Thomas nodded. “Eddie,” he called out, and his mentee appeared within seconds. “You and Cain, go to the Lyon’s steps and search for any trace of Rose or Keegan. Report as soon as you’re there.”

“On my way!” Eddie replied and called out for Cain.

As the two left, Thomas turned back to Quinn. “And the rest of us?”

Quinn lifted his head and looked at his friend. “Keegan will force her to give him the data. She’ll have to lead him to where she’s hidden it. When you swept her room, you didn’t find anything, did you?”

“Not a trace.” Thomas cleared his throat. “Nothing in the rest of the house either.”

Not at all surprised that Thomas had searched the entire house for it, Quinn nodded. “Then she must have hidden it before she ever went to Gabriel to hire us.”

“But where would she consider it safe enough to hide the flash drive? She doesn’t have any friends here in San Francisco. She knows nobody here. Sure, we can search Blake’s apartment, but I doubt it’s there, and besides, Keegan has most likely already looked for it there,” Thomas wondered.

“I agree that it’s not in Blake’s apartment. However, Rose does know somebody here besides us and Blake.”

Thomas gave him a curious look. “Who?”

“She owns a brothel here.”

“There are no brothels in San Francisco as far as I know,” Thomas claimed.

“I suppose they’re called Massage Parlors here. She mentioned a fancy place near the Ritz. It’s the only place I can imagine her hiding the flash drive. She said the women are loyal to her.”

Thomas nodded and started typing on his cell phone. “Let’s see what comes up. It can’t be that hard finding a massage parlor near the Ritz.”

Bent over Thomas’s phone Quinn waited for the search results to display, hoping that his hunch was correct.

34

Rose looked up and down the street as she stepped from the darkened van, Keegan on her heels. The driver remained inside as did the second vampire who had accompanied them. Her eyes darted to the second van that pulled up behind them.

“Let’s go,” Keegan ordered.

“Do you really think I’m an amateur?” She shook her head. “The minute I hand the flash drive over, you’ll have one of your men turn him, just to spite me.”

When she glared at him, he answered with a nonchalant smile. “So you did learn from the time we spent together? How sweet. And how utterly inconvenient.”

Had he really thought she would trust him to keep his word? “I want Blake by my side when we do the exchange.”

“Very well,” Keegan conceded. “But don’t think that’ll change anything. One false move and I’ll personally bring him to the brink of death and you’ll be begging me to turn him. And then we’ll see what I decide.”

Keegan made a motion toward the van and a moment later, the door slid open. One of his thugs pushed Blake onto the pavement, making him stumble.

Instinctively, Rose rushed to him to prevent him from falling. But behind Blake, three of Keegan’s minions had already stepped from the van and grabbed him.

“Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

Rose ran her eyes over his body, but couldn’t see any visible injuries.

Blake thrust up his chin, gave a quick shake of his head, then glared at her. “If you’d told me everything from the start, this wouldn’t have happened. You thought I couldn’t handle the fact that you and your friends are vampires? You didn’t even give it a try. You thought I was weak.”

“You didn’t take it well when you found out.”

“Well, how would you take it if you found out about vampires, because one of them was trying to suck you dry? You should have told me earlier! Fuck, I could’ve helped you defeat these guys.”

Keegan chuckled behind her. “He doesn’t lack confidence, your grandson. Or shall I call it arrogance?”

“I’ll give you arrogance, you jerk!” Blake shot back, making an attempt at raising his fist, but the vampire behind him quickly restrained him.

“No respect, the young. Don’t you agree, Rose?”

Rose didn’t bother replying to Keegan’s remark and searched Blake’s eyes instead, trying to connect with him. “I’m sorry, Blake. But everything will be all right. I promise you. Just trust me.”

At the same time she used mind control to send her thoughts to him.

Do what I’ll tell you. If I say jump, you’ll jump.