Free Forsaken by the Others by Jess Haines

want to know who and what I’ll be dealing with.”
    The driver adjusted his rearview mirror to look us over, probably not realizing we
     could see his features at that angle, too. I got the impression it was the first time
     he was really looking at us—and that he didn’t approve of what he saw. His lip curled
     slightly before he turned his attention ahead again, starting the limo. “As you wish.”
    Though it wasn’t my first time in a limo, this wasn’t something I did every day. For
     Sara, this was old hat. She lounged back and watched with some amusement as I fiddled
     with all of the buttons and panels, discovering the hidden TV (how the hell do you
     get cable access in a car?), satellite radio, selection of drinks, and even something
     that tinted and untinted the windows. Special sunproofing for the vampire, maybe?
    Soon, it wasn’t the car, but what was passing by outside that drew my attention. It
     didn’t take long for us to reach a ridiculously extravagant area, full of small but
     manicured-to-within-an-inch-of-the-property-line lawns with weird ornaments and excessive
     lighting, while the houses themselves, each one seemingly bigger than the next, looked
     like they belonged in TV shows or movies. Come to think of it, this was part of Los
     Angeles, so they probably were in TV shows and movies.
    For the first time in my life, I was intimidated by buildings.
    Sara did not appear concerned, but I was seriously reconsidering making that pit stop
     at the guesthouse to change into something more appropriate than jeans and T-shirts
     before visiting this Seabreeze guy. Though with a name like that, I had the feeling
     I was going to have a very hard time taking him seriously, even if he was a very rich
     and important vampire who lived in a mansion.
    I figured now was as good a time as any to let Royce know we’d arrived safely. Tugging
     the cell phone out of the pocket of my duffel I’d shoved it into, I scrolled through
     the few contacts already in the phone.
    Someone had been quite thoughtful. Not only had they added Royce’s cell, but they’d
     included Royce’s head of security, Angus, as well as Mouse, Wes, and a few other familiar
     names, too. If I needed to reach anyone in a hurry, there were multiple ways for me
     to do it.
    Royce picked up after a couple of rings, though he sounded a bit distracted until
     he realized it was me.
    “Hey, just wanted to let you know we made it here in one piece.”
    “Good. Have you met with Clyde yet?”
    “No,” I said, glancing at the driver again, “not yet. We’re on our way from the airport
     right now.”
    “All right. Call me immediately if he makes any effort to alter or renege on our agreement.
     And be careful, my little hunter. I want you to come home to me safely.”
    “I will,” I promised. “You owe me a hell of a romantic evening after this.”
    He laughed and whispered a promise to do something to me once I got back that had
     me blushing so hard, I thought I might ignite by the power of my mixed mortification
     and desire alone. Cripes, I hoped to hell Sara hadn’t overheard, though judging by
     the look she was giving me it wasn’t totally unlikely.
    She didn’t ask, and I didn’t say anything as I ended the call and shoved the phone
     back in the duffel, still hot with embarrassment. Rather than meet her gaze, I turned
     my attention to the world passing by. If we were going to be stuck here for weeks
     or months, I might as well get to know where we were going.
    Not that watching the route we took was helping much. We were soon lost in a maze
     of houses. I would have no hope of finding my way around here without the help of
     GPS or a map. Few of the streets seemed to run in straight lines. Some curved with
     the landscape. It was strange and not a little unsettling to a girl who was used to
     the straightforward streets that ran in simple north-south-east-west lines in New
     York.
    After a while, we were beyond the