Sylvie kept me on the phone for an hour, lamenting over her frozen foods lo mien posing as a turkey dinner, and hating on Colin's gargoyle sex kitten. This was the title Sylvie bestowed on Deidra Bourdain. Her crisis helped distract me from my own angst about meeting my flesh and blood father.

"Is your cable hooked up yet?" I asked as I munched from a box of high sodium crackers, pacifying my nerves with pleasure. "You can watch a movie to take your mind off things."

"Like Colin having sex with another woman?" Sylvie sounded angry, but I heard the catch in her throat when she said 'woman'. Deidra was not a woman in the human sense, but it would be counterproductive to point that out. Sylvie needed soothing, not a lecture.

"She's going home tomorrow," I reassured her. "And Colin has been very clear about his feelings for you, in spite of the complications."

"I know. That's the only thing holding me together. I can't believe I fell so hard, so fast. That's not my norm."

"It's not mine either, but look at me with Vincent. There's something magnetic about the Valentinos. Maybe it's because they're gollums."

"Or maybe it's because they're fine mother-fuckers and amazing in the sack."

We both laughed at Sylvie's crude joke and the mood lightened enough that I felt ready to put my crackers away and face the music.

"Well, girlfriend. I have to go meet my father for the first time ever." I knew she would appreciate the serious emphasize I put on 'first time ever', since she had never met her dad either.

"He's going to love you, Reese. How could he not? You are the whole package; intelligence, timeless beauty, and a brilliant sense-of-humor. You're my hero."

Her praise had my cheeks warming up. "Thanks, Sylvie. That means everything coming from you. I'll keep you posted."

"Go get 'em, chica."

Thirty minutes from zero hour, Vincent's apartment started filling up with Valentinos. Sergio and Louis were scheduled to arrive later. The more I learned about the reason for Marco's visit; how the Valentinos didn't keep him in the loop about me and how Sergio and Louis were being kept out of the loop at Marco's request, the more I felt like the post script in the act. This was not just a reunion between father and daughter, Marco planned to shred a few assholes for the whole loop failure.

I had never seen Vincent look nervous, but even his black V-neck couldn't hide the dark crescents under his arms. He would be facing the judgment of a fellow magister, as well as the wrath of his father-in-law. Colin had taken Vincent into his office for a blast of Cognac when the announcement came that Marco and his niece were on their way up.

Griffin took this opportunity to speak covertly to me. "I've met Deidra. She's a supreme fighter, and she's very pretty, like you, only older."

"Do you think she's in love with Colin?" I asked, knowing Griffin couldn't resist giving her opinion.

"They're good friends, so maybe a friend kind-of love, but everyone knows she's in love with Vincent." Griffin patted my arm as her nonchalant announcement jolted my world out of place. "Don't worry, Reese. Vincent never loved Deidra. He never loved anyone until you."

Griffin left me reeling, and I leaned against a barstool for support when I noticed Vincent walking Colin out of his office. The moment our eyes met, Vincent made a beeline for me.

"Baby, are you alright?"

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to answer before the front door opened, and I clenched my buttocks in anticipation of the drama to come. The dogs went nuts, ramping up the tension but providing a much-needed distraction, and Vincent held his hand at my back as we stood away from the swarm.

From the familiar faces, I picked out the new ones as they arrived in the foyer. Just like I'd imagined him, Marco Bourdain stood like an oak, filling out his navy suit better than a defensive lineman. I could easily picture a set of impressive wings at his back, and his light brown hair had me wondering if I'd inherited my honey blonde from him. It seemed I had his big chest.

The female with him stood nearly as tall, wearing a sheer blouse over a sleeveless shirt and ass-hugging skirt, no doubt to show off her C cups and sculpted muscles. She wore her dark hair in a high ponytail, which gave her more height, and despite a few age lines, her face held the classic beauty that would probably stay with her a long time.

I tried not to glare with loathing, if just for Sylvie's sake. That could incite a rage headache and ruin my night. Instead, I looked for Colin amid the crowd and found him grinning like a toddler on his birthday, but Miss C cups wasn't looking for Colin. She had her eyes on the prize - My prize. She broke away from the foyer and weaved through the bodies, focused on a point above my head where Vincent stood at my back.

"Vincent, you're looking extremely well tonight," she said silkily, using her eyes to undress him.

"There's a reason for that, Deidra. I would like you to meet my mate, Reese Kentwell." Vincent leaned forward and kissed my temple, forcing Deidra to acknowledge me. She did this with poorly-veiled contempt, making me feel like the new bride in the harem. The awkward was real.

"Mates? How nice for you. I hear you made it official in the press, as well." Deidra spoke to Vincent without taking her eyes off me, making her challenge crystal clear. "I've heard a lot about you and your special nature, Reese. Maybe after the meet and greet, you can show me some tricks."

Tricks?

"Reese just embraced her gollum nature," Vincent told her. "She is only beginning to discover her potential." 

