betrayed his oath to Xavier.
The humans within the Fortalesa were another matter. He trusted them, too, but humans could be too easily forced to betray others against their will. Once confronted, he would know if they lied and could dig the truth from their brains. But the damage would be done. If one human knew a secret, it was no longer a secret.
“Any other issues?” he asked his most trusted aides. “The vehicle for tonight is set?”
Chuy nodded. “It’s already checked out, parked in a space downstairs.”
“Joaquim?”
“I’ll cover the farm compound both nights, and call you with the necessary updates.”
“Some of Layla’s people are likely to be there tonight,” Xavier cautioned. “So consider what you’ll tell them.”
“They’ll never know I’m there.”
“Good.” Xavier stood and pushed back his chair. “Chuy, you’ll bring sufficient arms for both of us.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“I’m going now to check in with Dr. Nowak. The two most seriously injured guards from the last attack are still hospitalized. I can’t afford to be weakened before tomorrow night, but I’m more than strong enough now to at least assist in their healing.” He thought of Layla’s hot, delicious blood, which he’d feasted on twice in the last few hours, and knew he was about as strong as he’d ever be. Even so, he had to conserve that power for the fight he was likely to encounter the next night. Because Joaquim was right about one thing—they had no idea who or what might be stashed away in Sakal’s Barcelona lair.
The sun was a red threat in the western sky when Xavier walked out of Dr. Nowak’s small hospital and headed toward the ground-floor entrance to the vampire wing. He could remain awake until the sun had completely cleared the eastern horizon over the Mediterranean, but with every minute that ticked off before then, every burning slice of light that became visible, he would grow fractionally weaker. And the same instinct that was seared into the brain of every vampire warned him with a stab of heat at the base of his skull that it was time to seek shelter. For his part, Xavier preferred to be in his own secure quarters within the underground vault long before his strength was in any way diminished.
He was still under the covered walkway outside the hospital when a flash of movement caught his eye a bare second after he became aware that Layla was near. He pulled deeper into the shadows, not wanting to draw her attention. If he did, he’d seduce her into bed with him, which might end up with her waking next to him at sunset. The chances of that were low, since she had her own duties to tend to, but he couldn’t risk it. If his plan was to work, he had to slip out of the Fortalesa with no one but Chuy and Joaquim even aware he’d left, much less knowing where he’d gone.
That didn’t stop him from watching her, however. She strode for the stairs to her parents’ apartment, walking with a casual grace that showcased the controlled lean muscle of her body. She swung around and climbed the stairs, ignoring the wrought-iron railing and everything else, except the ever-present smartphone in her hand. He almost winced, waiting for her to trip as she held the device in one hand and tapped away with the other while climbing. But of course, she never did.
The stairs split into two directions, with Layla going left, providing him with a clear view of her perfect ass moving smoothly from side to side as she climbed. He admired the view longer than he should have, then crossed the narrow, U-shaped courtyard to the door he sought. While he entered the complex digital code, he overheard one of Layla’s fighters crossing behind him. Thinking he must have come from the vampire wing, he frowned, wondering what the human had been up to. But found his curiosity satisfied a moment later when his vampire hearing picked up the man’s phone conversation, which involved female vampire stamina and how come no one had ever told him about it before.
Xavier grinned as the lock clicked and he pushed the door open. He didn’t at all mind that Layla’s crew included two strong men. Especially when those men knew how to take care of themselves, and were probably armed to the teeth. He didn’t have nearly as many female vamps as male in the Fortalesa, but there were a few. And most of