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him. And I’ve put it
off long enough.”
    “I don’t want you to go back to him,” Theo
said, drawing me down into his lap. “It’s been great sleeping with
you every night, and not having you leave every week.” He paused.
“But I get that you have to. You need to be there for Venus,
too.”
    I wanted to squirm, I was so guilty. I had to
get out of here now before Danial came out from his bedroom to join
our discussion. My great vampire detective/lover wouldn’t be put
off by a few well-told lies. “I’ll be back as soon as I can—”
    “Just call, if it’s going to be more than
overnight,” Theo interrupted, picking Devon up and hugging him.
“We’ll worry, otherwise. Won’t we?”
    Calling out an affirmation, I transferred a
few necessary overnight items into a bag. When I loaded it into one
of Danial’s SUV’s, I also pocketed the transmitter from Theo’s
glove compartment. I’d give it back to Lash that night.
    * * * *
    I left early, stopping off at my old house
first. Warren hadn’t come back yet, but he was due any time.
    I quickly went inside and got my invisible
box. It should read: It no longer contained Dev’s choker, only his
poetry. Did Devlin still have the choker I’d thrown at him the
night I discovered he and Catherine? I’d find out shortly.
    I read the poetry quickly, hoping to feel
some loving spark kindle for Devlin. But the words just sounded
false to me, and I wondered how I could have ever believed
them.
    I’d have to get Dev to give me his blood.
Once he did, I’d be in thrall to him again. If I couldn’t get out
of this, it was better to get it over with.
    * * * *
    I arrived at Hayden around three in the
afternoon. Lash answered the gate intercom, and let me inside. He
was waiting in the garage when I drove my truck in and parked.
    I got out, and handed him the transmitter.
“Do you need to search me?”
    He put it in his own truck, and then faced
me. “I’d say yes even if I trusted you,” he hissed, baring one
fang. “And I do. Assume the position.”
    He searched me, then my bag. “Follow me to
Titus.”
    When we reached Titus in his basement lab, he
turned to leave. “Wait for me,” I called.
    Lash stopped, turning to look at me
curiously.
    Titus raised his eyebrows. “She’s clean,” he
rumbled, then cast baleful eyes to Lash. “Watch yourself,
snake.”
    Lash hissed at him, baring fang, then started
walking. “Mind your own shit. Move, Sar.”
    What was that about? I gave Titus a smile,
then hurried after Lash.
    He was waiting in the kitchen. “What do you
want with me?” he hissed, leaning back against the counter. “I have
things to do.”
    “Serena’s not here, is she?” I asked. “And
neither is Dev?”
    “Serena’s out shopping. Robin and she go
every week, and have lunch in town. They are getting to be good
friends.”
    Was I supposed to feel jealous that she
had another friend besides me now? Jerk. “And Dev?”
    “Dev is with Venus. Titus is heading back
there shortly. He’ll be home about eight or nine.”
    I had known I’d have hours to kill. Just not
this many. “That’s six hours.”
    “I told you not to come until dusk,” Lash
hissed. “You’ll have to amuse yourself, I’m afraid.”
    “So you’re just going to let me wander around
by myself?” I said, folding my arms. “You’ve never done that
before.”
    “You always liked to work,” Lash said,
tilting his head. “Your filing downstairs is just as you left it.
Dev said over and over in the last few months that you would come
back and finish it. Now might be a time to get started. You’re safe
enough down there. You don’t need me.”
    Crazy as it sounded, I didn’t want to be
alone with my thoughts. I wanted to have someone to talk to. I was
dreading dealing with Devlin. But at least filing would occupy me.
“I’ll go work on it,” I answered, defeated. “You’re right, there is
still a lot to do—”
    “Do you want to see the gardens, before