me. "I thought we'd sorted all this out?"
I blew out a breath. I really should learn to shut my mouth. "We did. But I sort of offered him a compromise."
He shook his head. "That's not wise."
I shoved the com-unit in the bag and cushioned it with more clothes and a couple of pairs of shoes. "I know, I know. But if he could learn to deal with me having other partners, then I can't see the harm in it."
"The harm in it is that he won't ever change, no matter what he says."
Maybe. And maybe he deserved the chance to prove otherwise. "It's all a moot point until he says yea or nay to the compromise, anyway."
"So when did you make this deal?"
"Up on Macedon."
"And why were you up on Macedon?"
Oh God, I hadn't told him yet. I took a deep breath, and slowly released it.
"What aren't you telling me?" he said, more forcefully this time. We might not share the telepathy of twins, but in many ways, we didn't need it.
"That appointment I had was for the fertility specialist."
He was silent for a long moment. "And?"
"I'm temporarily fertile."
It wasn't the answer he'd been expecting and his shock rippled through the air. "What?"
"I can't risk it, Rhoan. Not with the ARC 1-23 running through my system."
"Ah, Jesus." He swept a hand through his bristly hair, then strode toward me. After wrapping his arms around me, he squeezed tight and said softly, "I'm sorry, sis."
I could barely even nod, he was holding me so tight.
"Misha knows, doesn't he?"
"Yes."
"That's why he wants this meeting, then."
"Yes." Because he wanted to use me, and reproduce with me, just like everyone damn else seemed to.
Everyone except Kade, who just wanted to have a good time, and Quinn who wanted me to be his, and only his. Only he didn't want the wolf, just the woman, and he couldn't have one without the other.
"I know how much you want a child, but you can't do it."
"I know." I pulled back. "I'm protected against pregnancy. Only Quinn knows that."
"I can imagine how he took it." Rhoan grimaced.
"Yeah, he did mention something along the lines of whoring myself for the sake of the Directorate."
"He may be a very old vampire, but he was still once human. And they just can't get their minds around sex being something that should be shared and celebrated. Which is why—"
"Don't," I interrupted, "lecture me on the subject any more, bro. I've offered him a deal and I intend to stick to it."
"I still don't think it's a good idea, but I'll shut up on the matter." He kissed my forehead. "Let's get out of here, before those blue suckers decide to pay a second visit."
I glanced toward the lasered window. "You don't really think they'd attack again so soon, do you?"
"Probably not, but these people have a tendency to do the unexpected."
Like causing a car crash and snatching me for breeding purposes just when we'd all begun to think I was safe. Dammit, why were they after me? What was so goddamn important about my genes that they were so determined to have me? And why not Rhoan, who carried the same genes?
"Sol can keep this?" I raised the small laser he'd given me earlier.
"Yeah. Jack will have a coronary, as they're guardian-only weapons, but right now, I don't give a shit." He grabbed the bag from my shoulder. "It's got a stun setting, if you'd prefer to shoot first and ask questions later."
"Already noted, bro."
He smiled. "Keep behind me, and wrap the shadows around you."
I did, and we made it down the stairs without mishap. Quinn was little more than a deeper shade of night, but I would have known he was there even if I wasn't using infrared. His rich scent warmed the night air.
"There's several cameras currently trained on us," he commented, opening the front passenger door for me. "I'm not sure if they're infrared, but I'll be dumping this vehicle as soon as possible."
"Good." Rhoan glanced at me. "Be careful."