And he wasn't my biggest fan at the best of times. Having just involved myself in an interspecies incident, I doubted he'd be cutting me any breaks anytime soon.
I rubbed my forehead and sighed. I did not like being unarmed in hostile territory. Worse, the ammo inside the Judge was my own special blend, complete with silver nitrate. None of my other weapons had ammo like that, so they would be useless against a spook until I could find time to create more.
Nathan switched off the TV and climbed to his feet. "Enough about your pea shooter. Time for the real fun of the evening to begin."
I gave him a frown at his nickname for the Judge and followed him on grudging feet as he steered me out of the room. If nothing else, the tour would at least give me an idea of the lay of the land in case I needed to find the best exit points.
*
The mansion, it turned out, was a bit of a maze. The areas I'd seen the last time I was here were only the beginning. In addition to the great ballroom, there were two other massive sitting rooms, a pool and sauna in the basement, as well as two wings set aside for the enforcers and their companions.
We made our way up from the basement as Nathan pointed out several other features of the mansion, including a section that he called the war room.
"Our weapons are stored in a locker in there." He gave me a sidelong glance. "I'd recommend not approaching unless you're accompanied by one of us. It's under twenty-four-hour observation, so we'll know if you trespass. The consequences of such an incident would be severe."
He gestured to the ceiling, pointing out the cameras so I would know he was serious. I suspected that the visible cameras were only the start of their security measures.
A man stepped out of one of the rooms, his silver-gray eyes meeting mine before his companion distracted him.
Seeing the other vampire, Nathan grabbed my arm and drew me away, trying to distract me with inane chatter. "Let me show you our entertainment room. It's pretty sweet."
I looked back over my shoulder even as Nathan kept marching me forward. Thomas watched me with an enigmatic gaze as his fellow vampire talked at him. Seeing where Thomas’s attention had focused, the man paused and glanced my way, his eyes narrowing as he took in our retreating figures.
Nathan didn't release me until we were halfway across the house, and then only because I twisted my arm out of his grip. I had no doubt he let me escape, but I'd take what I could get.
"Does Thomas visit you guys often?" I asked in a calm voice.
Nathan looked uncomfortable, his shoulders tense as he avoided my gaze.
"Nathan?" I stepped in front of him, bringing him to a halt. "What is Thomas doing here and is he here often?"
"That's one way to put it."
I narrowed my eyes. It was not lost on me that he’d given a cryptic non-answer that failed to address the first part of my question.
"Does he live here?" I asked.
Nathan grimaced. That was answer enough.
I let out an animalistic growl, the sound wild and full of anger. My fangs dropped down and my hands curled into fists.
Nathan stepped in front of me and held up his hands, his face clear of any amusement for once. "You cannot confront him right now. He’s the master of this territory. You make a scene in public, and he'll have no choice but to punish you. Believe me, you don't want that."
I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm. It wasn't like I planned to hunt Thomas down and attack him right this second. I wasn't an idiot. Thomas was powerful, perhaps more powerful than any vampire, with the possible exception of one of the vampire elders I'd met last year.
I wasn't sure of that last part, since I was still learning how to decipher things my magic-seeing eye showed me. What it had shown me of Thomas, was enough to impress on me the need to have a concrete plan and exit strategy, in the event I wanted to take him down. Even then, if I were ever to take revenge against him for what he'd done to me, I'd strike unseen from a distance, and make sure it could never be traced back to me.
My fangs folded back into my gums, and I glared at Nathan for a long moment before turning on my heel and striding away. His footsteps were nearly silent as he followed me down the hall.
Too bad his mouth couldn't be equally silent. "Where are you going?"
"To get my stuff. I'm not staying here."
It was his turn to dart in front and bring us to a stop. "Whoa, you know that's not going to work. You're in our charge until your little werewolf friend is found. That's the deal. No renegotiating now."
My glare should have set him on fire with the heat it was generating. "I didn't get a say in any of those negotiations."
He shrugged his massive shoulders, not looking the least remorseful. "Doesn't matter. That's how this cookie crumbles."
I breathed out through my nose. My temper simmered just below the surface. Not even in their stronghold an hour and I was already struggling not to burn the place down. There was more than one reason I'd chosen to isolate myself in my apartment and life. It was a lot harder to lose your temper when you were the only one present, and on the rare occasions when I did lose it, no one was there to see or judge.
I stepped around Nathan and continued down the hall.
"Where are you going now?" he called after me as he ambled after me. The sense of urgency he'd pursued me with earlier was gone.
"My room."
"Ugh, why? We're not done with the tour."
I didn't answer, continuing in the direction I thought my suite was located. Maybe. It was ridiculously easy to get lost in here. The mansion must have a charm that enabled it to be several times larger than it appeared from the outside. The mansion was big from the outside, but it wasn't big enough to house all that I’d seen so far.
"We still have the kitchen to see," Nathan said.
My pace slowed. No, no, don't get distracted. You're mad at him.
"We have a deep freezer. I believe some of the companions have a standing order with that ice cream place you like."
"Graeters?" I asked before I could stop myself.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. "No clue. I don't concern myself with human food brands, but from my understanding, the companions are very particular about their ice cream."
It'd be either Graeters or Jeni's. Columbus natives knew those two had the best ice cream flavors. Either one would hit the spot after the night I’d had.
I backtracked toward him. "Well, then. I guess I can spare a little time out of my busy night to check out this kitchen."
"And finish the tour," he added with a victorious smirk.
I frowned at him. That had not been part of the deal.
He guessed my thoughts before I could say anything. "You want ice cream; you've got to finish the tour."
I slid him a sideways glance. I bet I could find the kitchen by myself. Of course, given the size of this place, I could be wandering for quite a while. My shoulders slumped as I resigned myself to completing the tour.