Chris Reordon apparently was the human equivalent of Seth. The man could do anything and had a finger in everything.
Aidan had learned in the two years since he’d transferred to North Carolina that Chris was one of those stellar individuals who went above and beyond the call of duty. The network head’s job was to ensure that the existence of immortals, vampires, and gifted ones remained a secret by cleaning up the messes immortals and vampires made, keeping Immortal Guardians supplied with bagged blood (donated by network employees), providing them with new identities each time they outlived their current one, forging whatever other documentation they needed to move from country to country, giving them new homes, safe houses for emergencies, an impressive income, and the like.
The network head also had to oversee the thousands of mortal employees who aided the Immortal Guardians by studying the virus that infected them, monitoring the internet for any videos or mentions that might out the immortals, posing as emergency-response crews when things got messier than usual, managing the Immortal Guardians’ money, infiltrating certain agencies that were swathed in secrecy so they could gain more intel and provide Immortal Guardians with real-time satellite-surveillance images when the immortals launched the kind of large-scale battles they had in recent years, serving as Seconds (or mortal guards who each served a particular immortal, handled business for them during daylight hours, backed them up in battle, and kept them from living too solitary an existence), and more.
But Chris considered all that par for the course and went even further.
Chris didn’t just want the immortals to maintain anonymity and be comfortable. He wanted them to be happy and have as close to a normal life as possible, even though they spent their nights in the very abnormal pursuit of hunting vampires.
So Reordon built restaurants like this one that served humans in the main dining area and immortals and their Seconds in a smaller room boasting a VIP label that led humans to assume the men and women guided back there were simply wealthy individuals who wanted special treatment. That way Seconds could enjoy a meal they didn’t have to cook themselves and talk about the job without worrying about being overheard. And immortals could use their gifts without ending up in videos posted online.
Aidan had, of course, called ahead to let Sergio—the manager—know that he would be dining with a human woman, so Sergio wouldn’t slip and mention Aidan’s occupation.
Pocketing his keys, Aidan strode around the back of the car.
Dana stepped out before he could reach her.
“Aren’t men supposed to open car doors for women?” he asked.
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. It always felt weird to me to sit there and expect someone else to do something I was perfectly capable of doing myself. So I never waited to see if the man would do it.”
He closed the door for her. “When I look at it from that perspective, I suppose I would feel the same way.” Placing a hand on the small of her back, Aidan tried to keep his eyes from fastening on the lovely hint of cleavage the neckline of her dress exposed as he escorted her to the door. “I trust you’ll let me open this door for you?” he teased, reaching for the handle.
She laughed. “Yes, thank you.”
The interior of the restaurant was nice. White tablecloths. Candles and warm lighting. A plethora of plants that added color and provided privacy for couples who wanted such.
A man in a suit as expensive and finely tailored as Aidan’s greeted them with a smile. “Good evening. Aidan O’Byrne?” he asked, tilting his head back to look up at Aidan.
“Yes.”
“Excellent. I’m Sergio, the manager of this establishment. Would you and your guest please follow me? I’ve had a table prepared for you in our VIP section.” Sergio turned and started toward a door on the far side of the restaurant.
As Aidan and Dana followed, she leaned in close and whispered, “VIP section. Ooh la la.”
Aidan laughed.
The restaurant seemed to do a bustling business. The tables they passed were full of human couples and families.
Sergio opened the door to the VIP area and stood back to let them enter. Closing the door behind them, he guided them down a short hallway that opened into a smaller dining room.
For some reason, Aidan had expected the dining room to be empty. But it wasn’t. Three Immortal Guardians—étienne, his wife Krysta, and her brother Sean—dined with an older couple Aidan had come to know as Krysta’s mortal parents. Both parents were gifted ones, but Aidan couldn’t remember the nature of their gifts.
All turned at Aidan and Dana’s entrance and smiled, issuing a chorus of greetings.
Aidan paused by their table.
“Who’s this?” Krysta’s mother, Evie, asked cheerfully.
The Immortal Guardians in the area all adored Evie because she fussed over them and treated them all like sons and daughters, something most hadn’t experienced in hundreds—if not thousands—of years.
“This is Dana Pembroke,” he said. “Dana, this is étienne, his wife Krysta, her brother Sean, and their parents Evelyn and Martin.”
Dana smiled and nodded. “Nice to meet you all.”
Each offered a “Nice to meet you, too.”
“Call me Evie,” Krysta’s mother said, then smiled up at Aidan with twinkling eyes. “I’d ask you if you’d like to join us, but I can tell you’d rather have Dana all to yourself.”
Krysta groaned. “Mom, don’t embarrass him.”
Dana laughed and sent Aidan a flirtatious glance that made his heart do a funny little leap in his chest. “You want me all to yourself, do you?”
He grinned. “Absolutely.”
Murmuring goodbyes, they left the group and followed Sergio to the other side of the room.
Two Seconds monopolized another table, laptops open amidst platters of more food than Aidan thought two humans should be able to consume. Sheldon served as the French immortal Richart’s Second or human guard. Tracy served as Richart’s sister Lisette’s Second.
Aidan nodded to them. “Sheldon. Tracy.”
Sheldon nodded. “Hey, man.” His eyes shifted to Dana and widened. “Dude, are you on a date?”
He didn’t have to look so damned surprised. “Yes. And I’m trying to impress her, so don’t be”—he waved a hand in a circle in front of Sheldon—“you.”
Tracy laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him in check.”
Sheldon gave Dana a friendly smile and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Sheldon.”
Dana returned his smile and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dana.”
“Nice to meet you, Dana. This is Tracy.”
Dana shook Tracy’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Tracy.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
Dana looked up at Aidan. “Is Sheldon one of your adopted brothers?”
Aidan chuckled. “No. Sheldon is more of a… weird cousin to us all.”
Sheldon grinned. “Proud of it!” Then he frowned. “Hey. Wait a minute.”
Everyone laughed.