Page 38 of Patrick’s Seduction (Scanguards Vampires #19)

38

U pon arrival at HQ, Patrick headed straight for the command center on the first floor, where Benjamin was on duty.

“Hey, bro.”

“Did you reach everybody?” Patrick asked.

“Orders went out to everybody to report for duty. Meeting starts in fifteen minutes. And I gave everybody the basics of what’s going on.”

“Good. Any information on the Alberta? I’m assuming it’s a ship?”

“Correct, a cargo ship. Belongs to one of the companies the Gallaghers own. Set to ship out at midnight heading to Manila.”

“That’s what I thought. Easiest way to smuggle Cameron out of the country without the authorities finding out is on a ship for which you control the manifest.” He took a breath. “I’m heading to the conference room. Patch in when the meeting starts. I need you to be up to speed on what we’re planning.”

“Sure, bro.”

Patrick headed for the door.

“Oh, and Patrick?”

He looked over his shoulder.

“Fallon is still in your father’s office. You want me to tell her you’re back?”

“No, I’ll go see her now.”

He exited the room, headed for the elevators, and punched the button. The doors opened a few moments later. Two vampires were inside: Orlando and Zane. Just the guys he needed. Orlando, his brother-in-law, was one of the biggest vampires he’d ever encountered, and Zane, the bald Holocaust survivor, was one of the most brutal and cold-blooded ones.

“Good to see you guys,” Patrick said and joined them in the elevator.

“Wouldn’t wanna miss getting my claws into some fucking werewolves,” Zane said, his facial muscles barely moving.

“You and me both, bro,” Patrick replied.

Orlando grunted and only offered one word. “Yeah.”

He wasn’t a man of many words, though ever since he’d blood-bonded with Isabelle, he’d become a little more approachable. However, he was still the stubborn bouncer he’d worked with when Patrick and Damian had run the Mezzanine, the club that now belonged to Orlando.

“Is Isabelle here with Ross yet?” Patrick asked.

“Yeah, up in your dad’s office.”

“And the other blood-bonded mates and children?”

Orlando shrugged and looked at Zane.

“Scarlet’s car is in the garage,” Zane replied.

Scarlet was Ryder’s blood-bonded mate, and they had five-year-old twins who needed protection.

The elevator stopped again, but they hadn’t reached the top floor yet. Blake entered, his seven-year-old son Harrison, in tow.

He greeted everybody.

“You’ve got the whereabouts of all the kids and the human blood-bonded mates?” Patrick asked, since Blake was officially in charge of hybrid security.

“Buffy is picking up Dean from school as we speak, and then they’ll both stay here,” Blake reported. “Scarlet and the twins are already here. And so is Katie with Jacob. They are all down in the lounge.”

“And Lilo?” he asked.

“Mom is at a writing conference,” Harrison replied.

Patrick winked at the boy. “So that means you get to stay up all hours of the day and night while your dad is in charge?”

Harrison chuckled. “We’re not gonna tell Mom that.”

Patrick looked at Blake. “Harrison should probably join the others at the lounge downstairs.”

“He will. Just as soon as he gets his iPad from my office. Right, buddy?”

The doors of the elevator opened on the top floor, and they all exited.

“Blake, check that all the other humans are here too: Savannah, Nina, Naomi, Ursula. Who am I forgetting?”

“No worries, I’ve got the list. Everybody’s been notified, and we’re keeping track of where they are. I’ll make sure everybody gets here safe and sound,” Blake assured him.

“Thanks, bro.” Patrick marched toward his father’s office at the end of the corridor. “I’ll be in the conference room in a few minutes.”

He opened the door to his father’s office without knocking. Isabelle and Fallon sat on the sofa, deep in conversation, while Ross played with his Lego set on the floor.

“Hey,” he greeted them. “We’re back.”

Fallon jumped up. “Thank God!”

His sister rose too, a relieved breath rolling over her lips. “About time. We were getting worried.”

He cast Isabelle a look. “Meeting is starting in a few minutes.”

She nodded. “I’ll bring Ross down to the others. Nina can watch him.” She addressed Ross. “Hey, Ross, wanna go see Auntie Nina?”

Ross jumped up. “Yay! Nina!”

