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“I could,” he said, nodding with a snarky hint in his grin. Wow. Hot and sarcastic. In another life, she’d enjoy being that date.

Eryn laughed as she headed toward the door. “Don’t forget a decent omelet pan. You know, so you don’t ruin breakfast if that date goes well.”

He followed her to the door. “Well, maybe it’s thanks to my penis, but I can cook a mean omelet in that pan.”

As she walked backward into the driveway, he leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms across his chest.

When she reached the top of the steps, Eryn stole one last glance. Pitter-pattering palpitations caught in her throat. She yelled across the driveway, “Area rugs so her annoying laugh doesn’t echo.”

He smiled and shook his head.

So, so not smart to flirt with her landlord.

Smiling like an idiot, she closed the door and floated into the apartment.

“So. Flirting with the landlord?” Lexi leaned against the kitchen counter, foot tapping, and grinning.

“No.” Eryn dropped her shoulders and huffed. “Yes. But I’m keeping it at a light flirt.”

Mirroring Eryn’s dramatic posture, Lexi tsked. “People have sex. Even our friend in the hills probably has relations with humans that don’t involve them dying… or, ew, I don’t want to know if she black widows them. But I’m sure she’ll understand that you have needs.”

“Okay, yes, sex. But only once, and nothing more than a quick bang. Or two. Otherwise… oh my god, what if I black widow him?”

“We’re not going to let it come to that.” Lexi was already in her pajamas. She picked up the steaming tea behind her and cradled the delicate cup. “At least get him on the hook enough to watch your back. He looks really tough, and his friends did too. When the time comes, we could use all the help we can get.”

“No. I don’t want you involved, and I’m definitely not bringing anyone else into this.”

Steam puffed from her sister’s ears. A splash burned her hand. Lexi set down her tea and shook off the burning liquid. “Don’t you start with that again. We are together in this. You saved my life by making that bargain.” She stomped her foot and growled. “Which actually makes this my responsibility. And I say we need allies.”

Eryn gritted her teeth, her skin prickling with goosebumps as she relived the moment again and again and a-fucking-gain. “No. I’m not risking anyone else.”

“We can’t beat her. Not alone.”

“I have a plan, and I need her to trust me so I can get close enough to execute said plan.”

“I’m all for stabbing the bitch in the back, but letting her dose you again? Eryn, that’s… ugh. It’s fucking ridiculous. Stupid. Suicide. You were too dazed to remember the first time, but I remember it vividly. I held you in my arms, all day and all night on the side of the trail, until you were strong enough to stand.”

Cold that lanced deep to the marrow. Eryn’s eyes burned. “When I came to kill her? I made her bleed.”

Lexi lifted her tea and said over the delicate rim, “You would have died, if she hadn’t thought your rebellion was ‘cute.’”

“And now I know bullets aren’t strong enough. But I am. Or I will be. We can’t let her do to anyone else what she has done to us. I have to try. With a second dose of her power, I can—”

“You have power. Incredible power, but she’s a full immortal demon bitch. It would be narrowminded and… and… and fucking narcissistic… to think there isn’t anyone else out there more powerful than you. Someone with the power to stop her.” Lexi’s chin quivered, her mouth sealed tight… gaze lost in her tea as she refused to meet Eryn’s look.

“I’ve lived with this for over a damned decade, and I haven’t bumped into anyone who was like, ‘Hey, so, I’m powerful, how about you? Let’s team up and fight evil.’ Hashtag demon-thrall.”

“Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky, and like, I don’t know, maybe even someone like that lives right next door.”

“Ugh. Dammit. I shouldn’t even flirt with him. Not when we’re so close to finishing this. I need to stay focused.”

“If it will help us to stop her? Yes. I’ll risk the hot neighbor.”

With every life that ended in her arms, satisfaction and horror battled in her mind. Each one like an old friend, a sister, a mother, or a father, filling that lonely hollow in her with more loneliness. “I hate having you even on this continent right now, but she swore you were safe, and fucking hell, I believe her. An evil bitch, but she has a code.”

Lexi smacked the counter with the flat of her palm. “So we find people as tough as she is. Tougher than you are. We love a good vampire movie, and there’s always a slayer. Those stories come from somewhere. I think… I’m going to look for—”

“Vampires? Then see if someone pops up to drive a stake through their hearts? Let’s pretend vampire slayers exist, and you actually find someone tougher than she is, who is happy to kill her for us. What then? I’m not human anymore. They’ll just pat me on the head and let me walk away?”