“I need to know whether Natalie is going to Ensenada tonight.”

“What?”

“Ensenada, Kristy. I need to know if she’s going to a club in Ensenada.”

Silence. The friendly girl was gone and a cautious woman answered him. “I don’t know what she told you, but as her editor—”

“My job is in private security, Kristy. In nightclubs. I have information that tells me whoever she is meeting—” Please don’t say Ivan. “—could be dangerous. Very dangerous, Kristy. I need to know if she went there, and I need to know if she’s alone.”

Kristy’s silence told him she was taking the situation seriously, at least. Finally she said, “She called an old friend of ours in Ensenada. Manuel said he’d meet her down there, but she said she needed to go to this bar where a couple of the girls had worked. She was just going to check things out. Maybe talk to a few waitresses. She knows not to—”

“What was the name of the bar?”

“Bar El Ruso. She was following up a lead about some guy named Ivan. Ky nspan>”

He was settled into the back of Luis’s car, mentally taking inventory of the situation, but Luis kept interrupting.

“Boss, this is a bad idea.”

“I know, Luis.”

“We’ve already started the wheels to have a formal meeting between you two. If you just show up at Ruso, it’ll look like you’re being impatient or are dissatisfied with his people. It’s not gonna look good.”

“I know, Luis.”

He shifted in his seat and looked out the window, watching the passing lights of Tijuana. They were still over an hour away. Thanks to Luis’s connections at the crossing, they’d made it through in far less time than he guessed Natalie had, but he suspected she would still beat them there. Why the hell had he promised Dez he would look out for her friend? Why the hell had he put his marks on her? This was turning into a giant headache.

“It’s gonna look like you’re trying to push the meeting up and we haven’t really specified what it’s even about, so he’s going to be suspicious and it’s just the two of us. Why are we doing this?”

“None of your business. Just drive.”

His assistant gave a strangled laugh. “Right. Fine then, what are we going to tell him we’re there about?”

“I’m going to tell him the truth.” Somewhat. “I’m there fetching an errant human. We’ll be fine.”

“This is such a bad idea.”

He tapped his foot in the back seat and tried not to think about Natalie’s laugh. Or her quick wit. Or the smell of her blood. He was forced to admit the damn woman had crept under his skin. The last time that happened, he’d lost focus. People had died. The girl he was supposed to protect had been hurt. Almost killed. And this car ride was taking far too long.

He cursed under his breath and muttered, “I should have just swum.”

“Yeah, because showing up soaking wet to a casual meeting where you’re just going to fetch your girl-toy is so likely.”

His quiet voice didn’t need any emphasis to be chilling. “You are never to refer to Ms. Ellis as a toy of any kind. Do you understand, Luis?”

The young man was silent at first. Finally, he said, “Yes, Boss.”

By the time they had pulled up to the entrance of Bar El Ruso, it was almost eleven o’clock. Baojia had formed no less than seven plans to deal with the situation when they found her. It would all depend on who she was talking to and whether or not Ivan had noticed her. Luis parked the car and followed him in through the VIP entrance. The one where weapons were not checked. Two fourteen-inch, German-made butterfly swords were strapped to his thighs under his slacks, within easy reach if things became interesting. He hoped he didn’t have to use them, but better safe than sorry. Ivan would expect him to be armed because Ivan would be armed, too. Ivan, however, would not be as subtle.

The guard at the VIP entrance, a tall immortal whose energy registered young, paused for a moment when he saw Baojia, holding up a hand to stop him and Luis. Baojia gave him a suitably disdainful look before he stopped.

“Is he expecting you?” the guard asked in perfect English.

“No.”

“Very well.” He waved someone over, whispered in his ear, then nodded at Baojia. “Welcome to Bar El Ruso.”

As he walked through the black curtain, he blocked out the flashing red a Klas “Welcomnd blue lights that pulsed and lit the club like eerie lightening. He searched for her, finding her by the bar holding another clear cocktail and watching. She hadn’t seen him yet. He pulled Luis closer. “Go. Find Ivan and make our apologies for intruding. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Boss—”

“Go. I don’t think she’s caught his attention yet.” It was a miracle she hadn’t. There appeared to be a cruise ship in town, or some other event, because the bar held more than the average number of Americans. Luckily, Natalie wasn’t the only pale, redheaded girl in the place. He walked toward her casually, pausing when a cocktail waitress passed. His instincts tripped and his fangs fell down.

Blood.

The girl’s pulse called him. Blood. Blood. Blood. Drink.

His mouth dropped open and he growled low in his throat, though he’d already fed that night. His mind raced. What was causing this reaction? He was angry, but that normally didn’t rile his instincts the way this girl had. Then he noticed another waitress. Common enough looking, but her blood also whispered to him.