“Hey, buddy,” Patrick greeted him and opened his arms. Ross ran toward him, and he lifted him in the air as he giggled.

Isabelle smiled, and he transferred her son into her arms. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t start the meeting without me.”

With a nod, Patrick stepped aside, so she could leave the office. When the door finally fell shut behind her, he marched toward Fallon. He took her into his arms without a word and kissed her.

It felt good to feel her arms hug him tightly as she kissed him back. For a few seconds he allowed himself to enjoy her embrace before he severed the kiss.

“How did it go?” she asked, her forehead furrowed in worry.

“We saw him. He’s at the Gallagher estate.”

“What now?”

“We’re meeting in a few minutes to put an action plan together. You can join us if you want. But just so you know, there’ll be a lot of vampires and vampire hybrids in the room. Some of them might be hostile toward you in the beginning. Can you handle that?”

She nodded immediately. “Yes.”

“Alright then. Let’s introduce you to them.”

The conference room on the executive floor was packed. Patrick was pleased to see that not only most vampire hybrids, but also most vampires in Scanguards’ employ were assembled. Notably missing were Damian and Ethan, who were both providing security at the jeweler’s convention, which was due to end in a few hours. Benjamin would have to fill them in once they returned from their assignment.

When he entered the room with Fallon by his side, the conversations stopped, and everybody eyed her with caution. He walked to the front of the room, where he turned toward the crowd, still holding Fallon’s hand.

“Thanks for coming so quickly,” he started. “This is Fallon. Her ex-boyfriend Cameron Gallagher bit her three nights ago and turned her into a werewolf against her will. She means us no harm, something that can’t be said of the Gallagher pack.”

There were a few grumbles and murmurs in the crowd, but overall, everybody seemed relaxed despite the presence of a werewolf.

“Here’s what we know. You’ve all been briefed about the Presidio murder. We’ve confirmed that Cameron is the killer. And we also know that he killed two other people in Marin County. Because of these murders in Marin County, Cameron’s father, William Gallagher, helped fake Cameron’s death to take the heat off him. In order to fake his death, he used a homeless man, whom he blew up in Cameron’s car. We don’t know yet whether the homeless man was already dead, or whether he was killed by Gallagher. Anyway, the police subsequently classified the murders of the hikers as mountain lion attacks.”

A few people in the crowd scoffed.

“My sentiments exactly,” Patrick continued. “But the police in Marin just don’t know any better, and I’m sure Gallagher paid somebody to make the whole thing go away. It doesn’t matter now. We have a more urgent issue. When Virginia and I were at the Gallagher property, we witnessed an argument between William Gallagher and his son. When Gallagher found out that Cameron killed the jogger in the Presidio and turned Fallon, he told his son that he’d be sent to the Philippines until it was safe for him to return. The cargo ship he’s leaving on belongs to the Gallaghers, and it will leave tonight at midnight.”

Next to him, Fallon gasped. “No! You can’t let him leave!”

He turned his face to Fallon. “I won’t let it happen, trust me.” Then he addressed his colleagues again. “For those of you who don’t know, we believe that Fallon can be turned back into a human if her maker, Cameron, dies before the last night of Fallon’s first full moon ends. This is Fallon’s first full moon as a werewolf, and tonight is night two. The full moon lasts only three nights. I’d hoped we’d have more time to plan how to get Cameron, but we have to do this tonight, or Cameron will be gone, and with it the chance of making Fallon human again.”

A few curses echoed in the large room.

“Then we’d better come up with something quickly,” Luther interjected. “You’re sure about Cameron’s current whereabouts? Has he already left the Gallagher estate?”

“He can’t,” Patrick added. “When he protested about being sent to the Philippines, his father had him locked up in the basement of the house.”

“Besides,” Thomas interjected, “we’ve got eyes on all roads leading to and from the estate. All we’ve seen so far are more cars arriving. Nobody’s left the estate.”

“They’re getting ready to fight us,” Patrick predicted. “They know we want to punish Cameron. Not only that, they also want Fallon, because she’s a werewolf. She will never be safe, as long as they consider her one of them.”

“Well, then we’ve gotta change that,” Amaury added.

Patrick nodded. And they had to get it done before midnight. The clock was ticking.