“But we took out one of its main puppets, and we will destroy it too. I do not doubt that. You shouldn’t have thrown yourself on top of me to put out the flames.”
Simone snorted. “You’re in no position to lecture me, Baldy.”
Killean laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her as he pushed her back on the bed.
“I love you, Simone,” he whispered against her mouth.
“And I love you.”
* * *
A few hours later,Killean found Ronan and the others gathered in the barroom. Nathan, Asher, and Logan were with them.
“Would you like a drink?” Declan inquired of him. He was seated at one of the stools lining the bar with a glass of amber liquid before him.
“Yes.” Killean settled himself onto one of the leather chairs between Saxon and Lucien.
“How are you feeling?” Lucien asked.
For the first time, Killean didn’t sense any anger in his friend’s voice. “Much better,” Killean answered before turning to Ronan. “If the hunters have a problem with me being here, I’ll leave,” he said, striking right at the heart of the matter. “I didn’t like it in the beginning, but I understand how important this Alliance is, and I won’t jeopardize it by being here.”
“You’re here to stay,” Ronan stated.
“They’re a little nervous,” Nathan said, “but they’re accepting it. Joseph’s demise helped them adjust faster.” Nathan grinned as he lifted his glass in salute to him. “I’ve never seen a vampire barbeque before, but you pulled it off nicely.”
Killean scowled at him, but it didn’t last long before he gave a small chuckle. “I hope never to pull it off again.”
“I would be fine with that,” Ronan said.
Killean met his gaze. Simone had told him Ronan gave him his blood, and that’s what helped pull him through the worst of his burns, but he had no idea what to say about it. The sharing of blood between vampires was rare. Until Simone, he’d never shared his before, and he’d wager Ronan hadn’t before Kadence. None of the Defenders had ever shared blood between them, until now.
“Ronan—”
“Don’t mention it,” Ronan said as he sipped his drink.
Killean nodded; that was the most they’d ever say about it, he knew.
Declan walked over and placed a glass of whiskey in front of him. “Thank you,” Killean said as he lifted it and took a sip. “I still feel stable,” he said when he set the glass down. He didn’t want to say the rest, but he had to. “But that could change.”
“And if it does, we’ll take care of it,” Ronan said. “You’re back with us, and wewillstop you from killing any innocents here or on the outside.”
Ronan sharing his blood with him had been the act of love between friends, but Ronan would kill him if he believed it necessary.
“Good,” Killean said. “So what do we do now?”
“Now we find that thing that was working with Joseph, and we destroy it,” Ronan stated. “We also find the mole we have here.”
Killean almost choked on the whiskey sliding down his throat. “Mole?”
“Yes,” Ronan said and gazed pointedly at everyone in the room. “Someone let Joseph know where you were.”
“You don’t think we could have been spotted after a hunt and trailed back to the asylum?”
“Do you?”
Killean pondered this before responding. “We were too careful for that to happen. What about Simone’s guards? Maybe they messed up.”
“Itispossible,” Ronan said. “They were newer, young, and not as highly trained, but I find it unlikely. Joseph would have to know what to look for with them, and the vehicle they were in looked just like any other SUV on the road. No, I think someone working with us might have alerted him. It might also explain how Joseph knew we’re working with the hunters now. Yes, one of the hunters he captured could have revealed this, or he could have seen us hunting together one night without us being aware, but it also could have been someone on the inside.”
