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“Thanks, Collette.”

They all stood and Ana escorted them to the door. She hesitated, however, before opening it. After swallowing hard, she forced the words out. “Thanks to all of you. I—I appreciate what you’ve done and I …”

I’m glad I met you.

I’m glad we’re working together.

I hope we’ll get to do mani-pedis when this is all over.

It’s what she wanted to say. What she
should
say. After all, if she was willing to fight for Ty, it made sense she’d be willing to fight for everything, and that included her place here. Among these women who, even though they were as different from her as women could be, had come here to support her. Who knows, their assistance could even save her life.

Even so, she couldn’t get the words out.

Her eyes burned with frustrated tears until Barrett put a hand on her arm.

“Ditto, Ana,” she said. Collette and Justine smiled and nodded.

They didn’t hug her as they left, but it didn’t matter.

They’d shown her what was important.

Somehow, some way, they’d become a team, one in which she mattered.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE

Somewhere in the Sierra Foothills of California

The following day, after a luxurious ride in a private jet
, Ana and Ty drove their rental car into Salvation’s Crossing. The compound was rustic but beautiful, set in green rolling hills dotted with venerable oak trees, and orange poppies and purple lupine in the meadows. But despite the fancy plane that had flown them here, there was still something makeshift about the organization’s headquarters. There were no paved roads, and Ana could see a clothesline with sheets and towels dangling off it strung between two cabins. Other than that, everything seemed orderly. A vast blue sky arched overhead, serene and somehow welcoming.

She could see how someone would feel at home here. Safe.

They hadn’t gotten past the security gate of Salvation’s Crossing without being thoroughly searched by armed guards. Fortunately, the manicure kit hadn’t attracted a second glance. Justine had done Ana’s nails with lavender polish just to be on the safe side.

Their luggage got a good going-over as well. Then they’d been given a pat down by uniformed staff and their rental car had been inspected with mirrors on metal wands, inside and out and underneath.

The closer they got to the main house, the more armed
guards she saw. Ana told herself the intense security was reasonable. After all Gloria had lived through, safety would be a huge concern. And if she and Miguel were indeed working with the FBI and vampires, their involvement had to be kept top secret.

As far as Ana could tell, the building layout and land under cultivation matched the satellite surveillance photos they’d reviewed. The compound was too big to take in all at once.

“Quite a place,” Ana said. “How long have they been operating again?”

“About five years. Basic but not cheap. The communal buildings look like cinder block and stucco. Built fast but built to last. Miguel wants me to fund a new irrigation system, but some generous benefactor must have donated a few million already.”

Ana’s distracted mood gave way to excitement as they drove up to the main house. Her stomach quivered, nervous tension radiating through her. After years of searching, years of hoping, years of waiting, and years of grieving, she was finally going to see her sister again.

There was no predicting Gloria’s reaction.

Ty reached over and stroked her hand. She savored the small touch. “Remember, we met at your coffee shop,” he said. “I saw something in you I liked, and I swept you off your feet. The closer we keep to the truth, the easier it will be to play this role.”

“Well, that’s true enough. But you can’t lie. So how are you going to explain having millions of dollars to spend on a worthy cause?”

“It’s not a lie,” Ty responded.

She turned her head to stare at him. “Seriously?”

“Not all of it.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and smirked. “Watch your step.”

Interesting. She’d thought the cover stories about his
wealth had been completely fabricated. How much did she really know about Ty? Besides his deepest, darkest secrets, that is—the everyday stuff hadn’t been covered. She wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything.

They’d reached the front porch of the main house. Ty pulled the car into a graveled area at its side. Polished oak steps led up to a shaded veranda, with square columns made of river rock tapering up to the top. Wide windows were open, and soft music escaped from the inside.

“Ready?”

“Huh?” Ana caught a glimpse of a vehicle with blacktinted windows that must have followed them at a discreet distance turning off onto a different road. “I mean, yes.”

“Is there a problem?”

A faint plume of dust rising at the turnoff was the only sign of the other vehicle. “I think we were followed.”