"You mean past the sex? I hope that works out for you." Deidra's taunting smile made me want to punch her. I could even picture Sylvie's proud face if I did, but the wide body of my father had breached the crowd, and Deidra backed up to let him take her spot.

"Elise." I didn't correct Marco as he greeted me with outstretched arms, welcoming me into them. I didn't expect a hug right off the bat, but I didn't know what I expected. His gollum scent assaulted me, smelling strong and familiar, which had me relaxing a little in his arms. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"I'm glad to know you're alive," he said, pulling away to assess me. Despite his imposing demeanor, Marco's large eyes had a softness to them, like someone who listened. That's when I noticed the hazel. I had my father's eyes.

I smiled weakly as emotions invaded my body, threatening to overwhelm me, and quiet took over, as if everyone knew this and prepared to catch me if I passed out. "I'm glad to know you're alive," I said, "I never thought I would see this day."

"Nor did I." Marco scanned the room as if he'd lost something, then he smiled when his gaze landed on the balcony door. "Let's have a chat outside before I dispense the reprimands. Maybe I won't be so hard on your mate."

Marco acknowledged Vincent pointedly as he held out his arm to me, and with a nervous glance around, I let Marco escort me toward the balcony. Vincent followed us at a distance, offering a reassuring nod, which I took as his guarantee he would not allow a repeat of the incident that nearly ended our love affair. Of course, I didn't think my own father would try to kill me, but stranger things had happened.

"I hope you don't mind that I've assured a little privacy for us," Marco said as he walked me out.

"This seems to be the go-to place for private conversations." I stood at the table that Vincent fucked me on, keeping a safe distance from the balcony wall and staring at Marco's face. I couldn't help make a few comparisons.

"I don't know how much you are privy to," Marco began. "So, it will probably take some time for us to find our feet. I'm sure you know I am mated. Her name is Manjari. We have a son, Ruben. He is also mated, to a gollum named Fern. They have a daughter, Brianna." He paused when he saw my eyes widen. "Have I gone too far? Where did I lose you?"

"You didn't. I got it all. Manjari is a pretty name. I've never heard it before."

"She was raised in India," he said. "Her name means pearl or spring flower, and she is both to me. Manjari is the reason I have requested audience with you. I probably seem like a pushy son-of-a-bitch, and I am when I need to be, but this has to be said before the house of cards I've built collapses on me and my family."

His voice gradually lowered as he spoke, and it had me anxious for him to continue, but he took a moment to observe the activity inside the apartment. Most of the group stood in a circle around the coffee table, while Vincent spoke with his brothers in the dining room.

"Manjari does not know I'm your father," he admitted, throwing in all his chips. "She knows of you, but she has been led to believe another gollum fathered you. I have maintained my vow of silence, and so have a handful of others who know the truth. This has been done to preserve my marriage and my domus standing. I will understand if you think less of me for carrying out this ruse for so long, but the truth is... I never thought I would see you again. I thought you were dead, like your mother."

The city held still for a moment as Marco's words hung like static in the air, and a strange sense of loss came over me. Loss for a mother I couldn't remember. And there he was, my father, after all this time, staring at me across the balcony. He had striking features, like most of the gollums I'd met, sculptures in flesh chiseled to perfection but complicated beyond compare.

"I won't spill the beans," I said.

Marco's chest heaved, as if he'd been holding his breath. "Well, now that I've burdened myself with more guilt, we can proceed with the tongue lashing."

"Are you really going to yell at them for keeping me a secret for the past month?"

"A whole month!" He glared at the bodies milling inside the apartment. "Hell yes, I'm going to yell at them. The success of a domus is built on trust and communication, which extends to the gollum community as a whole. Aside from my oversight with your mother, I lead my family in the traditional ways."

Yikes.

I didn't know whether to label Marco a chauvinistic hypocrite, or blame the dogma of an ancient patriarchal society. Either way, this guy needed to dial it down.

"I want you to know that I brought Deidra on this trip for a number of reasons," he said as he lingered on the threshold of the door. "She is more than a cover for my visit. She is also privy to my secret due a poorly timed conversation with Caleb Seacrest. Not only that, she has an interest in one of the Valentinos."

"Colin. I heard."

He shook his head. "Not Colin. Vincent. She set her sights on him a long time ago, and when she is ready to settle down, she intends to do that with him."

Was that a threat?

"Well, that's going to be really difficult, since Vincent and I are mated."

"For now. And if you decide after a couple of rounds with Deidra that you can tolerate her as a rival, there may be hope for you."

"Why are you telling me this? Because it sounds a lot like a threat."

"It's not a threat. It's a fact. I am merely giving you a chance to prepare yourself. I don't want to see you hurt."

The lines on his face smoothed-out as he smiled, but not in the right way to convey compassion. This was a man reliving a past he thought he put to rest.

"If Deidra is so hung-up on Vincent, why does she sleep with Colin?"

Marco's chin hardened and so did his hand around the door handle. "Because... Vincent stopped sleeping with her."

