As soon as he was gone, however, Yolen opened things up. “You’re going out with that asshole?”
“He’s not as bad as I thought.”
“Now there’s a strong recommendation.”
She shrugged. “He’s nice and he bought one of my paintings.” She turned to pick up a brush and wiped it carefully with one of her cloths. She swirled it in turpentine, then cleaned it again.
“You’re going out with him because he bought one of your paintings?”
Her throat ached and dammit her chest hurt something fierce. “It’s not the only reason.”
Yolen drew close, then put a gentle hand on her back. “Have I hurt you so much that you can’t even look at me?”
She glanced up at him and tears rushed to her eyes. Without thinking she turned and grabbed hold of him, hugging him hard. He smelled yet again like a fire by the river. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t be with you anymore. I can’t explain it, but I’ve been telling you for weeks now that I’ve needed more from you. I thought after Saturday night that you were finally understanding me, at least a little. And I do know that coming to the exhibition was a big concession for you, but Yolen, it just isn’t enough. I’m sorry.”
“Sweet Goddess,” he murmured. “I guess I really fucked up.” He drew back slightly and glanced at the backyard and the dark sky above. “Dawn’s coming. I have to go.”
“I know.” She pulled away, her chest shuddering as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m sorry, Yolen, but I’ve tried to tell you.” Again, she couldn’t meet his gaze.
He turned and slowly left by the backdoor. She watched him lift into the air and fly swiftly north, no doubt heading to his home across the river.
***
Chapter Five
Yolen slept fitfully through the day and finally rose early, well before full-dark. He had one of the trolls at the office bring him the same stack of files he’d been laboring over so that he could at least get some work done while his love life went all to hell.
The afternoon wore on and as the sun began to set, he pushed the files aside and reviewed all the notes he’d made, especially about the increased meth trade. Using a map, he plotted the various sections of Cameron where the most drug-related murders had occurred over the past year. He separated out the ones involving dealers from the prior gang because they represented a familiar cleansing of the usurped power structure.
From his experience, he knew that most kingpins liked to stick fairly close to their territories or at least to their top, most successful lieutenants. He’d already pinpointed the kingpin’s second-in command, but hadn’t yet brought him in for questioning. Not yet, at least. He wanted to gather more information before he tipped his hand.
Looking at the map, he started at the easternmost point of a recent slew of murders, then moved his gaze steadily west to the known lieutenant’s house. But when he went even farther, he hit something that started dovetailing with the files he’d read. His hand rested over an area of Cameron where Keynes had recently purchased a home.
Keynes again.
He sat back in his chair and suddenly everything made sense, all of it, including Brianna and why Keynes had developed a sudden interest in dating her.
Even why Brianna had become more demanding in recent weeks.
He shoved his hands through his hair, dislodging the Guardsman clasp. He recalled now that Ethan had said something similar, hinting at the truth.
A long list of obscenities rolled through his head.
This couldn’t be happening and yet it was.
All of it.
He thought about the way Brianna had started rubbing her chest and complaining about needing Yolen to feed so that she could get some relief. Donors never talked about having too much of a supply. Quite the opposite. Tapping into a vein usually had to be done at careful intervals. Sometimes a woman couldn’t be drained more than once a month.
But Brianna’s supply seemed to have increased dramatically.
And there was only one kind of woman that experienced over-production: a blood rose.
There was also only one kind of vampire who benefited enormously from bonding with a blood rose both in power and in supply: a mastyr vampire.
Brianna was a blood rose.
And Mastyr Keynes wanted her for himself.