Sheridan opened her eyes when she felt Hunter’s heat disappear. He was across the room before she could blink. He paused at the door, his back to her, and growled a command. "I’d suggest you get some work done. There are events to be planned and odds and ends to be tied up. Go talk to the day manager."

Then he was out the door, leaving Sheridan to wonder yet again what she’d done to make him so angry.

**

"So if you can serve the Bloody Marys with the brunch and make sure to remove the garlic from the omelets I think that’ll take care of it."

The banquet manager rolled his eyes. "This job, am I right?"

Sheridan grinned. "Yeah, I’m discovering a whole new world working here. Who knew there were groups like the Vampire Enthusiasts of America? ."

Marco popped his head around the corner of the hallway. "Did I just hear someone mention the VEA?"

Sheridan and the banquet manager turned to look at him. Sheridan noticed with amusement that the banquet manager went all misty-eyed when he looked at the sexy vampire.

"Yes," Sheridan answered. "It’s their annual convention."

"Already?" Marco said. “Coulda sworn we just had one.”

The banquet manager scoffed and headed down the hall back to the kitchen.

"So, can I talk to you real fast?" Marco said.

"Sure."

He leaned casually against the wall and raised an eyebrow at her. "So, have you seen Hunter today?"

"For a minute this morning," she answered, trying not to remember how cold the boss’s voice had been when he’d left her standing in his office.

"How was he?"

"Grumpy. You know, like usual."

Marco looked thoughtful. "Huh. I just ran into him and it seemed like a whole new level. I was just wondering what crawled up his ancient ass."

Sheridan tried to stifle a giggle.

"Anyway, I actually came to find you because I think you should know what’s going on at the bar right now."

"Oh-kay…"

His gaze became sympathetic. "This isn’t really my business, but I figured you’d want to know. Kenzy’s at the bar with a bunch of the off-duty vampires and she’s wasted."

"What?!" Sheridan moved to run off to the bar, but Marco put a hand on her arm.

"I didn’t serve her, so I don’t know who gave it to her or what she’s had."

Sheridan nodded. "I’ve got to go pick her up."

"Go easy on her though, huh?"

Sheridan grimaced and gave a sharp nod before she marched off to the bar, not sure whether to be angry or sad.

**

"Why are you sush a meanie vampire dude?" Kenzy slurred as she poked a finger into Hunter’s chest, weaving slightly on her feet.

Hunter towered over her, his expression thunderous. "You. Will. Go. To. Your. Room. And you will not leave it again without my permission."

"You’re not my dad, Mr. Asswi—"

"Kenzy!" Sheridan leapt the last two feet to reach Kenzy before her mouth got her killed—or worse.

Kenzy turned glazed eyes to look at Sheridan. "Oh." She wobbled and Hunter grabbed her arm to keep her from toppling over. "You’re here! You should meet all my new friends," she gushed.

Sheridan looked around the bar to see the backs of the last of the vampire s scooting out the door. No doubt they had better preservation instincts than either Kenzy or Sheridan.

In the mirror behind Hunter and Kenzy, Sheridan saw only Kenzy’s reflection and shivered, the reality of who they were dealing with settling uncomfortably.

"Why don’t you tell me about them while we go up to the room?" Sheridan offered, tugging on Kenzy’s arm.

Kenzy resisted. "I don’t want to go to the room, ish boring."

"This is absolutely unacceptable," Hunter snarled. "I want to know what you’re going to do to keep her under control, because if you can’t, I’ll put her back on the street."

Sheridan set her jaw. "And if you do, I go with her. I’ll take care of her now, but she’s been through a lot, maybe you could cut us some slack, huh?"

Hunter’s nostrils flared with the effort he needed to keep from snapping back. But he simply gave a terse "just take care of it" before he turned on his heel and stormed away.

Sheridan sighed as Kenzy mumbled something about "meanie vampire dude" again. Taking the teen’s arm, she dragged her out of the bar.

Sheridan sat on the sofa in Kenzy’s room and handed her a glass of water and an Ibuprofen.

"Take it, you’ll thank me in a few hours."

Kenzy obeyed, some of the fight having gone out of her on the way to the room.

"Now," Sheridan faced her friend, "why don’t you tell me what the hell you were thinking?"

Kenzy leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I just wanted to have a little fun," she whispered.

"With a bunch of vampire s and a bottle of Jack Daniels?"

