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He shook his head. “No. How did you know that, Jackson?”
Jackson explained. “The vamp community is in a tizzy about Jillian here paying their great leader a visit, sparking a full-on uprising when Matthias didn’t kill her on sight. A couple blood servants got their hands on some security footage from your dad’s research facility that showed them enough to make an educated guess on Matthias’s fate. By your reaction, I’m guessing they’re right.”
“You are,” Declan replied. “He’s ashes in the wind.”
Jackson raised his glass. “Good riddance. Of course, now the only problem is that pesky brother of his potentially reappearing to take the throne that Matthias stole from him three decades ago.”
“Kristoff,” I said, the name sounding and feeling like a dark curse at the back of my throat.
He nodded. “The one and only. But, that’s a problem for another day, isn’t it?” Then he shifted his gaze to Declan. “By the way, you’re buying the next round.”
“Am I?”
“You stole some money from me.”
Declan frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Last month, there was a small clan holed up in San Jose—two males, two females. By the time I arrived, there was only a pile of dust left. A neighbor said he saw a scary-looking dude with an eyepatch leaving after midnight the night before. That was you, I assume?”
“Sounds right,” Declan allowed. “Some rogues who’d been feeding on locals. I didn’t know that was your territory.”
Jackson shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter to me. Just confirming it. I’ll take a triple vodka as payment and we’re good.”
I knew Declan did this kind of thing as an occupation, but it was still unsettling to know that he put himself in danger so often and brushed it off like he was only taking out the trash.
“So what is this, the two of you?” Jackson asked, waving his index finger between us. “Can’t say I’ve seen Declan coupled up with a babe like you in...well, ever, really.”
I couldn’t say my first impression was incredibly favorable toward this guy, but I’d tried my best to reserve my judgment. However, my judgy side was poking her head out and wanting to label Jackson Gale with a variety of unpleasant nicknames.
“What we are, Jackson, isn’t an important topic at the moment,” I told him. “But thanks for asking.”
His smirk was back, and his gaze went to the dhampyr. “Are you doing her?”
My cheeks heated, and I wasn’t normally the blushing type.
“Enough, Jackson,” Declan said. “That isn’t what I came here to talk to you about.”
“Youaredoing her.” He shook his head. “Shit. Times sure have changed since the last time I saw you. Good for you.”
The stunned look on my face must have amused him since Jackson spread his hands. “Sorry, I’m just proud of my boy, here. Ten years ago when we spent a lot more time together, my kid sister had a huge crush on him. Like, massive and embarrassing. Declan didn’t give her the time of day, which was probably a good idea because if he’d touched Jennifer, I would have broken every bone in his body.”
“You could have tried,” Declan said, and I was surprised to hear an edge of humor to his normally flat tone. “How is Jennifer, anyway?”
Jackson’s smirk faded. “Like usual. Got herself involved with the wrong guy last year. When I freaked out on her, she disowned me and ran off with him. Haven’t seen her since. Family, am I right? Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” A shadow crossed his expression. “Sorry, Declan. I heard that your dad’s gone.”
“You’ve heard a lot,” Declan replied.
“Only bits and pieces, but enough. Carson had his faults, no question about it, but I know he cared about you, even if he had a shitty way of showing it. May he rest in peace.”
Declan and Jackson drank to that without further comment.
I was a little less mournful when it came to Carson Reyes, Declan’s adoptive father. As the men drank, I absently played with the side of my neck, my fingers brushing against what remained of the fang marks there.
I was sure that the ones I touched, still tender, were Matthias’s. He’d bit me, knowing full well what my blood would do to him. He’d been cornered by Dr. Gray, who’d decided to use him as an unwilling sperm donor to fuel her plans for a dhampyr baby factory. She believed a deposed vampire king with a track record of fathering a strong and healthy dhampyr baby girl—aka Sara—would be essential to her nefarious plan.
He'd chosen death instead.
Dr. Gray was also dead now, a victim of one of those dhampyr babies. A mindless, bloodthirsty monster, so very different from a dhampyr like Declan who leaned far more to the human side.
