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“No.” The thought made my throat cinch. “Leave them on.”
Darkness gave them an unfair advantage. They could see me, but I couldn’t see them. I hadn’t forgotten that first night when Lemaire had been in the basement with me and I hadn’t even known it.
“And please close the door.” A vampire in the shadows could slip through even a narrow crack.
“Gotcha,” said Twilight. “Try and get some sleep, okay?”
“Okay.”
I waited until I saw and heard the door close completely, then snuggled deeper into the soft bedding.
To distract myself, I pictured those burning looks Talon had given me.
How he’d had everyone out looking for me.
How he’d held me on the boat like he’d been terrified he’d lose me if he didn’t keep me close.
How he’d chosen me over Brien, because even though Brien probably hadn’t needed help, Talon had made it clear that I was his priority.
Not his primus. Me.
He loves me.
In my chest, the love I’d repressed for so long unfolded its wings.
Talon. Loves. Me.
The wings flapped, eager to be set free. So I let them soar.
40
Talon
By the time I circled back to the meeting point, a patchy fog covered the island. I found Brien contemplating the shed’s blackened remains.
“Any luck?” he asked.
I shook my head. “You?”
“No.”
Cain jogged up in time to hear us. “Same here. We’ve been over every inch of this island. Hell, I turned over rocks in case the bastard’s burrowed into the ground.”
The three enforcers arrived from different directions. They hadn’t had any luck either. The person or persons who’d rigged our boat to explode had vanished.
Brien’s mouth compressed. “It’s like these motherfuckers are always one step ahead of us.”
“Yeah.” I fingered my switchblade’s smooth ebony handle. I’d had it out the entire time we searched. If I’d seen Nazaire, I would’ve struck first, asked questions later—or not.
Answers didn’t matter. What mattered was keeping Eden safe, and I wouldn’t rest easy until Nazaire—or whoever was behind this—was in their final grave.
“Let’s go.” Brien jerked his chin at the waiting helicopters. “We’re cutting it close as it is, and this fog doesn’t help.”
I jogged forward with the rest. Something about this didn’t pass the smell test. The urge to return to Eden, to assure myself she was safe, was a monkey on my back now, impossible to shake off.
On the flight back, Brien and Cain discussed strategy. I listened through my headset without joining in, Brien’s comment chewing at me.
These motherfuckers are always a step ahead of us.
