that made the normally-quiet floor buzz like a beehive.
Oliver approached the large meeting room, where many of his vampire colleagues were hovering. He tapped one of them on the shoulder.
“What’s going on, Jay?”
“Zane’s called a meeting. Looks like we have some info on those crazies we’ve been patrolling the city for. Rumor has it, Zane captured one last night. I guess we’ll be handed new assignments.”
Oliver nodded. He was already aware that they’d captured one of the leeches, as Ursula called the vampires who’d frequented the blood brothel. “It’s not a rumor. Where’s Zane now?”
Jay shrugged. “Beats me.” He glanced at his watch. “Meeting is supposed to start in fifteen minutes.” He grinned at the crowd that had already formed. “Everybody’s licking their chops already, eager to get some action.”
“I can see that.” At least it meant that Scanguards was now engaging with full force, trying to find out where the blood brothel had relocated. It made him feel marginally better. But it wasn’t his priority at this moment. Finding Ursula’s whereabouts was. “Have you seen Thomas?”
Jay jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Probably in his office.”
“Thanks!”
Oliver marched down the hall and stopped in front of Thomas’s office, knocking briefly.
“Come,” he heard Thomas’s voice from inside.
He pressed the door handle down and pushed the door open, entering quickly. Thomas looked up from the computer.
“Uh, figured you’d show up eventually.”
“Where is she?”
Thomas tsked. “What, no niceties? You’ve gotten downright rude since you’ve been turned.”
Narrowing his eyes, he glared at Thomas. “Well, we can’t all be as nice as Eddie, can we?”
Thomas’s expression turned to displeasure. “If you think by pissing me off you’ll get me to tell you where Ursula is, you’re a worse strategist than I thought.”
Oliver placed his hands on the desk and leaned over it. “Where are you hiding her? Here in the building? In one of the cells?” The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Knowing that Ursula was locked up somewhere made him angry. He felt his gums itch as a result, his fangs eager to descend.
“How stupid do you think we are? Do you think we’d hide her in plain sight where you can just waltz in with your access card and get to her?”
“Is that why Zane isn’t back yet? Because he’s out hiding her somewhere?”
Thomas didn’t flinch. He was too experienced to give away anything, but Oliver knew nevertheless. Zane was the one who’d taken Ursula.
“What does it matter? All that’s important is that you’re safe.”
Oliver let out a bitter laugh. “Safe? From what? Her blood? Don’t you get it? I won’t bite her. I promised her that. Do you think I’d go ahead and do what these assholes did to her? Use her for her blood?”
Which didn’t mean that he didn’t want her body—underneath him, panting in ecstasy.
“You say that now, but wait until the temptation becomes too strong.” Thomas rose. “If you don’t mind, I have a meeting to attend. And you’d do well to join us. After all, it was your case to start with. If only you had told us the truth about Ursula when you found out, it would still be your case. Tell me, Oliver, where do your loyalties lie? With us or with her?”
Then Thomas pressed a few buttons on his keyboard, presumably locking his computer screen, and walked out of his office, not waiting for an answer.
Contemplating Thomas’s words, Oliver dropped his head and studied his shoes. Scanguards was his life and his family. But over the last few hours he’d fought practically with every member of his extended family and basically told them that he hated them. All because of a woman. He’d never thought that it would come to that. He’d never believed that a woman could come between him and Scanguards.
Knowing he had to do something, he left Thomas’s office and stalked down the hallway. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the door to the emergency exit open. A second later, Blake emerged from it and snuck onto the executive floor.
Looking around himself, Oliver verified that nobody had seen his step-brother yet and quickly walked over to him. Blake jolted when he saw Oliver approach, but caught himself quickly.
“Are you crazy?” Oliver asked under his breath as he dragged him into a nook which housed a refrigerator and a few shelves. “You’re not allowed up here.”
“When you stormed out I felt bad. I just want to help,” Blake justified his actions.
Oliver shoved a hand through his hair. “You can’t.