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"Her name is Jordana Gates Her father, Martin Gates, is one of Boston’s most prominent residents Gates is unrunted "Not a typical arrangele Breed male to take in a Breedmate as his child"
"Not typical, but not unheard of," Chase said "My family has been friendly with Martin Gates since his arrival in Boston from Vancouver a few years before First Dawn His reputation over those twenty-plus years has been spotless He made his fortune in the stockin an orphaned infant to raise on his own, I’ve personally heard Gates say more than once that without blood heirs or family to look after, he felt it a shame to have acquired so much and have no one to share it with The man is as charitable as he is wealthy And Martin Gates is very, very wealthy"
"And Jordana?" Lucan asked
"A nice girl," Chase said "A bright, beautiful woman She could probably have her pick of any man in the city, Breed or human For some time, there were rumors that she was involved with a vampire natime attorney and friend To hear Bentley-Squire talk, it was only a matter of tis have been speculating on the h-profile civilian into the middle of covert Order business," Lucan muttered under his breath He crossed his ar with this feht be where she’s concerned So long as she’s a potential intelligence source, I don’t give a damn about any of that Our mission is all that lanced to Hunter, whonod The fored himself in duty to the Order If he can’t uphold that pro less than to have it taken froo over well," Gideon reh what looked to be thousands of digital files and sweeping them off the screen one after another He slowed after a h the short blond spikes of his hair
"Holy shit" He glanced at Lucan and the other warriors over the rilasses "My packet sniffer just encountered a remote back door on one of La Notte’s co with Chase on video and the other warriors seated in the roorin spread over the vah a few e, I’ll have all of Cassian Gray’s secrets cracked open like a walnut"
18
JORDANA HAD BEEN AWAKE SINCE DAWN
Her head was buzzing with a thousand thoughts and , but it was the deep, blissful thruo
That enlivened vibration of her limbs and core--of her very blood--was also to blame for the secret, irrepressible smile she couldn’t see love with Nathan last night had been nothing short of spectacular
Even nohen she closed her eyes, she could still feel his strong hands on her, his hotover her, inside her …
Jordana groaned into her teacup as she took a sip of her favorite o and now sat in her robe on her bed, answering emails before she and Carys needed to head in to the museum for the day
"Someone’s up early" Carys stood in the open doorway of Jordana’s bedrooainst the jay gray sweats hanging loosely on her athletic figure "Everything all right?"
"Yeah" Jordana nodded, wondering if she looked any different to her friend today God knew she felt different Everything sees since I couldn’t sleep"
"No wonder," Carys replied "Quite a night you had"
The ghost of a smile played at the corners of her mouth, and Jordana realized instantly that her friend wasn’t referring to the awful incident at La Notte "You know Nathan was here?"
"I ran into hi to slip out just as I was co home"
Jordana hadn’t really expected Nathan to be next to her when she woke up, but she couldn’t deny the pang of disappointment she’d felt when she opened her eyes earlier and found hione
And she had to ad to hear from him by now All she needed was so to hi her tea on the nightstand to give Carys her full attention She was hungry for every last detail her friend could provide "What did he tell you? Did he say anything about me?"
Carys arched a slender brow "You mean after he realized I wasn’t so in to harm his woman?"
"Did he say that--those exact words?" Jordana’s heart skipped a beat "How did he say it? Did he specifically callsoftly, Carys entered the rooe of the bed "I see this is even worse than I first suspected" She leaned in and whispered, "If you want to write him a note, I’ll ask Rune to pass it to hiave her friend’s shoulder a light shove, giggling with her now "Come on, Car I need details I’m serious"
"I know you are," Carys relented "And so is Nathan, I think More serious than I’ve ever known hiot up from the bed and strode into Jordana’s walk-in closet "Did you decide what you’re wearing tonight?"
Jordana hurried after her "I’ve narrowed it down to the black tea-length or the pale rose silk cocktail dress" It was hard to think about clothing choices, let alone discuss thes "What do you mean, Nathan is more serious than you’ve ever known him? Serious … about me?"
Carys found the two dresses Jordanathem out of the wardrobe She held them up, one in each hand "I’d have to see these on you before I could decide which one is best Here Try the black one first"
Jordana grabbed the dress her friend pushed toward her "Did Nathan say he was serious about led her hand disru blond hair into a makeshift knot on top of her head, then shucked her robe and bra and slipped into the fitted black dress It was her original choice, a purchase she’d been saving forClassic, conservative, perfect
Carys cocked her head to the side, then feigned a yawn "Next"
"You don’t like this one at all?" Jordana turned to one of the full-length mirrors in the th dress was lovely
It would have been an excellent choice for any social event … particularly if Jordana was officiating at a funeral instead of an art exhibit
She slanted her friend’s reflection a conceding look, then crossed her arms over her breasts "Tellto happen to you He doesn’t want to see you get hurt"
Not exactly a love song, but it made Jordana’s heart pound heavy and hopeful in her breast "That’s it? He didn’t say anything estured for her to continue with the fashion show Jordana frowned but quickly took off the black frock When she reached for the equally uninspired rose silk dress, Carys snatched it away and pulled a different one froant attire "Try this instead"
"Oh," Jordana said, already beginning to shake her head "No, that’s not appropriate for tonight, and I--"
"I thought you wanted to knohat else he said," Carys teased "So put it on"