“That’s to be expected,” he said curtly. “I’ll help you out.”

She waited for him to come around to play his assigned role. What a gentleman.

Only she knew even as she thought it that vampire or not, Ty
was
a gentleman.

Ty walked up the steps with her and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal an elderly Hispanic woman in a neat and tidy dress. Ana felt Ty’s hand on her back, his thumb stroking her spine.

“Mr. Nunes? Ms. Garcia?” the woman asked. At Ana’s nod, the woman gestured for them to follow her and come inside.

Ty kept his hand on her back, as if he knew she needed that simple connection, that acknowledgment that she was not alone. She stepped over the threshold and entered the building, seating herself on a bench the woman
pointed out. Ty sat next to her, close enough so their shoulders, hips, and thighs were touching, the closeness both an emotional comfort and a sensual distraction. She clutched her handbag until he slid a hand underneath her forearm and tugged one hand loose, then wrapped it up in his.

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “Lovers, remember?”

She snaked her fingers between his and relaxed into him. Lovers.

The pretense should be a snap. They had slept together, yet that one explosive night hadn’t been enough.

A cacophony of sound startled her—thundering footsteps, squeals, giggles, and high-pitched shouts. Children, having fun. A moment later, a stream of children from very young to almost teenagers ran into the house, excited and energetic. And all jabbering away in Spanish.

Ana thought she might have seen Ramona Montes in the group … with her daughter. But she couldn’t be absolutely sure. It wasn’t as if she and Ty had taken the blurry photos with them for comparison purposes.

A girl of about eight paused to stare at them before a woman’s voice called her name. The girl gave an apologetic shrug, turned, and ran off down the hall, stopping at the end to turn and cheerfully wave good-bye.

“She seems happy,” Ana said.

“Might be lucky to be alive,” Ty commented, “if the coyotes smuggled her across the border.”

“Her life will be far better now that she’s here with us,” a woman’s strong voice rang out.

Ana’s heart fluttered, and then pounded hard and fast. She stood, looking in the direction the voice had come from. Looking for her sister.

*   *   *

Ty stood. Suddenly pale, Ana had risen to her feet the moment she heard that voice. Even without having studied photos before coming here, he would have recognized the woman striding down the hallway as her sister.

Helena Esperanza—
Gloria
—was somewhat taller and more fair. Her light brown hair, though beautiful, could never match the brilliance of Ana’s black sheen. Even so, her features, the shape of her body, and the expression in her dark eyes—defiant and vulnerable at the same time—were an exact replica of Ana.

He stepped forward, extending his hand to shake hers—and put some distance between Gloria and Ana, who he knew was trembling. “I’m Ty. I can see from the family resemblance you must be Gloria.”

She stopped in front of him and placed her hand in his. Her skin, like his, had lost most of the chill that came with being a newly turned vampire.

He forced her to keep eye contact with him, allowing Ana a chance to regroup.

“Ana here has been telling me what a wonderful person you are. How much she’s missed you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Gloria’s gaze moved to Ana and her voice wavered ever so slightly. “I couldn’t believe it when we found out Mr. Nunes knew you.” She hesitated, bit her lip, then continued. “I’m glad you’re here, Eliana.”

“I’m just called Ana now, Gloria.”

Gloria nodded and smiled. “Ana.”

Ty wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. He’d thought she would be cold, even contemptuous. She wasn’t. But he was puzzled by the friendly tone that didn’t quite mask something underneath. Gloria had been turned. She couldn’t lie. Was that why she couldn’t say she’d
missed
her sister?

Ana drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Her gaze was
still firmly fixed on Gloria’s face, her expression blank. “I’m so glad I’ve found you, Gloria.” Ana reached into her bag and withdrew something. A doll. “I brought something for you.”

She held it out to Gloria, whose eyes widened when she saw it. Slowly she reached out for the doll, caressed its yellow braids, then placed it gently on a nearby sideboard.

“She hasn’t changed much,” Gloria whispered. “Unlike me.” Then she raised her gaze to meet Ana’s.

