Charlaine Harris owns the rights to all of this.

A/N: This story is the third in my series. I hope you have enjoyed Thoughts in the Night and Taking Action before starting Eric's Story. Enjoy!

Sookie and I couldn't have had a better vacation together. We spent two weeks on Pawley's Island with no outside distractions, and were able to get closer than ever. I can't remember when I was last so relaxed. In a way, I hated to see our little utopia come to an end, but then I thought it would be good to incorporate our newfound closeness into our regular lives. I needed to get back to Fangtasia and help Pam. She had been really invaluable to me once again and had handled the remodeling perfectly, but she was tired and I was rejuvenated, so I was anxious to help her out.

Sookie and I arrived back at the Shreveport airport at around 4 a.m. We picked my car up from long term parking, and started home. I wanted her to stay at my house and she did seem curious about seeing it, but she decided that she wanted to wake up in her own bed so she could be home for the day the next day and not stuck at my house (even though I told her she could take the car). I reluctantly drove her to Bon Temps and only had time for a few passionate kisses before heading back to my house. I just couldn't face tiptoeing past her sleeping roommate to spend the day in that cramped closet space.

On the way home, I gave some serious thought to creating another space where I could sleep in Sookie's house. Of course, I really want us to live together, but I thought of her statement on the beach that she wasn't ready to talk about that yet. That was only a week or so ago, so chances are she still isn't ready. I pulled into my garage and sped upstairs, cutting it pretty close before dying for the day.

I called Sookie when I first woke up. It had only been one day, but I missed her already. I wished I could just walk into the next room and find her waiting for me like I'd done at the beach. I could tell she was upset and asked her right away what was wrong. Her lowlife brother was missing. What good is that asshole to anyone? Apparently when she called to tell him she was home, she got a busy signal, and only his voicemail when she called his cell. Then his ex wife called and said she went to his house after two weeks of not hearing from him and it looked ransacked, so she called the police. There was no sign of forced entry, and the police seemed to think that Jason may simply be MIA and off with some new woman (apparently they knew him pretty well). But they did open an investigation. I told Sookie not to worry, that we would find him (and I may just have to wring his scrawny little red neck for worrying Sookie).

I hung up and called Compton to send him over to Hotshot to check things out. I knew that those weres took pretty good care of their own and may know what happened and would be more likely to tell a threatening vampire than the local police. Then I dressed quickly and drove to the bar.

Pam was already there and the renovations were coming along nicely. I could see that it would all look great when it was finished which they predicted would be in another week or so. I went into my office to catch up on paperwork, and Pam followed me in and sat across from my desk.

"What?"

"You're not going to like it." I motioned for her to continue. I was already wishing that I was back at the beach. "DeCastro wants you to go to Las Vegas right away." Fuck. "Because he can't claim a percentage of zero, which is what the bar has made for the last two weeks, he wants to discuss a lump sum payment for this month."

"He couldn't fucking text me the number? Does he not have a fucking cell phone? Computer? He seriously needs me to fly there to tell me a fucking number?"

"I am sorry Master. There's something else."

"Yes?"

"He asked me about Sookie's brother." That got my attention. "He said that he had heard she has a brother and asked if he shared her gifts. I told him that his only gift was a lovely ass, and that beyond that he was pretty much a worthless ass, and that no he definitely was not anyone that would be of any use to us."

I told Pam that the useless ass may be missing and that I had Compton looking into it. I could tell what we were both thinking and it wasn't good.

I praised her for the work on the bar and regretted to tell her that I couldn't take over because I had to get my very annoyed ass to Las Vegas. I booked a ticket online and drove home to retrieve my still-packed suitcase before driving back to the airport. I called Sookie from the car and told her that I had to go to Vegas to see DeCastro on vampire business and relayed Pam's conversation to her. She started crying, but I told her not to worry. If DeCastro has taken Jason, it won't take long for him to learn that he is worthless to us. At the very worst, he may be held and glamored to be a donor and a sex toy for awhile, but then I could most likely bring him back unharmed. I told Sookie that it was unlikely that he would be held for any kind of ransom since DeCastro could demand anything from me at any time without a hostage. She calmed down a little. I told her that I sent Compton to Hotshot, and she said she had spoken to her friend Calvin over there and he had no information. Apparently she trusts this man to be forthcoming with her, and the fact that he knew nothing made my suspicions about DeCastro seem more on target. I told Sookie not to worry and that I loved her and would take care of it. I hung up hoping I was right.