I lean back, laptop balanced, voice even. "I know. Don't think for a second I don't want to dismantle whoever did this—"
"It's him," Kayden cuts in, throwing back a drink. "The satyr. He couldn't have her, so he killed her. Case closed."
"It wasn't him," I say. "You know that. He'd never kill her."
Kayden glares, jaw working. The truth scrapes the wound raw.
Both of us go still at the same time as something shifts. Then the front door explodes inward.
Darius.
"Speaking of the devil," Kayden snarls.
I move, shoulder to shoulder with him before he does something we can't take back.
"You went too far this time, vampire," Darius says to my brother, then cuts his gaze to me. "And you, Colonel Darrow, I expected more from your supposed honor."
"What are you talking about?" My stance tightens.
He's alone. Face drawn. Furious.
Something's wrong.
"How did you get through the barrier?" I ask.
"Your barrier is broken," he says. Power pushes into the room. "You'll answer for the slaughter of my people. For Darlene. Choose which one of you pays."
Kayden laughs without humor. "Choose? Noble. And wrong. We didn't kill anyone. Not today, at least."
"You're lying," Darius growls, stepping forward. His presence floods the room, pressure thick enough to feel in the bones.
Kayden drops his glass and lunges.
I move to stop him, but Darius is already there. He catches Kayden mid-charge, lifts him clean off the floor, and slams him down hard enough to rattle the walls.
I flash forward, but he's faster.
He pivots into my movement and strikes, the impact sending me crashing into the opposite wall. My ribs protest as I hit the ground.
By the time I'm back on my feet, Darius has Kayden pinned by the throat. My brother's feet barely touch the floor, his face turning red.
Darius's eyes blaze green, his expression more beast than man. He doesn't need to use his powers, just raw strength. One squeeze and Kayden's neck will snap.
"Darius, Sage is dead," I tell him the one thing that could stop him. "We found her stabbed."
He frowns. "Lies won't save you. Or your brother." His voice rumbles, deep and resonant, vibrating through the air.
"You… killed… her," Kayden chokes out. Not helping.
"Darius, wait!" I bark. "When was Darlene killed?"
He glares at me, hand tight on Kayden's throat. "Less than an hour ago."
Kayden's face is dark red now. Another few seconds and he's done. It looks like Darius is going to rip his head off with that force.
"We were here the whole time," I say, forcing calm into my tone. "It wasn't us. Someone else did this."
Darius's grip falters. For the first time, uncertainty flickers behind his fury.
