Page 77
As they turned onto the old logging road, Quinn gave Vann a long side-eye.
Bodie hopped out to open the gate.
“You look like hell,” Quinn said.
No words coming to mind, as nothing would help, Vann nodded. Lips tingling, cheeks slack, he could vomit or cry. Fifty-fifty.
Bennett leaned forward and asked, “Your grandmother’s vision. Is anything triggering for you?”
Vann shook his head, no. His chest lurched with a rough breath. “I know it’s Eryn, but… I’m too close. I can’t…”
Bennett squeezed his shoulder before sitting back. “With my mom’s team on security at the hospital, and your dad and his team set to watch the house, we’ve got this. Nothing is going to get to her again.”
Vann stilled. “Wait, what? Bringing in a second team for security backup was bad enough, but we’re talking a pureblood demon with an unknown number of trained wyverns protecting them. We don’t even know what kind of demon this is. Or maybe it’s multiple demons. We can’t risk three teams. If some opportunistic vampires caught wind of three teams in one area. Three preoccupied teams?”
“Yeah, well, you try explaining the risks to your dad,” Bennett said, as if it was settled.
“No. No way. The other times we’ve called in teams to back us up, thousands to the literal entire world were at risk, and we kept a much bigger distance from each other.”
Bodie climbed back in after they passed through the gate. His gaze bounced between them. “What did I miss?”
Quinn eased up the hill, over the graveled, rain-squishy road. “How many times have we saved the world?”
“I’ve lost count,” Vann muttered.
“Exactly,” Quinn fired back. “You said it yourself. The fate of the world isn’t at risk, just your wife’s.”
“When did Vann get married?” Bodie whispered, but the corner of his lips twitched with humor to ease the tension.
“I’m not married.”
Quinn steered steadily around the loose corner. “Bennett’s mom and my dad’s team was in the area, and they were more than happy to step up and play security at the hospital. It’s been a few years since they’ve done any undercover work, so this is a fun gig for them. More—most of all—they want to do this for you.”
“But you called my dad and his team in, too? They just retired, like, a week ago. My dad’s supposed to be going on a long vacation with this girlfriend he’s been hush-hush about. Thinks I’m too busy with my fucked-up relationship to want to celebrate good things in his life.”
“He’s worried about you. He knows how much this prophecy has been messing with you, and if he can help, he’s going to,” Quinn said on a low exhale.
“When did you even talk to him?”
Quinn snuck a side-eye at Vann. “He was, um, babysitting Skye.”
“My dad was babysitting for you? That’s great, but, I mean, you usually ask Fiona or Sunshine—” Realization rushed over him, aching with joy and regret over his blindness to his dad’s love life, his own overwhelming him these past weeks. “It’s Sunshine, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. He retired for her,” Quinn said softly.
“Why didn’t he say?”
Five years ago, when they’d first been introduced, his dad and Sunshine had dated for a few months. Entirely human and with no demon hunter training, Sunshine had raised Ryan alone—with the heavy burden of raising a hunter born to save the world. Hale hadn’t wanted to add the stress of being a demon hunter’s wife to her life.
At two-hundred fifty years old, Hale was a rare hunter, unmarried and recurrently unlucky in love.
“Because his heart is breaking for you.” Quinn’s brow dropped.
Fuck. No wonder he was eager to retire early. He deserved some peace and love.
Bennett kicked his feet out between the two front seats. He leaned back and continued his watch out the window. “There’s nothing like seeing someone you care about fall flat on their face for someone. It’s oddly motivating.”
Vann snorted a sound lost somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “That man is more stubborn than all of you combined.”
