Vincent reclined on the couch, commanding his empire from his smartphone, while his laptop stood open next to him on the coffee table. I polished off the leftovers he fed me, which were leftovers from lunch he had catered. I didn't pass judgment. He made a point to serve my meal on fancy Pottery Barn dishware.

When he invited me to join him on the couch, I was eager to oblige, and Bonnie and Clyde pranced across the cushions, each one making their move for lap position. It was Clyde who claimed my lap first, digging his nails into my thighs like a cat before settling down. Bonnie feigned indifference and nosed her way between Vincent's knees, lowering her trim torso onto his stomach. Vincent appeared completely at ease with the arrangement.

"I have implemented an easy to read record of domus Valentino," he said as he pointed to the screen of his computer. "Our records date back to the eleventh century. That's a lot of family journaling to maintain. You can access everything from the cloud if you know the right passwords. I'll email them to you now. We share information with the other domi living in New York City. Births, deaths, partnerships, unusual incidents, etcetera. I'm sure the information will trigger plenty of questions, so don't hesitate to ask me anything."

While I had intended to plug back into the grid and forget about gollums and demons for a while, it was difficult to say no to Vincent. His smooth baritone could coax a fox out of his home. Clyde complained when I stretched for my duffel and pulled out my laptop, and there ensued an adjustment period as I moved to the loveseat to set up my work station. Clyde insisted he make the trip with me, balancing on my lap as I scooted around the coffee table.

When everyone had settled in, I caught Vincent gazing at me over his phone. I coveted the moments Vincent had his seductive eyes on me. Maybe I did want to be his number one. In less than five minutes, I was perusing a document titled History of Gollums. Vincent had suggested I read it to kick off my journey through weirdville. My words, not his.

One of the first subtitles to catch my eye was Breeding Rituals, and the entry read like a fantasy novel. 

Gollums were borne of demon and human. The demon aspects were bred out over the subsequent centuries, creating a beast who protects the innocent and battles evil.

I lifted my face from the screen, and my wide-eyed expression prompted Vincent to do the same. "Gollums were created from demons and humans?"

He cocked his head quizzically, which made me think he had not expected that to be my first question. "Yes. But many centuries have passed since then, and the gollum community maintains a strict policy that gollums breed only with each other to keep the race pure."

I bobbed my head as another question presented itself. "What would happen if a demon and a human had a baby now? Would they make a gollum?"

"No. Both species are far enough in their evolution that the result usually prompts a miscarriage, or produces an abomination. The same goes for humans and gollums."

"Oh." A shiver wracked my body, and I quickly proceeded to my next inquiry. "What about gollums and demons? Can they have offspring?"

Vincent offered a sour face. "Look under the title Demons and Their Weapons of Choice."

"Weapons of choice? Are you telling me demons use sex as a weapon against gollums? That flies in the face of everything you've told me about the enemy."

"One of their weapons is seduction, but a gollum rarely falls for it. We are bred to do battle with demons, which is a difficult obstacle to overcome, even to slake our lust."

Damn.

"Do you think Heath seduced me?"

"Yes." His response came swiftly and succinctly, and I raised my eyebrows at him. Part of me thought there should be something to argue about, but I couldn't think of anything.

"I can't imagine there's never been a birth resulting from a demon and gollum hook-up. Would that be documented somewhere?"

"Gollum magisters are bound by a code of ethics to document everything that affects members of the domus. A gollum and demon pairing would count as a record of extreme sensitivity and would be fiercely guarded. Neither species condones this behavior, and demons are trained to use their seduction skills only to escape a life-threatening situation." Vincent's monotone delivery portrayed his distaste for the topic, which meant my window of opportunity was closing. I needed to make my last question count.

"One more question. What do gollums use for birth control?"

He looked at me incredulously. "We don't use birth control, Reese. Offspring are rare among gollums. Procreation is never discouraged." His phone rang and he glowered at it, uttering a curse under his breath.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Colin. Ever since I told him you were here, he's been trying to Facetime me."

"Answer it. I want to talk to him."

Looking anything but pleased, Vincent waved me over as he sat up, unseating Bonnie from his lap. I gently lifted Clyde off my legs, kissing him on his muzzle as I made a hasty escape to the couch. Vincent swiped the buzzing icon on his phone, and Colin's face appeared on the screen.

