He nodded. “Yeah, and PIB said they were going to send someone over.”
“Hopefully not Nick.” I shook my head. “I should be the one that’s over there with her.”
Simon nodded. “Yes, but you have to split your obligations right now. You’re on vacation from PIB, so you need to make sure you satisfy the King of Vampires and stay safe as Princess.”
I pressed my lips together. “Nick once told me that I couldn’t walk between two worlds.”
“You want to choose a world?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m not ready to choose.” I sipped my coffee. “But it’s getting harder to live in both of them. It’s getting tiresome.” I ran a hand over my head.
“Take this time to rest then,” Simon suggested and kissed my head. “Your party is this weekend. Take another week off to decide what you can do about Nick and what Liz needs help with.”
I snorted. “You know me, I can’t just take time off.”
“That is true.” He turned back to the stove and finished the bacon and eggs.
We sat down to eat together in silence. Silence between us meant that nothing eventful was happening. There was nothing that the other one needed to know, and we could just enjoy our time together.
My phone rang, and I closed my eyes. Simon grabbed it from the table and answered it.
“Agent Collins’ phone.”
I gave him a small glare.
“Yeah, Liz, she’s right here. She was relocated last night at the request of the King.”
I could hear Liz yelling, but I couldn’t make out her words.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Not my choice. Here’s Abby.” He handed the phone to me.
“You should be resting, Liz.”
“And you shouldn’t be locked up like some damn Disney Princess,” she snapped back.
I chuckled. “I don’t really have much choice, but Levi did say that when you’re out of the hospital, we’ll reassess because he knows your case is important to me.”
“Well, I’m being released tonight, so make sure he’s ready to negotiate your freedom. We’re going after Adrianna.”
I blinked. “You just got free of that woman, and you want to go after her now?”
“She has Gabby and Jude. I have no choice.”
Family.
I looked at Simon, and he nodded. “Okay, make a plan, and I’ll have your back. We don’t go in blindly.”
“I know. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“I’ll see you tonight, Liz. Come up here, and we’ll talk to Levi about it together.”
“Thank you, Abby.” She disconnected the call, and I put the phone down.
Simon looked at me. “Levi’s not going to like it.”
“I don’t care.” I shrugged. “Liz needs my help. She’s trusting me to have her back.”
“Can you take this woman?” Simon asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t met her face to face. I’ve only seen the handy work of her torture. I haven’t seen her actual power.”
“I don’t want you to do anything stupid in the name of loyalty.” He shook his head.
I grinned. “Oh, come on now, what have I done in the name of loyalty that’s stupid?”
“I’m sure I have a list somewhere.” He stood and cleared our plates. “What’s your plan?”
“Well, now that I know that Adrianna has Gabby and Jude, that changes what I was planning on doing.” I went to the sink and started cleaning the dishes. “We wait until dusk, and I talk to Levi about Liz’s request and hope that while he slept, he’s seen that he needs to lighten up his restrictions on me.”
Simon nodded. “Are you still mad at him?”
I shook my head. “I’m not mad. I’m frustrated. I’m trying to see where he’s coming from. Though I’m almost positive that Mario and the council are the ones that talked him into it.” I frowned. “Levi has always allowed me to have my independence. It’s not like him to suddenly take up and store me away.”
“Samuel?” Simon offered, with no other comment.
I glanced at Simon. “A possible catalyst.”
“No, I’m wondering if Samuel didn’t give him an order to do it. Put you in one spot like a sitting duck.”
The thought made me sick. Levi was powerful, but he did fear Samuel, and I knew that Samuel held some sort of control over him still. How much, I didn’t know. Did vampires ever outgrow that?
“I don’t like that thought.”
Simon shook his head. “Me either. But it’s a thought.”
I finished up the dishes and dried my hands. “I need a map and some thumbtacks and to talk to Mason.”
“Okay. I’m going to go call and check in with Travis.” He kissed me and walked out of the kitchen.
I had the needed things in my chamber, and Simon knew where to find me if he needed to.
I walked through the house and to the staircase. Walking down the staircase brought comfort with it that I missed. The stone basement was magically enhanced to make sure I didn’t accidentally blow the house up if my magic went crazy.
It was the best Levi could do for me when I was working with my tutors. Luckily for him, I’d never almost blew up the mansion, and now it acted as a place for me to get away and think when I needed to.
I went to the desk at the far end of the room and pulled out a map of the state. Adrianna seemed to want to stay within the state lines. I don’t know why she thought setting up shop here was a good idea. Especially after Ira failed in setting up his little experiments in the area.
Or she was here to finish the one person who could probably take her out. Liz. I got my push pins out and put them on the three locations I knew Liz had been at,
