chapter 13
As soon as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, Quinn kicked down the gas pedal of the Scanguards-owned SUV and shot out of the six-car-garage underneath the B&B.
On the way to the car, he’d filled Oliver in on their assignment and who their charge was. To say that Oliver was surprised would have been an understatement. But he didn’t ask any personal questions, and Quinn wasn’t in the mood to divulge any more information than he already had. Confessing that he was hurt by Rose’s rejection, had been a major slip, one he could only attribute to the sense of shame he felt about what had happened in her bedroom. Not the sex part, of course, but the words they had exchanged afterwards.
It didn’t matter now. What was done was done. And maybe it would give her something to chew on. Maybe even soften her so she would tell him what was really going on. Because he neither believed her claim that Keegan wanted to get back at her for leaving him, nor her even more ridiculous declaration that she hadn’t come to see him because she was protecting Charlotte from him. Bullshit, if anybody asked him.
Quinn gripped the steering wheel tighter and forced his thoughts to focus on business instead.
He’d already received a text from one of the human bodyguards he’d assigned to Blake. The boy was on his way to Scanguards’ brand-new training facility in an old warehouse in the Mission. It had been refurbished and made vampire proof and been equipped with various training rooms and classrooms where vampires as well as human bodyguards trained for their missions. Samson took training seriously, and it showed.
The place was state of the art, but Quinn barely took any notice of it as they arrived. He flashed his Scanguards ID at the security guard manning the entry. Oliver did likewise.
When the burly guard squared his stance in front of Rose, Quinn tapped the man on his arm. “She’s with me.”
“She’ll still have to go through the check,” he answered.
Quinn turned the backside of his ID for the guard to see. Section V, Class A it said. The man instantly took a step back.
“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t know. Go right in.”
Quinn nodded. The guard didn’t know him, since Quinn had only once before visited the brand new facility in San Francisco. Had he been back in New York, he wouldn’t even have had to show his ID. He noticed how Rose raised an eyebrow, then brushed past him into the building. Once they were inside, she pointed toward the pocket into which he’d shoved his ID.
“What’s it mean?”
“Section V stands for the obvious, not that this guard would know. He thinks it stands for VIP.” As it might well have. “Class A is the highest clearance at Scanguards. Anybody with a Section V Class A clearance has access to every area within Scanguards.”
“Crap, I still have a Section H ID,” Oliver mumbled.
“Time to turn that in. Go up to the main security office and have them issue you a new pass.”
Curious, his prodigy looked at him. “What shall I tell them?”
Quinn smiled back at him. “They’ve already received their instructions from Samson. So, go. Find us in the lounge when you’re done.”
As Oliver wandered off, Quinn walked to the large counter on which Check in was inscribed in large bold letters. The young woman looked up and smiled when he stopped right in front of it.
“How may I help you?” She eyed his badge and added, “Quinn.”
Automatically, he smiled back with a smile he’d used for the last two hundred years: a smile that had melted practically every woman into his arms. Oddly enough, when the human blushed, a sense of unease crept up his spine. He wasn’t in the mood to flirt, and that was something that had never before happened to him. Could it be because Rose had followed him and now stood next to him?
“Can you ping me once Blake Bond has arrived, please.”
She beamed. “He’s already here.” She glanced at the screen in front of her. “Visitor Lounge H.”
Quinn nodded. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” the girl chirped.
With a sideways glance, he motioned Rose to walk with him.
“Just let me talk.”
“I still think it’s a stupid idea.”
He couldn’t help it, but her objection needed an answer. “And that’s exactly why I’ll be doing the talking.”
Why he had to rile her up, he didn’t know, when he should be trying to use his charm on her to soften her up, turn her into soft clay, just like the girl at the Check in desk had instantly responded to the subconscious vibes he gave off. He wondered for a moment whether this was something he could switch off, or whether after two hundred years of milking his gift of seduction it was too ingrained in him.
When he glanced at Rose for a brief second as they walked down the corridor, he noticed the tightness of her jaw and shoulders. Well, maybe he could turn off his charm after all. At least it appeared he did it automatically the moment he was alone with Rose.
The visitor lounge looked very much like the lobby of a five-star hotel with comfortable seating areas, a fireplace, and soft music. Two women dressed in business attire roamed the room to attend to the needs of the waiting visitors, serving drinks, answering questions, and assuring them that whoever they had come to see would be with them momentarily.
