Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,60

him for violating the Treaty like a dingus. A prosperous territory was good for everyone. It was good for status in their world and no one liked status more than a Vampire.

After their first course had been served and they were alone again, Rowan stole a piece of his bruschetta from his plate. “You’re much nicer to the help than most Vampires. Especially ones your age.”

“I think that’s a compliment so I’ll say thank you.” He gave her a wary look that made her smile his way.

“I was just comparing you to your predecessor. He was such a dick and well, you can be a dick too, but you’re not usually a dick who punches down. There’s something very sexy about that.”

He raised his left eyebrow a moment. “Well, I’m certainly glad you think so. It doesn’t take any effort at all to treat people whose job it is to help you like garbage. It’s lazy. And it doesn’t create a loyal territory.”

When he got all political and savvy it sent a shiver of delight through her. A simple man with a simple life would have been novel, she’d thought. But she wouldn’t have stayed.

This complicated man with his complicated job and his very gray set of morals and values? He was her equal in so many ways. He thought about the future. He considered the past. He took into account how his own actions might affect a situation.

He was a grown ass man and damn if that wasn’t everything she never realized she needed in a life partner until she had it.

Of course it took him nearly five centuries to get to that point, but she wasn’t going to get hung up on that. He was how he was right then. At her side as an equal. At her back as an ally—most of the time anyway. He wasn’t human and he didn’t try to hide it. That was an honesty she appreciated. It was one of the reasons she trusted him so much.

The Vampires in his territory trusted him too. They tolerated Rowan, but they adored Clive. She was sure the news about his uncles was already making the rounds but here in the heart of his territory, all was well. They seemed to thrive under his leadership. Which was important. Vampires loved status and money and nice things. Servers and valets still expected to be doing well when their Scion was doing well.

He kept them happy so they’d get his back. That’s what Rowan hoped, anyway. Aside from the omnipresent groups of complainers and troublemaking rabble in any case. She wasn’t a Vampire and she was already involved in Nation politics way more than she’d ever wanted to be. And that was because of him.

But, again, she wasn’t a Vampire and at least half the time a Vampire was her problem, not her solution. So they had an uneasy truce but both sides knew where the other stood.

“Genevieve called me earlier, right before we left the house. She’s in Los Angeles right now, addressing the Senate with all the evidence we found in London. And after I hung up I realized just how helpful it’s been to have her around when we’re dealing with all this magic stuff. Without the witches in Venice and without Genevieve’s help since then, there are so many things I would have missed.”

She moaned happily when the waiter arrived bearing the next course of beautiful seafood linguini with freshly made pasta.

It would be a million years before a Vampire admitted they needed the help or assistance of any other group, but Rowan knew it was the same for Clive. He’d see Genevieve as a powerful tool in his arsenal in his own way.

He sipped his wine and watched her eat, pleasure on his features. It made her silly that he looked at her the way he did.

“I’m thinking of changing some things up,” she said.

His pleasure was replaced with wariness. “These very unsubtle segues into a new topic make me nervous.”

She laughed. “Goddess it’s fun to poke at you. Meaning, I think the American chapterhouses should work in teams and that those teams should not only have human Hunters but magic users too. Things are changing too fast and far too dangerously not to change with the times.”

He took a breath and then thought about it, not saying anything.

“It’ll be complicated and let’s be real, once I propose this, if the Conclave agrees, it’s going to piss off the Vampire Nation because