“There were vampires at the scene with the cops,” he told them.

“Fantastic,” Xun said through a sigh.

“Tell Chen and sleep with an eye open,” Abel ordered.

He got nods before they turned back to their bikes, mounted them, and headed back to the city. But instead of going straight home, Abel led them to where he’d first picked up Delilah’s scent outside the Mad Helmet.

He followed her fading scent, along with the now-dead creatures that had hunted her, and pulled over when he saw it on the sidewalk by some trash cans. Xun and Wei stopped with him and waited as he climbed off his bike, walked to the purse, and retrieved it.

He swung the long strap of the black suede bag, with its minimal studs and maximum fringe, over his head, smiling for the first time that night.

Delilah Johnson.

Total biker bitch.

Seeing as he bought his first Harley in 1922 and had never been without one since, he was getting the impression Delilah Johnson was made for him.

He swung his leg over his bike, ignoring the grins he was getting from his brothers, and headed them toward home.

They all parked in the alley, Wei moving directly to the back door of the restaurant where he’d find the stairs and go to the apartment above, where his mother lived.

His brothers all lived elsewhere. Tonight, they’d see to their mother.

And Abel.

Xun followed Abel to the grate.

Abel stopped and turned to him. “That bitch you’re bangin’ who works at The Chain?”

Xun nodded.

“Need you to connect with her. See if she can get into Delilah’s room, pack up her shit, and get it out, all without anyone who might be watching noticing. The maid’s cart or something. She needs incentive to do it right, there’s five hundred dollars in it for her.”

Xun smiled. “Probably she’d take a different incentive.”

Abel shook his head before replying, “Then give her that. I really don’t give a fuck what you give her. Just get Delilah’s shit. Last name’s Johnson. The sooner she gets it, the happier I’ll be.”

“I’m on it.”

Abel lifted his hand and Xun clasped it, then they thumped forearms and disconnected.

Abel moved to the stairs and descended them. When his head cleared the top, Xun dropped the grate and rolled the Dumpster over it.

Chen gave him shit for the precautions he took, city after city, everywhere they moved, doing it frequently so no one would notice the family getting older but Abel not.

But Chen didn’t have his dreams.

And probably, after that night, Chen’s shit about what he called Abel’s “dungeons” would end.

He walked to the door, pulled it open, and moved into his room.

The light by the chair was shining, the rest of the space dark.