Walking into the penthouse after our trip to the hive felt like Miller time. Not for me, of course, and Vincent wouldn't be caught dead drinking an over-the-counter beer, but it felt like the drama was finally over. The necromancer had been reduced to dust, Christoph was safe, and my family was home and healthy.

While I tucked Henry into his crib, Vincent asked his mom to bring her surgical supplies over to touch up her handiwork on my back. As I rummaged for a sports bra that would give her better access to the wounds, Vincent walked into the room. His cellphone hung loosely in his hand, and he looked paler than usual. My first instinct was to run.

"Please, don't tell me you have bad news," I said. "Not again."

He sat heavily on the bed, and I joined him, taking his hand. But I really, really didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"Colin is missing."

"What? Why? How long has he been gone?"

"He left the Lassiter's about one AM this morning after sleeping off a hangover. Then he turned off his phone and nobody has heard from him."

"How do you know his phone didn't just die?"

Vincent turned his pale, stony features on me, and the look sparked a memory about domus protocol. "We don't let our phones die, and we don't turn them off. You know that. Something isn't right."

"Surely, it's too early to worry. It's only been twelve hours." I tugged on my lip, trying to think of something to reassure him. "What about the cabin? Maybe he went there to think. He's had a lot thrown at him lately. I mean, isn't that why he was out drinking with Rizzo and Adam for the past two days? He probably just wants to be alone right now."

"He can be alone and still keep his phone on."

"Should we send someone to the cabin to check?"

"Claudette and Rizzo are already on their way."

I nodded, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

What the hell are you up to, Colin?

"I'm going to call Sylvie. He may have talked to her."

I snatched my phone off the dresser and pressed Sylvie's speed dial number as I paced the room. The call went straight to voicemail. "Hey Sylvie. Call me when you get this message. It seems Colin has skipped bail, and his family doesn't know where he is. I was checking to see if he contacted you. Love you." I lowered the phone and stood in front of Vincent. "Her phone went straight to voicemail, which means she's either put it on do not disturb, or..."

"She's turned it off," Vincent finished for me. "Is it unusual for Sylvie to turn off her phone?"

"Yeah. It kind of is. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking you should call her at work and see if she's there."

I was dialing the attorney's office as he spoke, and the leggy receptionist, Felicia, picked up on the first ring. "Harper and Smythe law offices. How can I direct your call?"

"Hi, Felicia. It's Reese Valentino."

"Hi, Reese. How are you? How's that adorable little boy?"

"We're both well, thank you. Hey, I can't seem to get Sylvie on her cell. Can you patch me through to her desk?"

"Sylvie isn't at her desk. She called out sick today."

"Oh? Well, no need to patch me through then. She probably just turned off her phone so she could get some rest. Thanks anyway, Felicia."

I felt a knot slowly kink inside my stomach as I hung up, and I sat back down next to Vincent. He hadn't moved a muscle.

"It seems like a helluva coincidence that both Colin and Sylvie are MIA," he said.

"That whole thing with Colin and Sylvie not being over each other happened two months ago. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"It's a logical assumption based on Colin's recent behavior. Claudette has noticed it too. She's been contemplating moving back home."

"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"And add to all the other shit on your plate? I didn't think it ranked high enough." This time, he took my hand and squeezed it. "I think I should pay Sylvie a visit and see if she needs anything from the drugstore. I'll use your spare key if I don't get an answer." Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to my mouth. "Wren will be over shortly. And you might want to shower. You smell like demon hive."

He left the room, and a few seconds later, I heard keys jingle and the door close, followed by the sound of dog nails clicking across the foyer tiles. I smell like demon hive, huh? Or was he just smelling Christoph?

Wren was not her usual talkative self when she came over to check my stitches, and I didn't bring up Colin. If Sylvie did something crazy like run off with him, I was going to kick her pretty, little ass. I wanted her to be happy, but Colin was only a temporary fix and she knew that. Fortunately, Neil's handiwork had done a decent job of holding the stitches together, and Wren's visit was short, with barely ten words passing between us.

