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About a hundred yards in, Lonnie’s taillights abruptly disappeared Cyn’s heart did a little jump of surprise, but as she drew closer, she saw he’d actually turned, pulling up to the entrance of a heavy steel gate set into a thick stucco wall about ten feet high Cynthia couldn’t see hts, the wall looked ner color nauards approached Lonnie’s car and she noticed two uards wore dark, SWAT style clothing and were arht security Was it always like this, or had whatever happened caused the va in the troops? Did she really want to know? Maybe not
Lonnie said so her in the faint light She sed a gasp when his eyes flashed alhts, and she felt her heart beat a little bit faster She’d met with plenty of vamps Talked to even more of them on the phone But this was the veritable lion’s den Raphael was oldreally old and really, really powerful He had probably held this territory for longer than she’d been alive Hell, longer than her grandparents had been alive She wondered abruptly if there were any other huht Would she be the only one? Not a pleasant thought
Whatever Lonnie said to the guards, it worked The big steel gate rolled back and the Porsche’s engine revved noisily as it bumped over the threshold Cynthia followed closely, careful to keep her eyes looking forward, but keenly aware of the vaate ruan to see sohout carefully landscaped and beautifully h of relief, only to suck it back in a silent "oh" when the big house caothic, orfrom a columned front porch Instead, Raphael’s house was a modern architect’s dream, with the sweet, clean lines of the southwest It was modest by Malibu standards, the s and a long, six bay garage The structure o-storied, with the second floor set far back, leaving a broad, high terrace open to the stars and sea Cyn figured there was also a basement level she couldn’t see, because, after all, vampires lived here
In sharp contrast to the darkened approach froht, carefully designed to display the architectural highlights, as well as the th A full-sized infinity pool took up one entire side yard, with evenup froht swiht about it
The drive rolled down a slight hill to a silassed double doors on a wide, covered porch Va the courtyard, and even more could be seen in constant s Now that she knehat to look for, Cyn spotted dark profiles on balconies and even hulking beneath the overhang along the pool
Guards surrounded her vehicle as soon as she ca while she waited for Lonnie to pry himself out of his Porsche and make his way over to her SUV
"Come on, Cyn" He tried to open her car door, then knocked cheerfully on her hen he discovered it was locked "They’re just having so you, don’t worry"
Master That ice Lonnie had referred to Raphael as " sort of way and Cyn began to worry about what she’d find behind the bright lights and pretty architecture of the vaathered her backpack, along with her courage, then opened the door, only to have one of the guards hold out his hand for her keys
She clutched theuard
"Think of it as valet parking," Lonnie said in a soothing voice He pried the keys frouard "What? You think Lord Raphael does a business in chop-shop car parts or so? Relax, Cyn"
"Easy for you to say," she muttered She turned to follow him up the stairs, then stuttered to a halt as a suit-clad va toly drunkor soaze to the stued "They’re all volunteers, Cyn You know about the beach house People beg for the chance to co for a way of phrasing it that wouldn’t offend "You know," he said, finally, shaking his head in exasperation
Cynthia did know She knew about the woerly, offered the a va for soh like no ordinary hu, it had its addicts "How often do they come out here?" she asked
"The sa volunteers out here a couple times a week Men and wouards, too, the ones who can’t leave the estate because they’re on duty or whatever"