Once again, I found myself waking up in a strange bed, but I quickly recognized the sterile decorating style of Vincent's home. He had set me up in his spare room, claiming it would give me a place to escape, but our ideas of escape differed greatly. He had gone all out with the color scheme, choosing cool blues and sandy neutrals, which paired well with the paintings of Greek-themed seascapes. Apparently, the artist was a gollum and a good friend of the family.

I remembered climbing under the covers for a nap about seven thirty, after the sun had set, so my internal clock was a little off. I guessed the time to be around midnight, and when I checked my phone, it read twelve thirteen. Not bad, considering the circumstances.

The drone of voices dragged me out of bed, and after checking my condition in the mirror and deciding not to worry about my puffy hair, I shuffled into the living room in my well-worn jeans and Young the Giant tee shirt. Sitting next to Bonnie and Clyde were two people I didn't recognize, although I had a feeling the white-haired man was Charleton, Lucy's husband and the patriarch of the family. The grooves etched into his face made him appear older than Lucy, although he had probably endured many battles over the course of his life. Despite his obvious maturity, he still looked fit enough to kick anybody's ass. A younger woman sat with him, around Mom's age, with light brown, shoulder-length hair and dark, expressive eyes.

As soon as I made my entrance, the man stood up, and so did Vincent. The woman suppressed a gasp before she greeted me with a smile. Vincent walked over and escorted me further into the room as he made the introductions.

"Reese, I'd like you to meet Charleton Valentino. Charleton, this is Reese Kentwell."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Reese." Charleton bowed his head politely without the added gesture of a hand shake. I didn't take offense. He was probably wary about welcoming a demon-infected human into his home.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Charleton."

The woman stood as formalities were dispatched, and she took my hand without hesitation. "Hello, Reese. I'm Wren. I can't tell you how happy we are to have you here with us."

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Wren. Vincent speaks highly of you. Of everyone, actually."

Although tears were threatening to fall from Wren's eyes, she shot a skeptical glance at Vincent. "Has he? That was thoughtful of him."

Her reaction didn't surprise me. I had witnessed enough interactions between Vincent and his family to deduce he was a hard-ass around them.

"Would you like to sit down and join us?" Wren said. "We were just talking about Colin's recovery. Lucy and Amelia will be leaving shortly for Baltimore to take up a vigil with him."

"How is Colin doing?" I asked as Vincent helped me into a black leather chair. Once he was satisfied that I was comfortable, he stood guard next to me.

"He is doing better than the doctors speculated, although it is in our nature to heal quickly, so none of us were surprised. Colin has a strong will to thrive. How are you feeling? I heard about your close call yesterday. Jonathan spoke of your courage and tenacity."

I felt like I needed to catch my breath when Wren finished her statement. She seemed to be using dialogue to keep her emotions in check. "I'm fine, but I'm sure I wouldn't be if Jonathan and Ward hadn't found me."

"Jonathan said he and Ward tracked you by your whistle," Charleton said. "What made you think to do that?"

"It was a shot in the dark, really. It came to me when I was trying to think of something that might give away our position. I've been able to whistle like that for as long as I can remember. My parents told me the police heard my whistle when I was discovered in the abandoned factory."

Everyone glanced at each other, and Wren wiped away a tear that had made its way to her cheek. Clearly, I had struck a nerve.

"Do you think there is some significance to that?" I made the inquiry hoping to uncover something Vincent hadn't yet revealed. After all, Charleton was the eldest.

"Quite. This often happens when we face a crisis." Charleton appeared to be ready to explain his thoughts further, but a tense exchange with Vincent seemed to nix it. "You probably just brought forth a memory you had lost," he offered blandly.

"I suppose that makes sense." I didn't push further for fear I'd start a row between them. I had a feeling conversations with the Valentinos would be awkward for a while.

There was a knock on the door and Vincent called out, "Come in, Griffin."

Griffin's hands were on her hips when she waltzed in with Amelia and Lucy on her heels. "How did you guess it was me? I reached way up and tried to knock harder so it would sound like an adult."

"That's what gave you away. You were trying too hard." He ruffled Griffin's already unruly hair, and a smile made it halfway to his lips before his cellphone buzzed, distracting him.

"The copter is gassed up and waiting at the helipad," Amelia said as she lowered a large duffel off her shoulder.

"You're taking a helicopter to Baltimore?" I asked.

"Yes. The Valentino's own a copter. It comes in handy when the distance is greater than one hundred miles and we're too tired or lazy to make the flight ourselves."

"I know how to read the instrument panel," Griffin added as she sat on the arm of my chair. "I can't get my license until I'm seventeen, though."

"I expect you could take us down safely if the situation required it." Charleton smiled warmly at Griffin as he stood and held out his hand to Lucy. "I'll walk you and Amelia downstairs."

