Page 88 of Damian’s Conquest

“No,” Mick admitted. “Maybe I could have freed myself from the chains, and attacked her the next time she opened the door to my prison, but what would have happened to Tracy then? I had no idea in what state her brother was. What if he would have hurt her if Cynthia didn’t come back within a certain time?”

Damian couldn’t fault Mick for his thinking. He wouldn’t risk Naomi’s life either, even if that meant he had to suffer in her stead. He would do anything to keep her safe, just like Mick had complied with his captor’s demands so she couldn’t hurt the woman he loved.

“Besides, Cynthia said she’d let us both go once her brother was cured,” Mick added.

Samson rose from his chair. “Mick, you do realize that by selling your blood, you’ve put us in a precarious situation.”

“I understand that.”

“If you really understood it, then you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. It was irresponsible.” He let out a breath. “You’ll be a guest of Scanguards until we’ve decided what to do about this mess.” He gestured to Quinn. “Quinn, take him down to the holding cell for now.”

Mick rose. “But I need to see Tracy.”

“You’ll get to see her after we’ve spoken to her and heard her side of the story,” Samson said firmly.

When the door closed behind Quinn and Mick, Samson added, “Now, anybody with suggestions regarding damage control, deterrence, and punishment, we’ll meet in my office in fifteen minutes.”

People started to get up from their seats.

Naomi put her hand on Damian’s forearm. “What I don’t understand about Cynthia is why she even told me that she knew about Tracy and Mick.”

“It’s simple,” Damian said. “When you came sniffing around the salon, she probably wanted to find out how much you knew about their disappearance. And if you’d told her about your suspicions, she would have used that knowledge to evade us.”

“You’re right.”

Damian rose. “I’ve gotta be in that meeting with Samson. It’ll take a while. You okay?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Naomi replied. “Go, do what you need to do. I should probably go home and take a shower. I’ll just get an Uber downstairs.”

“I can give you a ride,” Nina said from across the table. “I’m going home anyway.”

“But it’s in the opposite direction,” Naomi said.

“It’s no trouble. Honestly.”

“Thank you, that’s so nice of you.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Damian said, before squeezing Naomi’s hand. “Come back here in a few hours. I’ll leave your name at the reception so that they’ll let you in. Or I can pick you up from your flat when I’m done here.”

“I’ll meet you back here.”

Damian pressed a kiss to her lips, then left the conference room.

37

“This is a royal mess,” Samson said and leaned against the desk in his office, hands clamped around the edge of the desk. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure who the victim really is. Mick brought this on himself.”

“Which doesn’t excuse what Cynthia and her brother did,” Grayson commented.

“Her brother had no idea,” Damian interrupted.

“You believe him?” Grayson asked, surprised. “You can’t tell me that he didn’t know she was giving him vampire blood.”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. You didn’t see him.” Damian shook his head. “Ralph has resigned himself to his fate. He knows he’s dying. He has nothing to gain by lying to me. Cynthia told him that it was some new-age wellness elixir. She diluted it in water. Trust me, he’s probably the only innocent party in this.”

“Damian is right, Grayson,” Samson said. “But the rest of them all bear responsibility, even Tracy. And she’s probably the one suffering the most right now.” He looked straight at Damian. “How is she really? Will she pull through?”

“Vanessa gave her her blood when we found her, because she recognized the signs of a drug overdose. And Maya administered Naloxone to counteract the opioid Cynthia used to keep her sedated. Maya thinks she’ll pull through, but because she’s been given high doses over several days, she might go through withdrawal.”