Page 80 of Immortal Unveiled

“More than that, I should say. Ryder saved my life just a few days ago.”

“He did?” Pride shone from Gabriel’s eyes, and a wide smile curved his lips upward. “What happened?”

“Long story, but all you need to know is that your son acted without hesitating. He’s a brother to me now,” Manus said, and Kim was glad that he wasn’t bringing up the fact that she’d been in fact the cause for Manus almost dying.

“He’s a good kid.”

“He’s a man now,” Manus corrected him.

“His mother will be very proud of him.” Gabriel craned his neck. “I can’t wait to tell her. By the way, Samson heard you were coming. Last I saw him was near the fireplace. Go and talk to him.” With a nod, he walked away.

“Well, then let me introduce you to Grayson’s parents,” Manus said and motioned toward one corner of the room.

Kim took a quick sip from her glass, and together they started making their way through the crowd. “So, Grayson is the heir to all this? I mean the company?”

“Yes and no,” Manus said.

“What do you mean?”

“Grayson isn’t an only child, though with his attitude, you’d think he was. But he has an older sister and a younger brother. And Samson is a very egalitarian man. Knowing him, he’ll either give the company to all three of them or to whoever is most capable of running it. And that might not necessarily be Grayson.”

“Interesting. I thought a society of vampires would be much more patriarchal with clear lines of succession.”

Manus chuckled. “You make it sound like it’s a kingdom. Believe me, it’s not. Everything Samson owns is because he worked for it. Unfortunately, Grayson is a bit of a spoiled brat.” He winked at her. “But we’re trying to train it out of him.”

Kim had to laugh. “Any success?”

“The road to success is paved with lots of hurdles,” Manus replied. Then he pointed to a seating area in front of a fireplace. “There he is, Samson.”

At that exact moment, the tall man Manus had pointed to turned his head and looked straight at them as if he’d heard his name. And maybe he had. A vampire’s hearing was supposed to be superior to that of a human.

Kim could have picked Samson out of any crowd without difficulty. He was an only slightly older version of Grayson: black hair, hazel eyes, a tall, well-proportioned body that spoke of authority and power. Suave was a word that came to mind when she ran her eyes over him. When Samson’s eyes fell on Manus, Samson greeted him with a smile that conveyed genuine pleasure. Two more strides, and they’d reached the Scanguards boss.

“My friend,” Samson said, “so glad you could join us.” He squeezed Manus’s shoulder and shook his hand firmly. “And I can’t tell you how happy Delilah was when Grayson showed up here unexpectedly. Thank you for that.”

“It was no bother.” Manus turned slightly to the side. “May I—”

Samson extended his hand to Kim, his eyes warm and inviting. “Introductions aren’t necessary. Grayson has already filled me in. It’s a pleasure meeting you, Kim. Please call me Samson. We’re very informal here.”

Kim shook his hand. “Now I can see where Grayson gets his charm from.”

“You flatter me,” Samson said and looked over his shoulder. “Did you hear that, sweetness? Apparently, Grayson can be charming.”

A woman in a long red evening gown, with long dark hair cascading over her shoulders, turned around from where she’d spoken to a tall bald man. She smiled at Samson. “I always thought so, but you only see his faults.”

Samson reached for the woman’s hand and pulled her closer. “Excuse me, Zane, I’m gonna steal my wife for a second.”

“You can steal her for longer. I’d better check what trouble my boys are getting Portia into and rescue her.”

As Zane stalked off, Samson continued, “This is my wife, Delilah. Delilah, this is Manus’s girlfriend, Kim.”

“Ah—” But Kim was cut off by Manus saying, “There must be some mis—”

“Grayson said…” Samson started, then exchanged a look with Delilah.

Delilah put a hand on her husband’s arm, then looked at Kim, smiling. “I’m sorry. If you want to keep your relationship under wraps for now, don’t worry, our lips are sealed. We know how the Council can get when a warrior starts seeing a human. Particularly one he was supposed to protect.”

“Oh,” was all Kim managed to squeeze from her tight throat. Was that why Manus hadn’t touched her in front of Virginia? Had she gotten him into trouble with his superiors?