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“A good one? Surprises usually don’t work out for me.”

He chuckled, and her heart turned over at the glint in his eyes. “You’ll like this.”

A moment of comfortable silence passed. Though Leah wanted to continue soaking in the floating-on-the-cloud feeling, she couldn’t keep what was bothering her in any longer. “Did you find those five vampires?”

Julian’s gaze didn’t stray from the road, but she sensed anger masking the guilt. Sometimes the depth of their connection scared her. Even when he was fifty floors away, she could still feel his emotions. Yet, she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

“No, they emptied the place. The vampires were gone.” Sharp bitterness marred his face. “They also wiped the computers, but the techs are working to see if we can recover anything.”

It was her turn to squeeze his hand. Others thought him a heartless, cruel monster. Judge. Jury. Executioner. He’d told her once. It was a necessity. She understood that now. Deep down, he cared more than anyone knew.

“You’ll find them. If not them, then others.”

“You’re right. I’ve petitioned Alistair to establish a new task force to deal with the Organization. We’ve underestimated and ignored them for too long. Marek will lead the team, and they’ll be headquartered in Vegas. You might have to face Dmitri again.”

She didn’t let go of him despite the concern in his gaze. She’d had time to think long and hard about this for the last two days. Never in a million years had she thought she would spend her life with a vampire. Not just any vampire, but the Ruler of Vegas.

Vegas, and by extension Julian, was on the top of the Organization’s hit list.

Yet, she couldn’t ask him to step down.

This—leading and fighting for his people—was where he belonged.

“I’m not afraid of him or of the Organization. I told you, nothing else matters as long as I’m with you.”

Though Julian said nothing, love reverberated down their connection, wrapping her in its warmth and light. As they pulled into the parking lot, Julian activated the autopilot and pulled her into his lap.

Leah went willingly and let herself be swept up into a kiss, loving the feel of his hard chest against her. Though it’d been only two days since they’d been together, time had moved like molasses when they’d been apart.

Julian dragged himself away before he ruined everything and took her in the car. Leah’s pliant body and soft moans made it a herculean effort.

“You’ll ruin the surprise,” he said gruffly.

“If the surprise is anything less than you claiming me as your mate tonight, then I don’t want it.”

His blood heating, Julian got out of the car and breathed in the scent of the arid desert air. The place was empty. He’d made sure of it, to reserve it for them only. Less than a hundred yards away, the tower stood, reaching into the sky, its ivory walls glowing its eternal soft light.

After they’d returned to Vegas, he’d wanted to claim Leah as soon as they were alone. Good thing that business had pulled him away. It gave him time to cool off, to make this special for her.

Here, it felt right. Somehow.

She deserved it, especially now, after she’d accepted their future.

He loved her and would walk through the fires of hell for her.

He also had a duty to his people. A duty he’d accepted and taken on as his identity. Perhaps one day, when his people weren’t persecuted, he’d step back and give Leah the life she deserved.

Alistair must have seen that this would happen when he appointed Julian Ruler of Vegas almost a century ago.

Damn the bastard.

On the other side of the car, Leah got out. She looked beautiful, awash with the Ruins’ ethereal glow. Strands of her brown locks, tinted with gold, had fallen out of her bun to frame her heart-shaped face. Her hazel eyes were soft and filled with love that shot straight to his heart.

The last time he found her here, he thought she had left him.

It was appropriate that their life together would begin here.

“Come on. Let me show you your surprise.”