"Are you getting bored already?" Vincent offered as a greeting.

"I'm ready to get the hell out of this white-washed prison, but I have to pretend to be recovering. I'll be talking my doctor into a discharge tomorrow." Colin spoke his piece with Vincent then smiled at me. "Hi, Reese. How are you? Still recovering from your harrowing experience?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You look pretty good for someone who survived a near fatal wound thirty-six hours ago."

Colin ran his fingers through his hair then patted it down. This prompted Vincent to roll his eyes.

"When I get home, I want to hear all about your scuffle with those horny assholes," Colin said.

I chuckled at Colin's dry wit, grateful he still had his sense of humor, but Vincent was not impressed.

"Save the foul language for church, Colin."

"Fortunately, the good guys came to my rescue," I interjected before the boys got riled up. "I also want to thank you for defending me, but I have to admit I'm still trying to digest the reality of the situation and the fact that it involves homicide."

Colin frowned. "Well, when you put it that way... Listen, Reese. I know you're in the process of absorbing a lot of crazy stuff, and if it makes you feel any better, we didn't accomplish what we set out to. But, believe me, you'll breathe easier when Heath is not a threat anymore. And, if we're lucky, the demons will back right off. I've already started working out our next plan of attack."

"That won't be necessary," said Vincent. "I'm going to handle it myself."

Colin snorted. "Don't try to be the conquering hero, Vincent. You know the protocol. Everyone takes backup."

"I think you need a lesson in protocol," Vincent said through a sneer. "I'll take Rizzo."

"Hell no. I'm just as invested in this kill as you are," Colin ground out.

"Dammit, Colin. Did you get hit in the head, too? Monitor your language."

Colin looked at me and his mouth fell open. "Sorry, Reese. I'm not used to monitoring my language."

"You might as well let it rip. I need to be desensitized if I'm going to pay more visits to the Valentino household."

Colin looked initially confused by my comment, then realization appeared to dawn on him, probably the realization that I had not consented to live with Vincent. "Am I missing something?"

"Reese is still absorbing," Vincent offered. "I've got her reading from the cloud account now."

Colin chuckled. "Homework from Vincent, huh? Remember to take frequent breaks so your brain doesn't explode."

"I wouldn't dare risk staining Vincent's pristine apartment with splattered brains. Zombie apocalypse doesn't go well with Pottery Barn."

My retort had Colin gripping his chest to stifle a laugh. "You and I are going to get along great, Reese. Colin Valentino out."

The screen blipped off and I started to giggle. I knew Vincent was scowling, but I chose to ignore it. Something told me there would be a lot of that once Colin returned home. Vincent resumed his reclined position on the couch, and before Bonnie could reclaim her spot, I took the opportunity to breach the man of steel's wall, slipping between his legs and resting my head on his chest. He shifted his body until we were both comfortable, but I felt the tension in the way his muscles bunched against my cheek.

"I'm sure your family is glad Colin is healing quickly. He seems to be in good spirits," I said, hoping it would remind Vincent that his brother could have met a worse fate.

"Everything is a joke with Colin."

"I don't think that's such a bad thing. Somebody needs to keep it light around here."

Vincent deposited his phone next to his laptop, then in a gesture that took me by surprise, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up until my face was flush with his neck. I liked having easy access to his lips, and he appeared to mirror my thoughts as he lowered his head to kiss my nose. It wasn't my mouth, but the gesture was affectionate just the same.

"Colin is right about one thing," he said. "You and he will get along. You both have a quick wit and a sharp tongue."

"My tongue is sharp?"

"Yes, but I don't call you on it because... because I don't want you believing the comment Amelia made about me at the Saint Thomas dedication."

I didn't have to work hard to recall the playful banter they'd exchanged. It was a rare glimpse into Vincent's hidden personality. "Do you mean the one she made about the stick up your ass. That comment?"

"Yes. That one."

"Well, your ass appears to be in good shape at the moment, but I'll let you know if I notice a change."

A smile captured his lips, and I stared up at his face, taking in his striking features with the added enhancement of an amused smile. I watched him until his eyes closed and his body relaxed beneath me. Regardless of the drama I'd been subjected to at the hands of Mr. Monomaniac, I had grown accustomed to his presence, and I held out hope we would eventually find our happy place.

PLAYLIST SONG: Mad World by Tears for Fears