I waited anxiously for a call from Vincent, taking that shower he'd recommended and starting lunch. When he arrived home, his face looked graver than ever, aas he hung up his keys and dropped onto a barstool. I set down the tomato I was slicing to greet him.

"Well?"

"She isn't home, but I checked her apartment thoroughly. It looks like she packed in a hurry. There were drawers left open and clothes thrown across her bed."

"Have you ever seen Sylvie's room before? It always looks like that."

He turned his hard eyes on me. "Her toothbrush is gone, as well as any sign of makeup. If she's sick, she's spending her sick day at someone else's place."

"Crap. I didn't think about Ellis. Maybe they got back together. I'll send him a quick text.

"Are you sure you want to involve him? If Sylvie isn't there, he's going to worry."

"So, he worries. We need to cover all bases." I grabbed my phone and sent the text. Then I went back to slicing tomatoes while Vincent stewed across the counter.

"This is just like him," he grumbled. "Whenever the going gets tough, he pulls something stupid."

I wanted to argue Colin's case. He didn't have the same drive and dedication as Vincent. He was a party boy. A lost boy. So, maybe I shouldn't argue Colin's case. A text chimed through on my phone, and I scrolled up to read it.

Sylvie and I haven't spoken in weeks. I hope she's alright. Keep me posted.

"Sylvie isn't with Ellis."

Still silent, Vincent let me serve him soup and sandwiches, and when Henry had me preoccupied, he sequestered himself inside his office. Hours passed and, still, Vincent remained barricaded behind the door. At one point, the distinctive smell of cigar smoke wafted through the penthouse, and I heard him speaking to someone on the phone. It sounded like a Valentino, based on the one-sided conversation. Apparently, Colin wasn't at the cabin, and Claudette and Rizzo were staying overnight in case he showed up.

Finally, around midnight, the office door opened, and Vincent emerged. He looked like hell. His shirt hung unbuttoned and untucked, and he smelled strongly of liquor and cigar smoke. As he shuffled to the couch, I poured him a tall glass of ice water and brought it over to him.

"Drink this. That's an order."

He looked up at me as he sunk into the cushions, his eyes bloodshot and glassy. "Have I lost that much credibility that my own mate is giving me orders?" With a sigh, he took the glass and guzzled half of it. "Thank you, wife."

"You're welcome. And what do you mean you've lost credibility?" I pushed his legs aside and sat down beside him.

"Colin. He's never seen me as magister of the domus. He's never shown me respect. It's always been a big joke to him."

"Have you ever considered the possibility that Colin behaves that way because he's intimidated by your authority? It's clear you two have different goals and different personalities. The role of magister suits you better because of who you are, and this probably threatens him, so he lashes out or fucks-up because your strengths bring out his weaknesses. It doesn't mean he can't be good at other things. Someone just needs to point them out to him."

Vincent wore a mask of grim severity, and his eyebrows tweaked up and down as he looked at me curiously. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I blamed it on his half-drunk state. I had never seen him truly drunk. It would probably take an entire bottle of brandy to intoxicate a gollum his size.

"You..." he said finally. "I love you."

I hadn't expected that response. I also hadn't expected him to drag me down and crush me to his chest. Despite his inebriated state, he still made sure to avoid my wounds. "I love you, too, Vincent. But what does that have to do with Colin's predicament?"

"Nothing and everything. You are the most insightful female I've ever met." His lips found mine and he kissed me roughly, saturating my mouth with brandy and Cuban-grown tobacco. It was a heady mix, and I indulged while it lasted. When he broke away, he was smiling. The first one I'd seen him wear in days.

"What's going on in that complicated head of yours?" I set my chin on his chest to wait for his response and stare into those deep, mysterious eyes.

"I've been so busy feeling frustrated every time Colin acts like an ass, I haven't stopped to understand why. I used to think it was jealousy, and it may have been at the beginning. But now I think it's grown into something more concrete. He's allowed this rivalry to define him. He's lost himself."

