betray our sire. Neither would she choose to be suspicious of her mate.”
“And Ernesto?” Giovanni asked. “Does he know about this? Or is he turning a blind eye?”
“Ernesto will do what is good for Ernesto and those under his aegis. He’s no philanthropist to the general human population, but he doesn’t want to lose face, either. If he was getting the right information, he would see how bad this looks for him. Which is why I think he must be in the dark.”
“So… Rory?”
He gave a quick nod. “Rory. I’ll trail him tonight. Try to get a feel for what he’s doing with me gone.”
Matt said, “Be careful.”
“I will. Don’t tell Natalie where I’ve gone, and don’t let her leave the house.”
Matt looked like he’d be avoiding Natalie for the rest of the evening, based on his uncomfortable expression. Giovanni just shrugged and said, “No problem.”
Baojia nodded in approval. Maybe the Italian wasn’t so bad after all.
He was reassured to find that, other than household security, most of his protocols were still being followed. The businesses and clubs he’d been in charge of in LA still seemed to have the same guards stationed as he trailed Rory in the borrowed Mustang. He grimaced when he realized who Rory’s driver was. It looked like poor Luis had been demoted from running the club. He’d have to find a way to make it up to the young man.
Overall, his brother-in-law didn’t seem to be doing anything suspicious. It was the same boring routine Baojia had been in charge of for years. He made the rounds, collected the cash, and dealt with whatever minor problems the managers mentioned to him. He made one trip up to Malibu to rough up a marijuana grower who hadn’t paid Ernesto a distribution fee he owed, then he headed down PCH toward Long Beach.
Opening the windows, Baojia followed at a comfortable distance, knowing that Rory was probably heading to Ernesto’s yacht. He enjoyed the crisp ocean air whipping through the car and thought about what Natalie had said at the bar.
I miss fog sometimes. Miss the smell of the ocean. It smells like the ocean here, but not the right way. That probably doesn’t make much sense.
It made perfect sense to him. The ocean held a million scents. He remembered the smell of the ship he’d taken to America. Even though the human memory was old, it wasas the vivid. He remembered the smell of the fog off San Francisco Bay, and the first memory of waking as an immortal. He’d been near the ocean, and the smell of it—the kelp and crab, cold northern currents, and cypress-scented fog—clung to his mind like some persistent ache.
What if he could go back? What if she went with him? His mind kept circling back to her as he drove. Her intelligence. Her humor. She made him laugh at himself, and no one did that. When he was with her, he felt alive. By the time he arrived in Long Beach, Baojia was ready to jump in the Pacific to distract himself.
Which was fortunate, because he’d have to swim if he wanted to reach Ernesto’s boat. He didn’t want to attract attention by stealing a smaller craft, so he parked in a dark corner, slipped off his clothes, and swam out to the Esmerelda, Ernesto’s favorite—and most luxurious—craft. As he approached the boat, he could hear his family dining on the deck near the bow. He clung to the hull and let the wind carry their voices to him.
“—delighted if she would come for a visit. She’s a darling girl. And I adore the French.”
“Beatrice promised an introduction, but no more. I do not want some silly child boring me with her chatter.”
“She’s over seventy years old, not a child.”
“Desmarais dotes on her—” The wind stole the words from his ears. “—we shall see.”
“It would be a good connection to have. Oh, did you see the new film that is opening next week? We must go, Papa. Rory doesn’t want to go because it has subtitles.”
“It shouldn’t be that much work to watch a damn movie, Paula.”
“Whatever you like, querida…”
They chattered on, the familiar banter of those who had once called him brother and son. Baojia tried not to care. If he were honest with himself, he had never fit in. Not completely. Paula was Ernesto’s favorite and always had been. Rory was Paula’s mate. And Baojia…
He worked. He made sure things ran smoothly and no one was hurt. He