I don't know how many of these Quinn point of view chapters I'll be writing. I just feel like everyone needs a little insight into his perspective, or at least what I see as his perspective. I hope everyone can see that he really isn't a bad guy, he just didn't have a lot of foresight where relationships are concerned.

Charlaine Harris owns Southern Vampire Mysteries, not me.


QPOV

It was late afternoon and I was sitting in my room working remotely, replying to emails and trying to arrange some of the staffing for the upcoming events for E(E)E. I was still being forced to stay with De Castro as payment for his help with cleaning up after my mom. He claimed he wanted me to stay as his guard until Louisiana was definitely secure and he felt 'confident in his control over the newly acquired state'. I, however, thought he was simply holding me under these terms until he could come up with a better reason. He had no intention of releasing me from my debt any time soon. Every so often he would mention that as an alternative payment I could fight in the pits for only six months and be done, but I had no desire to go back there. I already had to deal with the time I spent there when I was younger, my conscience couldn't handle killing any more, especially now that most everyone I fought would be so much younger.

Since he wouldn't allow me to leave the premises for more than a day or two at a time I had to work on maintaining my events business almost completely from my phone and computer. I missed traveling and setting up for events sometimes, but in all honesty I had intended on lightening my load when it came to being at the events anyway. I was just trying to find a reliable staff I could count on to keep everything up to my standards first. Unfortunately, I had to make do with what staff I had left, since I lost several staff members at Rhodes and had yet to find replacements before my mother had gone missing. Frannie was really being a great help with the company now though, filling in where I needed her and making sure everything lived up to my expectations. I had hoped before Rhodes that I could work out an arrangement like this so I could spend more time with Sookie, but that was before the takeover.

Then I had hoped Sookie and I could work things out the day after the takeover. I felt like she would be able to understand how important it was that I take care of my family. But as soon as she told me her point of view I immediately understood where she was coming from. I just couldn't let myself admit that to her at the time. I knew I should have somehow warned her before that night. I should have sent her a message somehow, something to tell her where I was and what was going on. I should have learned my lesson after she found out about my past from someone else at Rhodes. Sookie had been especially forgiving that I hadn't warned her before then about my past; but, yet again, I didn't warn her when my mom got in trouble just a couple weeks later. If I had she might not have ended things with me. But I didn't factor in that Eric might lead us right to her door, and I had no choice but follow even when I realized where he was headed. Hell, if I hadn't, they would have killed Frannie just to prove a point to me.

Now, all I could do was hope that Sookie agreed to talk to me. That we could come to understand each others point of view. The chemistry between us was undeniable. If we could get past this and could both learn from it, maybe there would be hope for us. She is the only woman I've ever been with that I felt connected to in any way. We had both been through a lot and could relate to each other. I just hope we could get that back.

Apparently I had been thinking longer than I was aware, because there was a knock on the door to my suite that startled me back to reality. I walked through the suite and could smell it was a vampire. They had already risen for the night.

"Hello?" I said opening the door. It was Rasul, the same vampire that helped me and Sookie when we were kidnapped in New Orleans.

"Good evening. The king wishes to have an audience with you before tonight's business begins. I was asked to escort you down to him." I asked him to wait while I changed into some nice khakis and a navy polo. I knew this was about my request to talk to Sookie. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Eric didn't try to pull something to keep me from coming to talk to her. It amazed me how jealous he was of anyone that came near Sookie, even when he wasn't dating her.

I got to the door of De Castro's office and knocked.

"Quinn" the king acknowledged looking up from his computer. "Please sit down" he motioned for me to sit. "I have heard from Victor regarding your request for entry into Louisiana area 5." He paused loving how anxious I was. I motioned for him to continue and he gave me a little smirk. Bastard.

"You have been granted formal permission to enter the area for the explicit purpose of speaking with Ms. Stackhouse. I will grant you leave when we are done with tonight's business. I am giving you a week to accomplish whatever it is you are attempting." He leaned back in his chair, as if he were waiting for my heartfelt thanks. Unfortunately for him, he would be getting no such thing. He was practically holding me prisoner, using my family as blackmail.

"This is the longest I have permitted you to leave the premises, Quinn. Do not betray this act of trust. And I expect to be informed of any and all developments, while you are out of my state. Ms. Stackhouse is under my protection, therefore anything and everything involving either, or both, of you" he said raising his eyebrows "is to be reported to me." If he thought I was going to confide all the intimate details of my relationship with Sookie to him, he better think again. Still I nodded my head and he continued giving me a rundown of the agenda for the nights business.

He had something up his sleeve if he was allowing me to be away for so long, wanting nothing more than to know how Sookie and I were getting along. Hm, better watch my back.