years old. The baby can't be more than six months old. According to the waiter, they all need blood. He donates his blood once a week to feed them because he says he can't afford synthetic blood."
"What in the hell does that mean?" Marcus snapped. "Vaile Industries will give blood to anyone who needs it."
"That's not what he says. According to him, he's gone to our tribe and Vaile's tribe as well as a few of the others in the area and he's been turned away each time."
"That just doesn't make sense."
"That's kind of what I told him."
"Why hasn't he joined a tribe? He'd get blood that way."
"Same situation, sire. He was denied and turned away, told that he wouldn't be accepted because he's human and the children are only half vampire."
When the waiter had first told him, Dmitri thought for sure he'd been lying. Now, maybe not so much.
"All right, Dmitri, I'll allow the meeting to be postponed until morning, but I want him and those children here bright and early."
"Yes, sir." He didn't relish sleeping on a couch when he had a perfectly good bed back home, but an order was an order, and it had kind of been his idea. "I'll call you if there are any changes."
"Do you want me to send Nico and Saul back to you?"
Dmitri glanced toward the house. "That might not be a bad idea. I don't like how easily those rogues found him."
"I thought they followed him home from the restaurant?"
"I followed him home from the restaurant. I didn't see a single rogue until they showed up."
"You think they found him some other way?"
"Yes." Dmitri couldn't say how, because he didn't know, but he'd bet money on it. "I think there is more going on here than we know, and I think it has to do with the rogues."
"Do you think it has anything to do with Chambers?"
Dmitri winced. "I didn't get a chance to ask him about Chambers."
"Okay, I'm sending Saul and Nico back to you. If what you're saying is true, it isn't safe for this guy—what is his name, Dmitri? I can't keep calling him the waiter."
Dmitri felt a hint of heat in his cheeks. "He refused to tell me."
Silence met his announcement and then laughter filled the air.
Dmitri rolled his eyes. "Sire."
The vampire prince continued to laugh.
"Sire!"
"Sorry, Dmitri." Marcus chuckled a little more. "But it sounds like this human is giving you quite the run for your money."
He was, but Dmitri refused to admit that.
"Stay there tonight and keep everyone safe then report to me in the morning."
"Yes, sire." Dmitri said that specifically because he knew it would drive Marcus nuts.
He hung up and glanced out at the street. There wasn't much to see. It was a relatively quiet neighborhood, although it wasn't the safest of areas so that could just be him. He could hear vehicles off in the distance even this early in the morning, but none drove down the street in front of him.
He sent out his senses, scanning the neighborhood for trouble. He couldn't sense any other vampires in the area, but that didn't mean they weren't coming. Rogues didn't tend to give up, and they seemed particularly interested in the waiter.
Dmitri shook his head before turning and heading back into the house. He spotted the folded blanket and pillow on the coffee table right away. He wouldn't need them because he doubted he'd sleep, but it was nice that they had been provided.
Not knowing this guy's name was proving to be a problem. That right there would keep him up if nothing else did. Information was power and right now, he needed that power.
Dmitri shot a quick glance down the hallway and then started snooping. He felt a bit guilty as he began opening drawers in the kitchen. He found the usual stuff that belonged in a kitchen—silverware, utensils, hand towels, and washcloths—but that was all.
Just on chance, he even opened the fridge. He was a little surprised by the bag of blood he found, but it made sense considering the things the waiter had told him.
He moved to the dining room and began going through the china hutch built into the wall. There was no china in it, but it did hold a bunch of books and a couple of ceramic cups that looked as if they had been made by a child.
He planted his hands on his hips and glanced around. A smirk worked its way across his lips when