Surrendering(71)

“I can get my lips around a tootsie roll just fine, asswipe.”

“Children,” Dev loudly interrupted. “We have more important things to worry about than whose cock is bigger. Jesus. Damian, why don’t you and Ren go talk to some of the visitors you brought back from Kate’s and see if we learn anything enlightening. They should be nice and hungry by now and amenable to provide assistance. If you can keep your hands off each other, that is.” Dev hadn’t told Kate they’d brought back a couple of prisoners from her most recent kidnapping.

A simultaneous “fuck you” was uttered by both men.

“Elle, visit our professor and report back to me ASAP. Rom, don’t you have some contacts in the medical community that we could use to track down information on others who may also be on Xavier’s payroll?”

The man of many words that Romaric was, he simply nodded.

“Good. You work that angle.”

“Of course. I also have an excellent computer technologist. I will contact her straight away and see if we can’t glean a new lead using that method.” Rom stood to leave, along with his men. He was one of the most uptight vampires Dev knew.

“Perfect. Let’s all meet back here tomorrow night at midnight and see what new information we all have.”

As everyone left to attend to their respective tasks, Dev added, “Oh, and gentlemen, it’s no contest. My cock wins.”

Consensus was not reached on that point.





Chapter 46





Dev





Hours later a hard knock reverberated on his office door before it opened. Dev looked up from the papers he was reviewing as Big D’s large frame took up almost the entire doorway. And he looked grim.

“What did you find, doc?” asked Dev, as he stood and walked around the front of his large cherry desk.

Big D nervously cleared his throat. “Well, I have run several tests on the two blood samples I took from Kate, cross-matched them with all of the blood samples we have in the database and I come up with the same results. Every single time.”

Big D hesitated for several beats before he continued. He looked positively sick.

“As you know, we’ve already determined from her first blood sample that she has vampire lineage and has to be adopted as both the parents are human.”

Dev nodded. The doc was stalling and he was afraid his worst fears were about to be confirmed.

“Yes, I know that already. What else did you find out?”

“Her lineage has been traced back to the Illenciam bloodline.”

A roaring sound rang in his head, getting louder and louder so he couldn’t think straight. His vision turned fuzzy. He sunk down onto his leather couch in a fog. He’d suspected, but to have his fears actually confirmed…that was another thing entirely. His voice was barely a whisper. “How can that be?”

Big D looked directly into Dev’s eyes with sympathy. “I’m sorry, my lord, but they are not wrong. I have repeated them countless times. They are conclusive. There is no doubt that Kate is Xavier’s daughter.”

This could not be happening.

Holy. Christ.

This.

Could.

Not.

Be.

Happening.

Big D was talking, but he couldn’t hear any of the words. Nothing made sense. His world had just gone black. Blown to smithereens right out from underneath him.

Dev had been trying to justify Kate’s unusual display of power by convincing himself they didn’t know Xavier’s background. Being abandoned by his parents it was certainly likely there were others out there with the skill of stasis.

But…a daughter? His daughter? Did he know she lived? He must. Was this whole thing a setup to get close to him? How could it not be? Had Xavier somehow known Kate was his Moira? Had the rogues at her house simply been there to get a report back to Xavier? This made no sense, but what other explanation was there? Xavier had finally found a way to gut him. And gutted, he felt. He loved her. She couldn’t possibly betray him like this…could she? Xavier had taken away everything good in his life, now including his mate.

He could barely breathe.

Jesus, he had been completely blinded by lust…and love. He’d been led around by his dick from the moment he laid eyes on her, which was probably all part of the plan. Kate was one hell of an actress; he’d give her that.

Fuck! He’d put his entire Regent in jeopardy, not to mention the people he cared about most in the world. Those that had stood by his side for centuries.

The love of his life, his mate, was the daughter of the devil himself. His Kate was the daughter of his most abhorrent enemy, Xavier Illenciam.

Fate was a crazy, fickle bitch.

He was utterly destroyed. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but it was so long that doc had left, Ren taking his place. Ren didn’t say a word. Just stood by the door, in case he was needed. Dev couldn’t even look at him. The last thing he needed to see was compassion in his friends face. Or worse…pity.