“The long run, huh?”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

She paused to look at him, and he didn’t flinch from her steady gaze.

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

Giovanni was annoyed by her dismissal, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Speaking of immortal matters, there is a certain vampire in town that you should meet.”

The meat sizzled in the pan as she added the onions and chiles. “Who?”

“You asked who ran Los Angeles, but the answer is somewhat complicated. As a matter of fact, the reason I never worried much about you living here—”

“Hiring someone to move next door to me isn’t worrying much?”

“—is because of who controls the city.” He ignored her question and continued. “Tell me about your grandmother’s family.”

“What?” she frowned. “The Alvarezes? Why? They’re from Mexico. Guadalajara. I’ve never even been there, but I hear it’s pretty. I think Grandma has one cousin she keeps in contact with.”

“Your grandmother is descended from a very old and very wealthy Spanish family that was once large land owners in Alta California.”

“Okay,” she said slowly as she alternated between stirring the meat for the tacos and chopping tomatoes.

“He won’t eat those,” he said, looking at the cutting board.

She snorted. “He will if he wants me to feed him.”

Giovanni grinned and continued talking. “Don Ernesto Alvarez was a very wealthy man, and he had a very large family. A tradition he continued even after he was turned into a vampire in the late 1700s.”

She had looked up as soon as he said the name ‘Alvarez.’

“Gio, are you telling me I’m related to another vampire?”

He smiled. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, probably ten percent of California and Northern Mexico is related to him in some way. It was a very large family.”

She shook her head and continued preparing dinner. “So what? This Don Ernesto is my great-great-a whole bunch of times-great-grandfather?”

“Yes, he is. And you’re a direct descendant, which is rare and brings out his sentimental side.”

“And he runs the city of Los Angeles?”

“And most of the surrounding areas, yes. Most of the area between here and the Mexican border is under his and his clan’s control.”

“Is he an earth vampire? You told me once they tend to stay in clans.”

“Ah, but they don’t like politics much, and where there are cities and large populations, there are usually politics. No, most larger cities are controlled by water vampires. London, Athens, Rome, Beijing, Buenos Aires. Water vamps tend to be quite tricky. Very smart and they like manipulation.”

“The perfect politician,” she said.

“Exactly.”

“What about Houston? Was there a lot of that there?”

He chuckled. “Houston is a bit of an anomaly, to be honest. That’s one of the reasons I like it. Because of the proximity of New Orleans, it has an extremely low vampire population. It’s an easy place to lie low, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

She gave him a rueful smile. “Kind of spoiled the lying low thing for you, didn’t I?”

He winked. “You were worth every singed hair, tesoro.”

“It’s growing back,” she said quietly, reaching over to run her fingers through his short locks. He leaned into her hand and she let it rest on his cheek briefly. Their eyes met again, and he saw hers soften.

“So,” she said after a few quiet moments of contact, “this Don Ernesto knows about me? Does he know about my dad?”

He nodded and she continued fixing dinner. “He knows the basics, but not the specifics. I met with him the night I left the sonnets at your home. He was pleased to learn of the connection and more than happy to offer additional protection. An umbrella, of sorts.”

She shrugged. “What’s the big deal? You said he was related to a bunch of humans.”

“But not any under my aegis, tesoro. He did me a favor by helping me protect you. And now I am in his debt.”

She looked worried. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” he shook his head. “He’s a very decent sort, and if you’re going to be related to a vampire, it’s good that it’s him. He’s very protective of his people. Very old-fashioned. And he’s pleased to have the connection to me, as well.”

She smirked a little. “You really are kind of a bad-ass, aren’t you? I read your journals. You and Tenzin made quite the reputation for yourselves for a couple hundred years.”

Giovanni shrugged. “I did what I needed to survive and build a reputation that no one would question. The more you are feared, the more you are respected and left alone. It’s the way of the world.”

“The vampire world, anyway.”

“It’s the way of any world, Beatrice,” he said grimly. “Don’t let the politicians fool you.”

Giovanni watched her grate the cheese for the tacos. He could hear Ben outside, still bouncing the basketball by the garage.

“So why did I need all the super-secret vampire info? Besides being well-informed.”

“Don Ernesto has the vampire who attacked Mano in his custody. I will be interrogating him tomorrow evening, and he’s asked that you accompany me so he can meet you. You will not go the interrogation.”