Kenzy curled up into a ball facing Sheridan, but keeping her eyes closed. Slowly a tear leaked out the corner of her eye and Sheridan’s heart cracked a tiny bit.

She knew what was really happening. Because she’d been stuffing down the same feelings for days, using the chaos of everything to avoid facing the grief.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said softly, pushing a lock of Kenzy’s hair off her cheek. "It’s okay, I know you miss them."

Kenzy sniffed and opened her eyes, the tears flowing freely. "I can’t believe they’re gone. I thought I’d finally found a real family and now they’re all dead."

Sheridan swiped at her own tears. "It was the same for me." She laughed softly. "Did I ever tell you Mrs. Barlow found me at the grocery store?"

"She found me at a coffee shop," Kenzy laughed through her tears.

"I was standing in line with a basket full of beans and ramen when she started talking to me. She asked about my family and where I was working. Before I knew it she’d paid for my groceries and invited me to dinner. From there it was only a few days before she and Mr. Barlow had hired me and then a couple weeks later they asked me to move to the property."

"That’s exactly how it happened for me too," Kenzy said, sitting up and looking more alert. "I was drinking a small cup of coffee because it’s all I could afford. I’d spent the morning panhandling at the bus station. Mrs. Barlow stopped to ask me about the book I was reading and before I knew it she’d bought me a sandwich and asked me to dinner. A few days later it was a job, and then a place to live too."

Warning bells were chiming in Sheridan’s head. "Almost like she was out looking for abandoned kids to bring home," she said softly.

"Do you think that’s what she was doing?" Kenzy asked, sipping her water.

"I really don’t know."

"I can’t believe I never thought about it. It’s kind of weird to pick up people like that…"

"Yeah,” said Sheridan slowly, “and it was also strange we never questioned who the Barlows were or how everyone who worked for them got there. Everyone wants that chest, so obviously they were hooked into some strange kind of vampire stuff." Sheridan shook her head. "But how could we have known? I just accepted whatever they told me."

Kenzy nodded. "Are we going to be okay? And where is the chest now? I’m scared.”

Sheridan put her arms around her friend and hugged as tightly as she could. "It’s safely hidden, and yes, we are, because I’m going to make sure of it. But that’s why you have to do what I tell you to. Stay here in the hotel, don’t cross Hunter, and keep a low profile. I promise if you can do that I’ll make sure we come out of this safe and sound."

As Sheridan held the young woman, she only hoped she could make good on the promise.

**

Sheridan stepped off the elevator and saw Marco lounging against the wall outside her room.

"Hi." He gifted her with one of his movie star smiles and her insides turned to jello.

"What’s up?"

"Just wanted to check on how Kenzy’s doing?"

"She’s sleeping it off safe in her room. I imagine I won’t hear from her for another eight or nine hours."

"Mmhmm," Marco replied, putting his hands on Sheridan’s hips and pulling her toward him. "You have anything planned for those hours?"

Sheridan grinned and let her hands fall onto his biceps. Damn, those were some muscles. She wondered if vampires had to work out or if it was part of the package.

"I think my schedule is pretty clear."

The words were barely out of her mouth before his lips were sealed over hers, his hands roaming to waist . She sighed and opened to him, her tongue stroking against his, all thoughts of where they were forgotten as heat sparked in her from head to toe.

**

In his office three floors down, Hunter clicked through the security cameras idly as he checked the various views from the interior of the hotel like he did ten or more times a day. Suddenly he stopped, pressing the zoom lens in the hallway of the building’s top floor. He watched as Marco kissed Sheridan’ and held her close . Hunter growled in displeasure as Sheridan pulled back to punch the security code into the doorlock of her room.

As he moved to shut off the screen he saw Sheridan pull Marco into her room. When he jabbed at the button on the keyboard the plastic shattered beneath his fingertip.

**

Sheridan hurried Marco into her room, desperate for the electricity that only his kiss had been able to give her. She brushed her fingers across his dark hair, and traced his biceps with her other hand. They accidentally bumped into a drawer on their way to Sheridan’s bed, when she noticed her makeup bag wasn’t in its normal place on top of the dresser.

"That’s strange…" Her gaze wandered the room and she noticed her jacket wasn’t on the hook behind the door, and her extra shoes were tossed haphazardly in the corner rather than in the closet where she’d left them.

"Marco?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Someone’s been in my room."