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never been more livid. "Unbelievable! Un- friggin '-believable. How
    could you do such a thing?"
    Francesca was completely unrepentant. "I did it to protect you."
     
    Retta held her hand up as pure disgust filled her. "Thanks, Frankie. It's not like I have a life
    as well as clients who need me."
    "You can't have clients if you're dead. Besides, Trish is handling them. They won't even miss
    you."
    "Save me the bullshit." She looked at Viktor. "Get me a cab and I'm out of here. Right now."
    He started for the counter.
    "Viktor," Raluca said in a thick, drawn-out accent. "Touch that phone and you will regret it for
    the rest of your existence."
    He arched both brows as he froze in place. "But Mother… the prince will—"
    "I will deal with the prince. You need to prepare yourself for the tour. Now go."
    Retta could tell he wanted to argue but didn't dare. Instead, he cast a sullen look her way
    before he complied with his mother's orders.
    "Where is Velkan ?" Retta asked Raluca .
    "Not to be flippant, Princess, but he is wherever it is he wishes to be."
    "You won't tell me?"
    Raluca hesitated before she answered. "I will not allow you to blindside him in his home after
    all he has suffered for you, Princess. I know of your feelings toward him from my daughter."
    "And still you side with him?"
    Raluca's gaze went toward the blunted spike tip on the wall. "I will protect His Highness with
    every breath I hold in my body. But for him, I would have been impaled, too." And with those
    words spoken, she turned around and left Retta alone with Francesca and Andrei.
    Retta gave Andrei an expectant look.
    "He will be in the Bloody Dungeon later."
    "The what?"
    "It's a club," Francesca explained. "One where Daimons tend to pick off tourists who want to
    meet real vampires."
    Well, didn't that make perfect sense? "What time does he go there?"
    Andrei shrugged. "Any time between now and dawn."
    "You are just so helpful, Andrei."
    "I try to be, Princess."
    "And you fail with such panache."
    He ignored her sarcasm.
    Sighing, Retta looked at Francesca. "I don't suppose I could talk you into just poofing me
    home again, could I?"
    "You don't like to teleport. It makes you queasy. Besides, I thought you didn't like me
    anymore."
    "I'm bordering on it. But you are the only family I have. Good or bad, and right now it's
    definitely bad. Let me go home and I will forgive you."
    "I can't do that, Retta . Sorry. But trust me, this is for your own good."
    Fine then. Come morning, she'd slip away from them one way or another. She looked back
    at Andrei. "We are one hundred percent sure Velkan won't come to this hotel, right?"
    "Oh, I can absolutely guarantee it. He wants nothing to do with your family. He only ventures
    here once in a blue moon."
    That just made her all warm and toasty inside. "Then why do you run this place?"
    He grinned at her. "The money. We make a killing on it."
    Great, just great. "Whatever. I'm going to bed now. Give me a key and let me put this whole
    nightmare behind me."
    Francesca frowned. "Aren't you hungry?"
    "No. I just need to sleep and forget this whole day has happened."
    Andrei went behind the counter to sign her in. "Would you like Dracula's Suite?"
    Retta narrowed her eyes at him. "Keep pushing, Andrei, and you and I are going to play a
    game."
    "And what game is that, Princess?"
     
    "Find the Ball in My Hand."
    He frowned. "I don't see a ball, Princess."
    "Oh, you will, just as soon as I snap it off your body."
    He flinched.
    Francesca laughed. "She's teasing, Andrei. Her bark is always worse than her bite."
    Wishing she'd left her friend at home, Retta took the key card from his hand. "Where's the
    room?"
    "Top floor."
    Without a word, Retta grabbed her suitcase and headed for the elevator. She got in and
    turned around to see Francesca and Andrei teasing each other as the doors closed. Pain
    sliced her heart. How she wished she could have her family back again. She'd adored her
    two little brothers. They had