Lucy returned his smile with affection, then she looked at me. "You will probably get tired of hearing this, Reese, but I am glad you are here. You have lovely parents. I'm grateful your upbringing was a positive one."

"Thanks. I've grown attached to them."

My feeble attempt to lighten the mood only appeared to amuse Griffin, who giggled softly. I knew Colin would have found it amusing. How was he feeling? Did he regret risking his life to defend my honor? How would he handle me living with Vincent? Would my presence spark frequent arguments between them? Vincent hadn't lifted his head from his phone since it buzzed. Who was he messaging this time of night? Was it business? Was it a woman?

"Are you alright, Reese?" Wren asked as she stared at me from the couch. "Is something troubling you?"

I realized I had started to rock in my chair, and my hands were crammed between my knees. "I'm fine, although I could use a session with my guided meditation instructor."

"Did you know, meditation is the best form of medicine?" Griffin said. "We all meditate together every day. Vincent likes to meditate in a separate room." She glanced at Vincent as his thumbs flew over the screen of his phone. "A domus is at its strongest when they are meditating simultaneously. We meet at Grandma Wren's at two p.m. You're welcome to join any time." Griffin shifted closer to Vincent, as if she was willing him to participate in the conversation.

"Sure, Griffin. Thanks for inviting me." Group meditation with gollums? Now, that's something you don't find on the message boards.

"I think what Reese needs is a bit of backstory on gollums, Vincent." Wren looked pointedly at Vincent, forcing him to glance up from his cell. His pupils quickly constricted, as if his attention had been diverted from an emotionally charged situation. "Don't be afraid to cross some borders you've been skimming. Sometimes it's better to lay everything out on the table. Reese needs to start feeling a sense of stability. I believe once she knows her place among us, it will set her on her feet again."

Vincent's face hardened, and he hesitated before acknowledging her with a nod. But his pregnant pause made me think he was deferring to her motherly wisdom despite his desire to do the opposite. Wren seemed satisfied with the result as she stood and brushed invisible lint from her clothes. I knew the move well, having seem my mother use it.

"Come along, Griffin," she said, holding her hand out to the girl. "You promised to help me bake those pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I have been threatening to make."

Griffin tugged at her lower lip as she glanced at the faces in the room. It was obvious she wanted to be part of the drama unfolding at my expense, but she agreed without argument, leaving Vincent and me alone.

"Does everyone in your family bake at midnight?" I asked him. "Or is Wren trying to find something to do so she doesn't worry about Colin?"

"Gollums are nocturnal."

I nodded mutely because that's how a person responded to sterile replies. I realized I had begun to rock again, and my hands gravitated to my armpits.Was it my growing annoyance with the man of few words, or confusion about the direction my life had taken me? Could I really be this missing person Roberto Valentino lost his life to rescue? To admit that would be admitting something I wasn't prepared for. Vincent stood suddenly and pocketed his cellphone.

"Are you hungry?" As he waited for my answer, his gaze raked me from head to toe. "Why are you so anxious, Reese? Are you afraid of being alone with me?"

I stared at him, wondering how he could be so off base. "No. Are you afraid of being alone with me?"

"Of course, not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, maybe it's the mixed signals you give me. One minute you're rock hard and humping my leg and a couple hours later you act like I'm a nuisance to be handled. I get that you have to keep your emotions in check around me, but my instincts are telling me you've had a lot of practice at it."

Vincent pursed his lips, which may have been from the phone buzzing in his pocket and not my accusation. When he ignored his cell, I counted it as a small victory. At least I was taking precedence. "I'm sorry, Reese. Typically, this is where I lose the interest of the woman I'm involved with. Romantic relationships have never been high on my priority list. I frequently forget I'm in one, especially when I'm busy, which is often."

"So, can I assume you have made it a priority with me?"

Vincent walked around the chair and crouched in front of me, adopting his CEO face. "Yes, Reese. You are my number one priority now."

Number one, huh? The title held promise, but it also held drawbacks. Had my life been enhanced by Vincent's sexually-charged episodes, or was I better off without his see-sawing moods? Did I even have a choice? I wasn't keen on having demons camped at my door, but I was missing home and freedom. Vincent's hand rose to my face, and he trailed his fingers through my hair and over the shell of my ear. The touch was gentle and intimate, and it made me acutely aware of how close his lips were to mine.

"Okay, Vincent. What do you plan to do about cultivating my interest? And, don't tell me I should give you a list. That's never the right answer."

"Can I start with making you something to eat?"

His initial attempt was laughably conventional, but I gave him credit for it. He was starting from square one. "Sure, and I won't even ask you to strip naked while you prepare it."

Vincent sharpened his eyebrows as he gave me an appraising look. "I doubt you would ever get fed if I did that."

I grinned as I leaned forward, invading his space. "Probably not, but my appetite would be satisfied."