Page 40 of Damian’s Conquest

“I didn’t take it!” Dean protested.

Damian set the boy back on his feet, shaking his head. “I’m not gonna get into the middle of a sibling rivalry.” While Buffy chased after Dean, Damian walked up to Amaury. “Hey, Dad, Blake.”

Both greeted him, and little Harry stretched his arms out toward Damian. Damian ruffled the boy’s dark hair, and the boy let out a gurgling laugh, his tiny fangs extended. “Wish I had time to play, Harry, but I’ve gotta talk to my dad.”

“Watch out,” Blake warned. “Or he’s gonna bite you. It’s the terrible twos, and he’s just discovered the taste of blood.”

Amaury chuckled. “At least you only have one at a time. It was harder watching two little ones getting a taste for biting at the same time.”

Damian smirked. “I’m sure we weren’t that bad.”

“You were adorable.” Damian looked over his shoulder and saw his mother, Nina, join them. “But they grow up so fast.”

“Thank God,” Amaury replied and pulled Nina to his side. “It took long enough for them to move out and leave us alone.”

Nina boxed him in his side. Then she looked at Damian. “Don’t mind your father. He loves you and Benjamin. And he still worries about you. Or why else do you think he gave you and your brother the flat right below ours?”

Amaury growled. “Woman, are you trying to make me look like a big softy?”

Nina giggled, and whispered something into his ear. Damian tried to tune it out, but heard it nevertheless.

“You’re never soft, baby, you’re always hard, just how I like it.”

As a result of Nina’s words, Amaury’s eyes suddenly changed to a golden hue, a sure sign that her words were arousing him.

“I’d say, guys, get a room,” Damian said, “but I need to steal Dad for a few minutes.”

Amaury nodded. “Let’s go into the study, it’s quieter there.”

“Have you seen Eddie?” Damian asked as they were making their way to the study.

“He’s here, probably in the kitchen.”

“I’ll get him. I have something for him to look into.”

While Amaury opened the door to the study, Damian continued to the kitchen and waved at Eddie, who was chatting with Isabelle, Samson’s daughter.

“Do you have a minute?” Damian asked.

“Sure. Excuse me, Isabelle,” Eddie replied and walked toward him.

“In the study.”

When they entered the wood-paneled office with the floor-to-ceiling bookcases and the soft lighting, Amaury wasn’t alone anymore. Samson had joined him.

Damian raised an eyebrow, but entered with Eddie and shut the door behind them.

“Did you fill Samson in?” Damian asked his father.

“Only the little I know: that somebody stole a case of bottled blood from the Mezzanine. I assume you found out more in the meantime?” Amaury asked.

“Yeah. Let me bring you up to speed.”

He opened the plastic shopping bag and pulled out the evidence Naomi had found, and started to tell his three fellow vampires what had transpired, but left out any mention of Naomi. He didn’t want Scanguards to worry that she would divulge their secrets, because once he came clean with her tonight, and she accepted him for what he was, things would be under control.

19

Naomi looked at the clock on her cell phone. After twenty minutes, Damian still hadn’t returned. Normally, she wouldn’t mind waiting a few more minutes, but she had to pee rather urgently. Perhaps she could just quickly sneak in, use the bathroom, and then leave just as quickly. Through the windows in the front room, she could see that the party was still going strong, even though it was almost three o’clock, however, she couldn’t hear any loud noise coming from the house, which was a good thing. Or the neighbors would surely complain.