“We’re officially moving to Houston, mon ami. Though once I become Lord of the South, I may move us back to San Antonio. I like it there.”
“You like the espresso at your favorite hangout,” Marc said dryly. And he wasn’t far off. That wasn’t the only reason Christian preferred San Antonio, but he had grown fond of his River Walk café. “Are you flying back tonight?”
“I’ll be on the plane within the hour. The time zones don’t favor us, though, so I’ll have to daylight at the fucking airport.”
“I’ll arrange for guards. Shall I pick you up after sunset?”
“Are you in Houston?”
“I don’t know. Am I?”
Christian laughed. “As of now, you are. Though you only just arrived from Mexico.”
“Good decision on my part. Mexico’s getting crowded, if you know what I mean.”
“All too well. I briefed Raphael’s people on the situation down there . . . as much as I know. And I’m sure his next call will be to Vincent.”
“It might be too late already. I think Hubert’s on the move.”
“I think you’re right, and we need to prepare, because I suspect we’re going to end up on the front lines of whatever’s coming.”
CHRISTIAN WOKE the next night, unhappy to find himself in the sleeping compartment of a private jet. It could be worse, he supposed. He was fortunate, and clever, in his investments, which made it possible to lease this private jet instead of sleeping it out in the back seat of a rental car deep in the bowels of the airport’s public parking structure.
But that didn’t make his present situation any more comfortable. He groaned as he climbed from the awkward sleeping berth. It wasn’t a proper bed—more like what you’d find in a well-appointed RV, he supposed. He’d never been in an RV, so couldn’t really say. A fellow vampire back in France had fantasized about renting one of those big American RVs and touring the continent. He’d been fascinated by the wide-open American plains. Unfortunately, Christian was pretty sure the vampire with the RV fetish had been among those recruited for Mathilde’s power circle. Which meant he was now dead, along with everyone else.
What a waste.
Christian pushed aside the sad thought. When you lived as long as he had, you either learned to set aside common grief, or you drowned in it. Christian had lost friends, both vampire and human. He grieved for, and remembered them. But the constant parade of life and death would swallow you whole if you let it.
He stripped off the T-shirt and sweats he’d slept in, did his best to wash up and shave with the limited facilities provided, then donned a fresh button-down shirt along with jeans and boots. One thing he loved about Texas . . . everyone wore boots.
While he was gathering his things into a duffle, his phone rang.
“Good evening, Marc,” he answered.
“It’s a fine Texas night, and I’m two minutes away.”
“Take your time. I’m comfortable enough here.”
Marc laughed, and called his bluff. “Huh. Well, I’m pulling up outside the hangar now. You want me to lurk for a bit so you can enjoy your comfort a little longer?”
“I’m not that comfortable,” Christian admitted. No vampire he’d ever met actually enjoyed daylighting in an airplane hangar. He shoved the last few things into his bag, and yanked the zipper closed, then opened the plane’s hatch. The pilot had left the stairs deployed, so after a quick scan of the hangar, Christian took the stairs in two leaps and headed for the exit.
“You didn’t stay at the house last night,” he said, sliding into the passenger seat of Marc’s sleek BMW sedan. There was no way Marc could have gotten to the airport so soon after sunset if he had. The house was more than an hour away.
“No. There’s a crash pad for low-level vamps nearby. No questions asked. I didn’t want you to wait in that hangar any longer than necessary. You hungry?” he asked. “Or should we go straight to the house?”
“I’m hoping to meet Anthony later tonight, so I’ll need to change at the house. But I want to be at full strength for the meet, so let’s hit a bar first. Someplace quiet and discreet. I don’t want to announce our presence too loudly before I’ve had a chance to talk to Anthony.”
“Quiet it is. There’s a place in the new neighborhood.”
“Good. I’ll call Anthony en route and see what his availability is for later tonight.”
“Think he’ll take your call?”
“Mais oui. By now, Raphael will have contacted him and given him the happy news that I’m their new ally. He’ll take the meet.”
Marc snorted. “How’d Raphael and his people react?”