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“Perhaps . . .” He stopped. Could he really go down this path? “Laria and I have discussed heading to Lindisfarne once the bar is open. Since we’re on the same side for once, we should talk about a strategy.”

He’d seriously just proposed working with Morley to uncover the potential seat of the Sect.

“I agree we should talk more. It may be good to investigate, to learn why the Sect has become so bold.”

Kenton finished his glass, which had only been partly filled. He didn’t need to feed. He’d only joined them to be polite.

Kenton Morley. Polite.

What alternate universe was he living in?

“Torr Derrickson, the ultimate Cheld hunter—”

“I’ve always hated that name.”

In the beginning, he’d been called the Hunter. Despite the Morleys’ keen ability to track new Cheld, he had nearly always gotten to them first. Although the brothers had become more skilled over the years, none of the other vampires could quite match his skill, one he’d acquired well before the curse. He’d been their clan’s tracker and was good at it. Animal, man . . . he could hunt down anything that moved and had been called on to do just that for many years since.

The Hunter.

He hated the name. Eventually his brother and sister had stopped using it.

“I don’t mean it as an insult,” Kenton said.

“I help, not hunt. If anything, you . . . or your brothers were the hunters.”

“And you’d been talking so cordially . . .”

He spun toward the doorway, where his brother and Toni stood. Both of them looked surprised to find him here—no more surprised than he himself felt.

“Fair enough,” Kenton said as the two walked into the room. “How’s it going?”

Lawrence sat next to him, still looking as if he’d seen a ghost. Torr laughed at his bewildered expression. His older brother was usually so in control—it was a comfort to see him off-balance.

“I stand corrected,” Lawrence said to Toni. “Charlotte is exactly what my brother needs. He’s a changed man.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m sitting right here, big brother.”

“So you are.”

“Good,” Toni said to Kenton. “To answer your question about the bar, everything is ahead of schedule so far. It makes me nervous actually. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Which means we need to gear up our advertising.” Lawrence accepted a bottle of beer from Kenton. “Did you talk to the ad agency today?” he asked Toni.

“No shop talk,” Laria said, coming into the room.

“Good timing.” He was positive now the call had been staged—Laria was a woman of resources—and he gave her a look to say as much. Torr wasn’t fooled by her innocent smile.

“We have more pressing matters to discuss,” Laria said, playing with her ever-present ponytail. Not a good sign. This was what she did when she was battling her nerves.

“More pressing than opening a bar in less than two weeks?” Lawrence asked.

“Yup. I saw something today when I was following Zach.” Something she’d been doing for the past week.

“You didn’t say anything on the way here—” he started.

“Anyway,” she said, cutting him off. “He met with Tyler and told him about the journal.”

Everyone tried to talk at once, Torr included—why hadn’t she mentioned anything? Was she so desperate for him and Morley to talk?—but she raised up a hand with plenty of attitude.