There were two of these lounges in the building. This was the lounge for humans. At the opposite end of the corridor, Visitor Lounge V catered to the needs of visiting vampires, mostly those Samson planned to recruit. There, instead of coffee and tea, blood was served. Access to the lounge was strictly monitored so that no human accidentally stumbled into it.
Scanning the room, Quinn instantly found his grandson. It was hard not to notice him: he was flirting with one of the hostesses. Shamelessly.
Quinn suddenly felt Rose’s gaze on him and turned his head to look at her. He knew exactly what she was thinking, almost as if the two hundred years of separation had never happened. His heart softened for a moment.
“Maybe he just needs some direction in his life so he can mature. This could be the best thing that ever happened to him.”
A glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”
At this moment she reminded him so much of the girl he’d courted against her father’s will, and he had a hard time tearing his gaze from her.
When they finally approached Blake, he jumped up from his seat, clearly eager to find out why he was here.
Shaking hands, he blurted, “Cool digs, man.”
Quinn simply nodded, then motioned to Rose. “This is Rose, my associate.” No need to give the kid any more information about his relationship to Rose than was absolutely necessary.
Blake’s assessing eyes instantly traveled over her body, eliciting a proprietary response from Quinn: he stepped closer to her.
Rose offered her hand, and for Quinn’s liking, Blake held it for far too long.
“Nice to meet you,” he responded.
“Likewise.”
Quinn pointed to the armchairs. “Shall we?”
They sat down, Quinn making sure that he sat close to Rose to prevent any physical contact between her and Blake. Why he took such precaution, he blamed on the fact that his descendent was a shameless flirt. If the boy knew that he was flirting with his 4th great-grandmother he would probably feel disgusted.
The sooner he established the ground rules, the better.
“I’m sure you’re curious to hear more about my offer,” Quinn started.
Blake instantly moved forward on his chair, his eagerness and curiosity evident.
“Well, then don’t let me keep you on tenterhooks. What I’m telling you now doesn’t leave this room. Here’s the deal: we’re a security outfit of the highest caliber. We don’t always work within the confines of the law. Hence, we choose very carefully, who we take into our fold. Only the best will make the cut.”
He watched Blake’s face light up in fascination. “Wow. So, what do I need to do?”
“There are a number of tests. Only a few pass them.”
“Just like in Men in Black, right?” Blake asked, looking like a kid about to unwrap his Christmas presents.
Quinn almost regretted having used the MIB reference the night before. “This is reality, not a movie. People die if we don’t do our jobs right. That’s why we only take the best. Nothing less will do.”
He paused for a second, giving Blake a moment to digest his words, and glanced at Rose.
She mouthed a few words to him. The best of the best of the best.
Quinn refrained from rolling his eyes. Great, now even Rose was quoting lines from the movie.
“I have to warn you, should you be selected, the training is grueling. Both mentally and physically. Your life will change irrevocably. It’s no place for weaklings.”
Blake instantly let out an outraged breath. “I’m not a weakling!” Immediately, the muscles in his arms bulged as if to profess his physical prowess.
“I don’t think Quinn is saying that,” Rose interjected.
“Rose is right,” Quinn said quickly before she could say anything else and interfere with his line of buttering the kid up. “To be selected is a privilege. To survive the training intact is an achievement you can be proud of.”
Blake nodded enthusiastically. “I can do it.”
Quinn turned when he felt another vampire approach. Oliver appeared next to him, grinning and flashing his shiny new badge at him. He honed in on the ID: Section V, Class A it said. He hadn’t expected anything else. Oliver had been in the inner circle of vampires and been Samson’s personal assistant for four years. It was only natural that he would instantly be elevated to the highest echelon within Scanguards.
They exchanged a brief smile. He felt like a proud father in that moment.
“This is Oliver.”
“Hey,” Blake greeted him.
“Oliver and Rose will bring you to where the tests are conducted. You’ll meet other applicants that were selected by my colleagues.” He leaned forward in emphasis. “Between you and me, it’s always a competition between the seasoned staff here about who can spot the next recruit. So, don’t make me lose this bet.”
Blake jumped up. “You can count on me!”
Quinn grinned. The kid was gung-ho. Once they had tired him out with some pointless fake tests competing against some Scanguards staff who’d been selected to play the other applicants, he would be ecstatic to be chosen and agree to the conditions Quinn would present him with later.
Quinn looked at Rose. “We’ll meet here in a couple of hours.”
Rose shot him a surprised look. “You’re not coming with us?”
“I have an appointment in IT.”
Then he turned and left the room before Rose could protest. What he had to discuss with Thomas wasn’t meant for her ears.