the influence that individual immortals wielded. An immortal in power only lasted as long as he could support those under his aegis. And what had been the status quo for hundreds of years could shift in the space of a heartbeat if the balance of power became tenuous. Considering most immortal business empires were run like combinations of corporations and organized crime, it had never been a boring job. Paula handled the business end, and Baojia had been in charge of security and information. Up until he had fallen out of favor with his sire, the balance had worked beautifully.
“Paula?”
“Hmm?”
He could tell she was distracted by something. She was probably looking at financial papers the same way he read police reports or watched security tapes. “Have you heard anything about humans being killed along the border?”
“You mean Juarez? You know Father told you to stay out of that. It’s none of our—”
“Not Juarez. Closer. On our border, hermana.”
There was a pause on the line. “What? Our border? With Ivan?”
“Mmhmm. I heard a disturbing rumor that humans were being found out in the desert.”
“Ivan’s side or ours?”
“Both. I need to investigate more. I may need to set up a meeting with him.”
He heard her mutter. “Well, don’t let Father get wind of it. He’s still… you know.”
“Trust me, I know.”
“Want me to mention it to Rory? I think technically that’s his job while you’re gone.”
“Mention it to him. Have him call me when he can.”
“Hermanito…” Her voice was soft. “I don’t know why he’s being like this. I’ve tried to talk to him.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said, unexpectedly homesick. “It’s mine. I fought alongside Vecchio. I knew it would make him angry, and I did it anyway.”
“Why?” she groaned. “I still don’t understand—”
“It was the right thing to do, Paula.” When he closed his eyes, he could still see the bodies of the dead monks. The blood pouring out from under Beatrice’s body on the riverbank where Lorenzo had stabbed her. “Even if he doesn’t understand.”
“You were supposed to protect his human, not join a war.”
“I know.” His thoughts flicked to the reporter and his promise to Dez. “Right and wrong are subjective in our world. We both know this.”
“Be careful,” she said. “I don’t want you hurt.”
He smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
The following night, he had Luis put in a call to Ivan’s human staff, laying the groundwork for a meeting between the two vampires. In all likelihood, it would take weeks to actually happen. The night after that, he was following a smartly dressed redhead into the cheapest bar in downtown San Diego. She crossed 5th Street and headed into the dimly lit club that clung stubbornly to its cheap neon beer signs and even cheaper beer while the rest of downtown San Datwntown iego reveled in aspiration.
Slipping into the dim bar, he tried to ignore the floor that stuck to his handmade leather shoes. The barstools were cracked red vinyl and occupied by a curious mix of patrons, but the old Chinese woman behind the bar nodded at him and pointed her chin toward an empty stool. It was well away from where Natalie Ellis was sitting, but he preferred that. He wanted to observe the woman. For now.
He watched her as she slid onto a stool and dove into the conversation at the end of the bar, obviously familiar with the group of older men who looked like regulars. Their voices drifted to him as he ordered a vodka tonic and settled in to watch.
“Hey hey! There’s our girl,” one of the men called. “About time you let us take you out to celebrate.”
“You guys…” She shook her head while plopping onto the empty barstool in the middle of the group. “It was months ago.”
“Biggest drug bust in county history and you act like it’s no big deal?” another man said. “Your story practically broke that case for those knuckleheads in the DEA.”
“Hey, Marty, isn’t one of those knuckleheads your nephew?”
“Doesn’t mean he’s smart.”
She grinned. “Pretty sure that means he’s not, actually.”
The men around her burst into laughter.
This was her natural environment, Baojia decided. The perfectly coiffed woman at Boca had intrigued him, but the friendly girl who joked with the old men and sipped a beer almost came close to charming. She was relaxed here, despite her professional attire, which did not stand out as much as he would have expected. The gritty bar was filled with all manner of humans. Businessmen in suits mingled with