With a forceful yank, Marco opened the door and thrust himself inside, while I stayed on the balcony, watching his re-entrance from afar. As I processed his not-so-kindly advice, I tried to locate Vincent. After a few moments of searching, my heartrate quickened when I didn't see his dark, towering head. In fact, I couldn't find Colin either. When I scanned the room thoroughly and didn't see Deidra, that's when my cheeks started to burn.

With a knot of jealously cinching around my stomach, I slipped through the door and skirted the wall, making for Vincent's tiny office where the top shelf brandy was stashed. When I rounded the corner, I found all three standing at the liquor cabinet. Fortunately, Deidra had her arm around Colin, because bitch...

"Reese." Vincent reached out as soon as he saw me, making two easy strides to take my hand. "Deidra wanted a drink before we faced the sharp tongue of her uncle."

"Is she facing his sharp tongue too?" I said, offering Deidra a smile so snide even Colin cringed.

Deidra chuckled. "Funny, Reese, but it's not Marco's tongue I'm thinking about." She said this as she grabbed Colin's chin and gave him mouth to mouth.

"And with that image, I walk into the fray," Vincent said as he led me out of the office.

As soon as we hit the hallway, I stopped to rest against the wall, giving my heartrate a chance to slow. Vincent caged me between his arms, pummeling me with his gollum scent. Hopefully, the blast of pheromones had been caused by me and not Deidra.

"Are you alright, Reese?"

"You asked me the same thing ten minutes ago."

"Well... are you?"

Standing over me like that, with his eyes and his scent intoxicating me, didn't so much improve my condition as whet my appetite, and when Vincent pressed his palm over my chest to feel my heartbeat, I went in for a kiss. He matched my need with sharp lashes of his tongue, surrounding my mouth with his possessive lips and holding my head steady between his hands.

A female cleared her throat behind us, and Vincent broke away to acknowledge Lucy's sweet smile. She had a keen knack for scolding you with them. "You two should be in the living room. I'm going to fetch your brother." Lucy continued her trek to the office and called into it. "Save it for later, kids."

Amelia walked Griffin next door to protect her from Marco's wrath, and my father took the floor, casting accusations left and right. Some were placed on Caleb, who could not be there to defend himself, but Wren stood-in for him, valiantly fighting her brother's battle as well as her own. Fortunately, I didn't get dragged into the argument, but I still felt responsible for it.

Deidra and Colin sat on barstools at the back of the group, ignoring everyone. At least, she appeared to be preoccupied with fondling Colin's hair and squeezing his thighs. All the while, her eyes stayed on Vincent, and I couldn't help thinking she was imagining Vincent in Colin's place.

By the time Sergio and Louis arrived, the verbal battle had been waged, leaving them out of the loop as Marco requested, and conversation turned to the annual winter party. Griffin instigated the topic as soon as she bounced back into the room.

"Aunt Minnie wants to have a Beauty and the Beast theme this year," she said as she engaged anyone who would listen. "And Granny Seacrest is serving tea."

"Have you spoken with them since the hearing, Griffin?" Wren asked. "You might want to see if your granddad is ready to host guests."

Griffin acknowledged Wren's comment with a knowing nod. "You're right. He might not want a party if he's feeling like a pooper. Maybe the Bourdain domus could host it."

Griffin's suggestion brought the banter down to a lull, and I pictured a gollum party at the home of my birth father. Now that I knew about Marco's tangled web of lies, I would rather eat a fly than visit the Bourdain domus. Amulet or no, I refused to be the one responsible for hurting Manjari and Ruben with an ill-timed slip of the tongue.

Wren recovered to handle the awkwardness. "Why don't we check with your granny first, Griffin. If she has her heart set on Beauty and the Beast, we wouldn't want to disappoint her."

As the subject carried on, I glanced over at Colin and Deidra. The two had become entangled in a discussion of their own. Deidra's shoulders were knocked back a notch, and she looked like she wanted to punch Colin with the same hand she had been fondling his knee with. I strained to pick out parts of their conversation, hearing the word dinner, and sex, and possibly freak. Vincent turned to watch them with me, and he leaned into my ear.

"What's up with Tarzan and Jane?" 

"I'm not sure, but I think Jane's pissed about something."

Colin caught us staring and shrugged helplessly. This annoyed Deidra more, and she turned to glare at me with all the venom of a striking Cobra. Her eyes then flicked to Vincent, and while I didn't see his expression, whatever reaction he gave her probably wasn't the one she wanted. Clenching her jaw, she pressed her mouth to Colin's ear and whispered something into it.

Colin responded with another shrug, but this one carried the look of resignation as Deidra grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the exit. Neither of them announced their departure, and nobody from the chatting group questioned them as the door opened and closed. Only the dogs paid attention, arriving in the foyer a second too late. As for me, I felt a fog lift in the room, knowing Vincent had been freed from Deidra's hungry gaze. She was Colin's problem now.