"I haven't known him very long, but I have to agree with you on the lost part."

"With Colin, everything is a competition, even in relationships. Now, he sees I've found my perfect mate and he feels like he's stuck with the runner-up."

"Don't let Claudette hear you say that. She could probably cause some serious damage if you made her mad enough."

"Fuck yeah, she could. But I wasn't insulting Claudette. If she and Colin were meant to be together, it would have happened a long time ago. I'll give him credit for one thing, though. He's refusing to settle. If it turns out he's with Sylvie, it'll just prove my point."

"If he is with Sylvie, what will you tell him? Will you order him to stop seeing her?"

Pursing his lips, he glared at the ceiling like it had somehow wronged him. He was thinking, and I didn't mind waiting. Staring at his face was one of my favorite pastimes. "No. There may be less-than-pleasant consequences, like the fact that Colin will be giving up a shot at fatherhood, but if they are happy together, who am I to interfere? When Henry is grown and he finds someone who makes him happy, I will support him no matter who he chooses."

A smile had been working its way onto my face as I listened to his proclamation, and I reached up to kiss his chin. "I remember, not that long ago, you had to defend our relationship. I'd say you're required to be a little lenient in Colin's case."

With a gentle tug, Vincent shifted me closer to his mouth so he could kiss me. This time, rather than ravishing my mouth like a rogue, he declared himself slowly, sliding his tongue between my lips in an almost tentative gesture. His tender possession had my thighs clenching, and the hunger was there, rushing in at a less leisurely pace than his tongue.

I felt his hand slip beneath the fabric of my shirt. Then his fingers went to work on my skin, touching, kneading, pressing my body into him as he ground his hips upward. The hunger was there for him, too. With practiced stealth, Vincent unzipped us both as his lips continued to claim mine. A moment later, he was pressing himself into me, and I wiggled down until I had taken him fully.

We moved like two coiling snakes, sinuous and erotic, our moans vibrating in a sensual hymn. I could have stayed like that forever, making love to my mate until the stars faded with the sunrise. But Vincent's phone rang, and we both knew he couldn't ignore it.

Without disturbing the delicious position we were in, he snagged the phone with his fingertips. When he read the caller ID, he let out a sigh as he shook his head. "It figures he would call right now. My brother has the worst timing."

"Colin?"

He nodded as he brought the phone to his ear. "Hey, Colin. Sorry, I've been tough to reach. I think my phone died."

I had to hand it to him. Vincent knew how to get a point across, and I watched his facial expressions as Colin plead his case. Not surprisingly, his face didn't budge an inch.

"We thought as much," he said. "Me and Reese. Nobody else suspects you and Sylvie were together, except maybe Claudette. No. She and Rizzo are staked-out at the cabin in case you showed up there. So, where the hell are you? What?"

Craning his neck, Vincent glanced past the arm of the couch toward the sliding glass door. At the same, time, he pressed his hand to the back of my head and pushed me down.

"You have to be kidding me?" he growled into the phone. "Give us a minute. Then I'm coming out there to kick your ass."

Vincent set the phone down, then he lifted my chin with his finger. "Colin is on the balcony. He wants to talk to both of us."

My body automatically clenched around Vincent, making his eyes go wide. "Damn, that Colin. I wonder how much he saw?"

"Enough to earn an ass-kicking." Vincent carefully withdrew, placing a soft kiss on my cheek as he helped me sit up. When we had put ourselves back together, I walked into the kitchen to wash my hands while Vincent made a beeline for the balcony door.

By the time I'd joined them, Vincent had Colin back into a wall. Both held relaxed poses, so I assumed no battle lines had been drawn. Vincent was just trying to get a point across.

"I don't care who you spy on. But if I ever catch you spying on us again, you'll be saying hello to my fist."

"I told you. I didn't see anything. The back of the couch blocked my view."

