“I agree.” Deirdre nodded. “Any vampire who produced it would put in some safeguard or marker. Our kind is too cautious not to.”

“Do we have any idea when we’ll know more from Rome?”

Deirdre shook her head. “I’m sure, as soon as Beatrice—Giovanni’s wife—knows, she’ll spread the word. She’s young like you, and not as secretive as the older ones.”

“And Carwyn?” Her voice lifted in hope. “Any idea when he’ll be…” She almost said ‘home,’ then realized that his home was actually in Wales, which didn’t suit her at all.

Her sire’s eyes twinkled. “He’ll come back as soon as he can. Your guess is probably better than mine. I’m fairly certain Dublin will be his first stop.”

A smile fought its way to Brigid’s mouth. “Well, he’s missed.” She took a drink and made a horrified face. “And I’ll be extremely grateful to figure out some way to eat properly again, as well.”

Deirdre threw her head back and laughed. “It’s not that bad!”

“Yes, it is. How do you stand it?”

She winked. “Well, I’ve been known to take a nip now and then from a human. Don’t tell Father.”

“Oh really?” She smiled, feeling like she and Deirdre were sharing girlhood secrets. “He knows I don’t drink animal blood as a rule. Doesn’t seem to bother him.”

“He’s not judgmental.” Deirdre paused. “Plus, after all this time, he’s probably curious what your blood will taste like when he drinks from you.”

Brigid almost snorted the pig’s blood through her nose. “W—what?”

A wicked grin crossed her sire’s face. “Well now, it looks like Cathy and Anne didn’t get to have all the fun with the new girl. Brigid, my dear, it’s time for an entirely different kind of ‘special talk.’”

She couldn’t decide what was making her skin heat. Embarrassment or curiosity. Probably both.

After a few more hours having her ears scorched by far more than she ever wanted to know about vampire sex and mating habits, Brigid was back at The Abbey, the club where Jack had been attacked. It remained open, more as a place to gather information than anything else. Over the previous three months, it had become the vampire ‘place to be seen and drink’ so it had attracted a large immortal clientele, as well as humans who liked to be bitten. A win for everyone. Especially the club owners, who were turning an even larger portion of their earnings over to Murphy.

She sat, bored, watching the stupid and the desperate. Many of the humans wore the hollow eyes of those looking for oblivion, so much like the aching girl she had been, it made Brigid want to weep. When she thought about her life seven years before, she wanted to wring her own neck.

What did she think she was running from? As painful as reliving and working through her abuse had been—still was—she had come to a place of peace that the human Brigid never could have imagined.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jack, who had come back to the table looking flushed and evil.

Brigid frowned. “I don’t particularly like you, Jack, but I’d miss you if you lost your mind. Cut it out, will you?”

He only shrugged. “It’s not like I haven’t lived past my allotted time anyway, Connor. If the good Lord decides to take me for enjoying the neck of a plump young thing… well, it’s been a good run.”

“Idiot.”

“Prude.”

“Lot you know.”

“Brigid, your man is a priest. If that isn’t a recipe for sexual frustration, I don’t know what is.”

She fell silent, thinking about Deirdre’s visit. And Istanbul. And dangerous places she couldn’t roam.

“Hey.” Jack tugged on her arm. “I’m just teasing you, Brigid. And don’t get that sad, weepy look. Your man’s one of the most powerful vamps I’ve ever met. And he’s a tricky one. He’ll be fine.”

“Tricky?” She frowned, as Jack leaned back with a lazy smile and spread his arms across the back of the booth. “Why do you say that?” Brigid thought Carwyn was one of the most straightforward people she’d ever met.

“Think about it. He’s terribly clever. Comes across as a very jovial chap, the Father does. Crazy Hawaiian shirts and loud laugh. The life of the party and everyone’s favorite friend.” A keen glint came to Jack’s eye. “But push him past that joking manner and he’s rather unpredictable. A thousand years old, after all. In our young corner of the world, that’s something. I’ve seen him fight.” Brigid looked at him and he gave a slow nod. “Once. And I learned a valuable lesson.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

He smiled slowly. “Always let your enemies underestimate you.”

“He won?” A smile flicked over her face. “Of course he won.”

Jack chuckled. “Never seen a dozen Frenchmen so surprised.”

Just then, a long sweep of hair caught her attention. A broad shoulder peeked from the shadows in the corner of the club.

“Jack.” Brigid nudged him. “I think that’s someone we know.”

The other vampire threw back the pint he’d ordered. It was warm, but immortals tended not to like cold beer anyway. “Oh aye,” Jack murmured. “Hello, pretty boy. We’ve been looking for you.”