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“Wait, this isn’t a sex thing?” He dropped the shackle. “That is a lot less fun.” He cringed and regarded the chains in a new light. “For fuck’s sake, do I have to save his perfect ass again?”
The door opened and Reynard walked in, with his sleeves rolled up and his hair braided so tightly it made his face even more severe. He jolted to a stop, as alarmed to see us as we were to see him. “Adam.”
Zee grinned. “He’s fine! Let’s go.”
“Zodiac?” Reynard frowned, and then the frown cut even deeper into his severe expression. “You cannot be here.”
“Great, we’re all agreed we shouldn’t be here.” Zee marched toward the door. “Love what you’ve done with the place. Very torture-chamber chic. But it’s my birthday and I want cake, which we definitely will not find in your sex den.”
“This is not an erotic dungeon. It’s HR.”
“Human resources?”
“Indeed. I’m sure you’ve noticed Gideon Cain’s hostile takeover? I returned to collect my scant belongings—Zodiac, it’s your birthday?” Reynard asked. “I wasn’t aware.”
Zee folded his arms. “Because I decided this morning.”
“You’ve decided your birthday is today?”
“If you hadn’t fucking checked out, you’d know. But no, you slunk off like the sucker you are, hurting Adam’s feelings. A lot. Asshole. Good talk. Bye. Adam?”
Reynard frowned. “I left a note outside your door, Adam.”
“Oh . . .” The flower had been a note? Oops. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to open it.”
“Unless the note said Happy Fucking Birthday to the Best Demon, nobody cares. Adam, Lord Fuck-Hard is fine and getting his torture on for Gideon Cain and Princess Buffy. He obviously doesn’t fucking need us. So let’s fucking go.”
“You believe I would betray you?” Reynard grumbled, mostly to hide the small quiver in his voice. “After everything we’ve been through these past few weeks?”
“Meh?” Zee shrugged a shoulder. “What’s a few weeks to your ancient ass, when you’ve been a villain forever?”
“Adam.” Reynard stepped between Zee and me. “That was not my intention—”
“So, what did the note say?”
“A great deal about Gideon Cain’s hostile takeover in the very early hours of this morning. With poor reception at the hotel, I was not aware of the management reshuffle and that the board had voted me out. This morning, with everything else happening, I thought it best I leave . . . and for you not to come.” He stepped closer, but when he reached for me his hand fell, already defeated. “Adam, it’s too dangerous.”
“Dangerous for who? Because you belong with us, not doing whatever you’re doing for them.”
Reynard’s gaze skipped to Zee by the door. Zee had his arms crossed, foot tapping.
Reynard caught my arms, and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Knowing what you are, you cannot be here. Machinations are happening beyond my control. The risk is too great. You must go, and . . . we should not see each other again.” He hesitated, then whispered. “It’s for the best.”
He was probably right. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe Gideon Cain would learn about the Lost Ones, and that I’d deleted myself from the system, and the vampires would rise up and take over the world. But I was done losing everything I’d ever cared about because of what I was and some stupid prophecy. Me and Victor and Zee and the hotel . . . I was not letting that go without a fight.
I looked into Victor’s concerned gaze. “No.”
“Adam.” His light-fingered touch skimmed down my cheek then along my chin, so tenderly it almost hurt. “You must.”
“No. I won’t leave you. I didn’t leave Zee, I didn’t leave those pets, and I didn’t leave Shadow. I won’t leave you. You don’t want this life. You hate technology, and you don’t much like vampires either. This might be your last chance to walk away from all this.” I stepped back, and caught Zee’s keen glare. “Don’t you want to take control of your destiny? Don’t you want to be free?” I knew he did, and when I looked into his eyes the truth there confirmed it. “They’ll kill you, Victor. If you don’t come with us, they’ll find you, question you, and it will be over.”
Reynard’s gaze flicked to Zee, who muttered, “Yeah, what Adam said, I guess.”
I cut Zee a pointed glare.
“Fuck. Fine.” He threw his hands up. “You don’t belong here, you belong with us, blah blah. Don’t leave. Emotional shit.” He folded his arms, and added one more dry, “Blah.”
Reynard almost smiled. “Your compassion is sincerely heartwarming, demon.”