Vincent growled, but that didn't appear to concern Colin, based on the grin he wore. If he had been with Sylvie for the past twenty-four hours, the grin made sense.

"Hey, Reese." Colin stepped around Vincent's puffed-up chest to offer me a sheepish look. "I didn't see anything. Really."

"Okay. You didn't see anything. Where have you been, Colin? We've all been worried about you."

He pressed his lips into a thin line and exhaled through his nose, glancing at the floor. "With Sylvie. We spent the day together."

"And that warranted you turning off your phone?" Vincent said.

"I didn't want anyone giving me shit about it. I knew someone would come looking for me, and we didn't want to be disturbed."

"Where did you two go?" I asked.

"New Jersey."

"Was that Sylvie's idea?"

"Yeah. She wanted to tool around her old neighborhood. She was feeling melancholy. We both were."

"So, you just tooled around for the past twenty-four hours?" Vincent's body stiffened, and I quickly slipped my arm around his waist. He released a nasally breath and relaxed against me.

"Actually, our original plan was a little grander. We were going to run away together, but we realized we didn't want to fuck-up the life we had. So, I took Sylvie home to let her get some sleep before she had to work. I guess I suck at sweeping girls off their feet, too." With a frustrated huff, Colin pressed his hands to the balcony wall as he stared out at the concrete towers.

"Colin, I don't blame you for wanting to escape your life," Vincent said. "I understand."

Colin flashed Vincent a cruel look. "How could you understand? You've always known what you wanted. Your drive is like a damned runaway train. Anyone standing on the tracks just gets pummeled. Nobody can compete with that."

"Why does it have to be a competition?" Vincent offered sagely. "If everyone in the world competed against each other, there'd be a helluva lot of losers. Now, the more logical approach would be to compete with yourself. Then, nothing is a failure. If something doesn't work out, you rearrange your tactics. It's the same in battle. You find your opponent's weaknesses and target them. When your opponent is yourself, you're just trying to strengthen those weaknesses."

Colin continued to stare at Vincent, although his expression had switched from annoyance to confusion. "That's not bad advice."

"It's been known to happen. So, what did you and Sylvie talk about? Did either of you come to any life-affirming realizations?"

"Yeah, actually. We did." Colin looked hesitant as his gaze darted from Vincent to me. I could tell he was preparing to share something he thought we weren't going to like. "We make each other happy, and we want to be together. Even if it means giving up a few things and pissing off a few people. And by people, I mean gollums. Now, before you tell me I'm throwing my life away, let me just say that my life felt like a string of meaningless mergers until I met Sylvie. And it's not just about the sex. She makes me laugh. She challenges me mentally. She gets me."

Vincent raised his hand, causing Colin to flinch. Then he used it to slap Colin on the back. "I'm happy for you, brother. And I support your relationship with Sylvie."

Colin looked like he'd been hit in the face with a two-by-four. "Really? What changed?"

"I never told you to stop dating Sylvie. I just pointed out some things that concerned me. But if you and she have talked about the long-term obstacles you'll face as a couple and you're still willing to meet those challenges, then I won't stand in your way. I want you to be happy. Which, I'll admit, is a little selfish on my part, since your happiness will reflect positively on the domus, irrespective of what Wren says about grandchildren."

Colin nodded, but he wore the look of someone who was waiting for the grenade to go off. "Are you still okay with me handling Valentino Equities?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? I chose you for that role because you're good with people. You know how to put them at ease. And you smile a lot more than I do."

Colin let go of a deep breath as he glanced back at the monolithic landscape. "Well, I guess the next thing to do is break the news to Claudette. Hopefully, Sylvie will still want me after that, because I might lose my dick in the fallout."

"I wouldn't worry too much about Claudette cutting off your body parts," Vincent said. "Females are pretty tuned-in to these things. I don't think anything you have to say will surprise her. It's our mother you'll need to concern yourself with."

Colin's face fell, and his coloring went from pale to a greenish-gray. "New Jersey is sounding damned good right about now."