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Thane barked out a laugh. “Nice try.”
Xavier shrugged. “Like I said, your beliefs are inconsequential.”
“If what you’re saying is true, why don’t you just ask Adam for immunity?” I asked.
“He must appear to do the honorable thing, doesn’t he?” Xavier winked. “I understand if you need time to make this decision. Shall we reconvene this evening?”
There was no way in hell I’d let this fucker out of my sight again.
“No need to wait,” I said, gripping a stake as I prepared to kill him. “We don’t need your help with Colin.”
One of the falcons chirped and tilted its head to the side. I really wished I could tell them apart in falcon form.
Xavier’s next smile was as sinister as they get. “Ah, but you do. You see, I know something you don’t.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you do. You’re old. Like, ancient. You have centuries of knowledge on me.”
His dark eyes narrowed at my jab. Gods, he was so easy to rile up. “Something that will ensure your win against the fae.”
“And how do you intend to prove that?” Thane asked.
“You’ll understand once you agree to the terms.”
This sonofabitch knew exactly what lures to dangle in front of me, which was infuriating because of course I was hooked.
I held up a finger. “One moment. And don’t even think about running.”
Xavier put his hand to his chest, feigning a hurt look. “I wouldn’t dream of running from you, my pet.”
“And yet it’s a common occurrence with you.” I drew Thane away, glancing back every few steps to ensure the vamps stayed put. Keeping my voice low, I asked, “Could he be telling the truth about Adam?”
“As much as I hate to admit it, it’s unlikely but possible.” The lines of his jaw moved as he ground his teeth together. “I’d wondered why Adam hadn’t transferred Xavier to the maximum-security prison, even for the short time between his sentencing and execution.”
I’d wondered the same thing, but I’d let it go with everything that had occurred after. I had believed Xavier’s skull graced the foyer of the Miami vampires’ hive.
Well, I had until I received that first letter, but I’d been living life in the fast lane since then.
“There’s no way I’m giving him a chance to escape,” I said. “How do you feel about me lying to him? We can agree to the deal, get the info, then I’ll kill him.”
“As much as I’d love that, it’s a no.”
“But no one would know,” I argued.
His soulful, blue-eyed gaze met mine. “We would know.”
Him and his godsdamned morals. Sure, he was absolutely correct. I would feel great watching Xavier’s ashes pile up on the oil-stained cement floor, but I would regret the betrayal over time. Too much regret hung over my head already.
Besides, I wasn’t Xavier, and I had no intention of becoming the bad guy, even if I thought I was once upon a time.
“So, do we agree to his terms? With no crossing our fingers behind our backs?” I asked.
Thane glanced back at the Master Vampire, who smiled and fluttered his fingers at us in a little wave. “Yes. We need any information we can get to stop Colin, no matter the source. If he doesn’t hold up his end of the deal, he goes to prison.”
“Or maybe the vamp’ll have an unfortunate ‘accident’ on the battlefield,” I said with a wink.
Thane chuckled, and we returned to the vampires.
“We’ve made a decision,” I announced, my voice echoing across the garage.