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll always be my little sister.”

“So you know?”

“That you’re a vampire? Yes. And I don’t care about that, Gloria. All I care about is seeing you again.”

Ana stuck her right hand out as if to shake hands with Gloria. Odd, Ty thought. Why wouldn’t she hug her? Was she afraid of being rejected?

Gloria slapped Ana’s hand away with her own right hand.

Tension surged through Ty’s body.

But then Gloria stuck out her left hand and Ana slapped that away, then both slapped the back of their hands together, clapped, and repeated the action again, only this time faster and more smoothly.

Gloria giggled, then said while slapping away, “Remember when we won the neighborhood competition?”

Still slapping and clapping, the rhythm growing faster, Ana grinned and nodded, her focus fully on her sister’s hands. “Nobody could believe we could go this fast. We’ve still got it, Gloria.”

“Now that I’m a vampire, I can go a lot faster. So,
andale, chica! Andale!
”

Ana kept up until finally one of them missed and the slapping pattern stopped. Then Ana wrapped her arms around her sister and held her tight.

They were just separating when a door behind them
opened. A man stepped out. Dark haired, dark eyes. Average height. Handsome in a feral way. Miguel Salvador.

He stared at Ana with the warmth of a former lover. “Welcome, Ana.” He came forward, arms extended, and Ana allowed herself to be wrapped in the man’s embrace. From his position, Ty could see that as Miguel held Ana tight, he closed his eyes. Breathed in the scent of her hair.

He’d been right.

Miguel still loved Ana.

The thought rankled. Ty had come here to protect her, not to control her. But something about this guy said
rival
. He didn’t want to believe that she might be responding.

He’d fucking kill for her. He’d do much worse than what he’d done to Louis, the man at the nightclub, if anyone tried to hurt Ana now.

He gave himself a mental shake.
He
was the one who needed to be controlled.

He cleared his throat, and Miguel stepped back from the embrace, then came to stand behind Gloria, whose smile was patently false.

So Ty wasn’t the only one affected by this impromptu reunion. There was an upside. If Gloria’s jealousy got worse, it would make her impulsive. Careless. And that could only work in their favor.

Still, the need to mark Ana, to show everyone that she belonged to him, was riding him hard. He pulled her into his side.

She got the hint and melted into him, tipping her head up and gazing at him, rapt adoration in her eyes. Or was that lust? Didn’t matter. She’d given him an opening. And he took it.

Swooping down, he placed his lips on hers, intending
to give her a polite brushing of the lips. Just enough to prove to Gloria and Miguel that he and Ana were lovers. But then her lips went soft under his, opening slightly, and his instincts responded.

Blood flowed to his cock. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out all other sound. Her scent filled his nostrils—sweet, spicy, all Latin and luscious—and he took her mouth with his.

All he wanted was her.

He tore his mouth away from hers and focused his gaze until her face swam back into view. She blinked, once, twice, her lids heavy but her eyes gleaming.

Ty stepped back. “Guess I got carried away,” he said lightly. “I call it the Ana effect.”

Miguel shook his head as he snaked an arm around Gloria’s waist. Ty saw the tension in the lines around the other man’s mouth. So he was jealous, too, because of what Ty supposedly shared with Ana. Love. Intimacy.

Eat your heart out, you rapist bastard
. If Miguel could read minds, he’d hear that loud and clear.

But Ty didn’t feel the telltale tickling in his brain. Either Miguel and Gloria didn’t have the power, or the necklaces Ty and Ana wore were fully functional.

Good to know.

That kiss could have been too much, too soon. Given that Ana hadn’t seen her sister in years and was probably longing to spend some time alone with Gloria—for one thing, to determine for herself whether Gloria was being brainwashed or coerced—it was time for some manly conversation.

“I bet these two would like to get reacquainted,” he said to Miguel. “Let’s discuss your plans.”

Miguel looked at Ty with barely concealed contempt. “If you say so. Sure, let’s talk.”

CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR