They laughed.
Shadrach stood, clapping his hands. “All right. We expect to be involved, Wolfman. Scouting new locations, picking out the furniture, hiring the employees.”
“Oh fuck me,” Wolf said, throwing his head back in despair. “I regret this already. You two are going to be pains in my ass, aren’t you?”
“Only a little, and not the fun kind,” Shadrach promised.
Wolf laughed. “Well, we don’t have to scout for a new location, at least. Talon has offered us a very generous deal for the use of the basement level of his new building.”
“Fantastic. We’ll need to set up a walk-through just as soon as he’s available to give us a tour and see what kind of space we’re working with,” Shadrach said without missing a beat, and Isaac snorted into his coffee again. “After that, we can set up a bank account for Isaac and then transfer you whatever you need.” He paused as the reality of Isaac’s situation occurred to him. “Isaac, do you have your social security card? Birth certificate?”
Isaacblinked. “No.”
“None of us did,” Ira said calmly.
Shadrach nodded. “We have people who can set up new identities. It’s kind of a necessary thing here in the modern age for us immortals. We’ll get you some new information and go from there.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed. “Will I have to change my name?”
“Not unless you want to. It’s just a formality, really.”
He’d never thought about what exactly the guild took away from the paladins. Yes, he’d heard the stories from the Sentinels about how they had nothing when they left to be with their demons, but the reality of the situation was harsher than he realized. They truly hadnothingwhen they left the guild, not even their own identities. Did the guild keep their records? Was there a way for them to get them back? Or maybe the guild destroyed their records when they joined, turned them into ghosts for the cause. They were already isolated from the rest of the world behind those holy walls. Cutting them off entirely made them beholden to the guild, discouraged abandonment and independence.
“Why are you scowling like that?” Isaac asked, standing.
“Just thinking about all the ways your guild has mistreated you.”
Isaac’s head tilted as though in confusion, and Shadrach patted his cheek patronizingly. Isaac swatted his hand away.
“None of that matters,” Isaac said. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Shadrach pulled him close. “Yes, you are.” And he would never let him go. For as long as he drew breath, Isaac would never want for anything. Shadrach would make sure of it.
Epilogue
ISAAC
Isaac ran,his blood pumping hard and fast as he struggled to keep his steps steady and silent on the loamy earth. He had no idea where he was. Spindly branches stretched across the half moon overhead, blocking out what little light was available. His body was damp with sweat, and the hilt of the knife was a comforting weight in his hand.
His breaths fogged out in front of him as he broke through the tree line on the hillside of a cemetery, and a curse passed through his mind. He didn’t want to be out in the open here, but he couldn’t risk turning around and going back into the woods.
A branch snapped behind him, and he whirled around with the knife raised, squinting into the darkness. Was it him? Had he found Isaac so soon?
Backing away, he turned and fled. There was a nervous twist of excitement in his stomach. He wouldn’t give up, no matter how much he wanted the main event.
He paused by a tall headstone, pressing his hand to the smooth rock while he caught his breath. He’d lost track oftime, and he was well and truly lost. Because he could see his breath, they probably weren’t even in California anymore. Shadrach wanted it this way. Isaac had no resources here, and all he could do was run.
He reached down, pressing the heel of his hand against his hard length as he turned, watching and listening to the shadows around him. Heat licked up his spine with every step due to the plug in his ass, and the urge to take the edge off was getting harder to ignore. He’d seen no signs of Shadrach so far, but he was nearby. He was just waiting for the right moment to strike.
The plug abruptly turned on, vibrating inside him, and Isaac’s entire body jolted. A quiet moan left him, and he clamped a hand over his mouth to silence himself. If the remote was in range, Shadrach had to be here in the cemetery with him. Watching him.
Isaac turned to run—and slammed into Shadrach’s solid body.
“Hello, killer,” he purred.
Adrenaline zinged down Isaac’s spine. He swung his blade, but Shadrach caught his wrist, the soft cuff wrinkling under Shadrach’s tight grip.
“Oh, fuck,” Isaac hissed.
