Thorne found Noel where he always found him, in his studio painting. The portrait of the eyes was uncovered. Thorne found that odd, but didn't question it. Felix was sitting on the other side of the room sketching which explained why the portrait of the eyes was uncovered. With him gone and Felix on the other side of the room, Noel could leave the portrait exposed in peace. Thorne glanced at the eyes before saying anything.
"We need to talk." He said as he sat down.
Noel looked at him and then at the painting before covering it in an almost protective manner. When it was covered, he gave his full attention back to Thorne.
"What's going on?" Noel asked. "You're home early."
"I met with the woman-Barb." Thorne replied. "She's on her way here."
"Alright." Noel said. "What else?"
"Felix, come over here." Thorne called out.
When Felix was sitting, Thorne started over.
"I was just telling Noel that the woman will be living here." Thorne said his tone telling Felix that he wasn't going to be argued with. "I am well aware of your concerns regarding your privacy and I plan to emphasize that there are areas that she does not have access to. If you want to be certain that she can't enter your private area, there is the option of using human locks and keys."
"When is she coming?" Felix asked.
"She's on her way." Thorne replied. "There is a reason for why I'm moving her in here as opposed to a home of her own."
He told them about the phone call from Ethan Sinclaire.
"Wait a minute." Felix said. "Aren't you enemies?"
"Yes." Thorne replied.
"Then I don't understand." Felix said. "Why would they call you? How do you know that this isn't a setup of some kind?"
"We are now tied to them because of the woman and the child that she carries." Noel said. "They can no more harm us than we can them."
"Exactly." Thorne said. "I'm sure that they're as thrilled about this as I am, but that doesn't change the fact that I want both of you to exercise extreme caution until we know who or what is here."
"I'm sorry," Felix said, "But how do they know and why do you believe them?"
"Let me make something clear to you." Thorne said to Felix his tone cold. "I'm only allowing you to ask me questions because it involves your safety. Don't get the idea that because you live here that you have the liberty of questioning me. Do you get my meaning?"
Felix swallowed. This was the Thorne Blackwell that he had heard about but had never seen. He now knew where his boundaries were and planned to make sure that he stayed well within them.
"I apologize... I understand."
"Good." Thorne said. "The reason that I believe them is because the Sinclaires and my family weren't always at odds with each other. More than once they saved our lives because of intuition. The Sinclaire who called me is a seer as is his mate. If they are concerned enough to call me, then there's something to worry about. I am well aware of the fact that I received a call only because of the woman. That is why she will stay here."
"Are you going to go to the meeting?" Noel asked.
"Yes and I would like for you to attend with me." Thorne said.
"I... of course." Noel replied nervously.
"Thank you." Thorne said looking at the clock. The woman should be here soon and I would like for you both to meet her. Maybe if she sees whose privacy she would be invading she'll comply with our wishes.
****
Barb didn't remember the drive taking so long, but then again; she had been occupied with other things. She looked at Billings and wondered how much he knew about Thorne and what she could find out that could be used in the future.
"What's your name?" she asked in what she thought was a friendly tone.
"My name is Billings ma'am." He replied looking at her in the rearview mirror.
"How much longer until we get there?" she asked.
"It isn't too much further." Billings replied. "I would say another thirty minutes or so."
"Aren't we going to the house on the beach?" Barb asked.
"Yes ma'am, but Mr. Blackwell told me to take my time. He wanted to make sure that everything was ready for your arrival."
"How long have you worked for Mr. Blackwell?" Barb asked.
Billings' eyes flickered with wariness and then filled with an intelligence that few suspected he had.
"I've been with Mr. Blackwell for a few years." He replied evasively.
"How long is a few years?" Barb pressed.
"Twenty years." Billings replied following Thorne's instructions to tell her the truth about whatever she asked including about being a vampire.
"Twenty years?" Barb asked. "You don't look like you're any older than I am!"
She then remembered the Sinclaires. None of them had looked any older than their mid-thirties. Even Nathan's parents didn't look more than their mid to late forties and his mother was expecting another baby. She did the math and it definitely wasn't adding up. If Nathan was in thirties and that was a guess, his mother should be almost fifty or older depending on the age that she had him. Then there was Maryann Sinclaire, Ethan, Patrick and Martin's mother... she shook her head as she tried to calculate how old she was. Then there was Katrina, Ethan's wife. She looked as young as her twin daughters who were in their twenties.
"Billings, how old are you?" Barb asked.
"I'm seventy-five years old ma'am." Billings replied with a smile. "I'll be seventy –six next week."
Barb stared at him trying to decide if he was kidding. He had to be she thought to herself.
"How do you manage to stay so young looking?" she asked deciding to play along.
"I make sure that I drink my quota of blood and I stay away from the druggies and the diseased... their blood doesn't taste good and it isn't good for you.
A memory of what appeared to be someone drinking blood at Thorne's club came to Barb's mind and she shook it off. That hadn't been real, it couldn't have been.
