If there was one thing in life Paxton knew, it was that he could take a punch. He’d spent the first half of his life taking them from his worthless father. Ironically, it was Zane who had rescued him. Zane and Talen, actually. “If that’s what you need to do, feel free,” Pax offered.He deserved it.
“It may come to that,” Zane said grimly. “First, we’re going to have a nice little chat with your uncle. The absent-minded professor has been your guardian this entire time—surely he can give mesome answers.”
Paxton’s ears heated. “Why talk to him? He doesn’tknow a thing.”
“Bullshit,” Zane countered. “We’re ripping apart your life right now, Phoenix. I’m going to know absolutely everything about you by tomorrow, and your uncle is right in the middle of your life. I took you tohim, remember?”
Yeah. After Zane had saved Pax’s life. “Leave my uncle alone. He doesn’t know anything. He’s a guy who studies butterflies.”
“My ass,” Talen grumbled, finally speaking. “I say we see how he standsup to torture.”
For the first time, Paxton let anger sizzle in his eyes. “You touch my uncle, and we’re going to have a problem.”
Talen’s smile wasn’t nice. It wasn’t even fierce. It was cruel. “I’ll bring him to you in a box.” With that, he turned and strode away. The king gave Zane one long look and then followed his brother.
Zane remained on the other side of the bars. “Tell me your motivation for this fucked up mission was to keep Hope safe.”
Now Paxton couldn’t help but let the emotion show on his face. For just a second, he felt no need to hide from Zane. “Everything I’ve done in my entire life was to keep that female safe. You of all people should know that.”
Zane lifted one eyebrow. “I told you once, many years ago, after I beat the hell out of your dad and kicked him out of headquarters, that we makeour own fate.”
“I remember,” Pax said softly.
Zane shook his head. “So exactly what kind of fate did you just makefor yourself?”
“You wouldn’t understand if I told you, and I’m not going to say another word. So if you want to come in here and go at me, let’sdo this, Zane.”
If Paxton had thought Talen’s smile was cruel, he’d been mistaken. The one that instantly lifted Zane’s lips shot a chill through the entire room. Zane leaned to the side and tapped on a keyboard. The bars slowly rolled out of the way. Paxton braced himself. When the demon king came at him, he probably wouldn’t see it until he felt the first strike.
“Let’sgo,” Zane said.
Paxton jerked. “Isthis a trick?”
“No. Get out of the cell.”
“All right. You want to fight in the hallway? We’ll fight in the hallway.” Except he wasn’t really going to engage. Zane had saved him when he needed it, and no matter how screwed up things had become, Paxton would never lift a hand against the warrior. “You hit first. You are kind of old.” Yet Zane looked thirty and could destroy anybody in hisline of sight.
Something ached in Paxton, speaking to Zane like that, but he also couldn’t back down. He walked into the hallway.
“Move,” Zane said. “Get out of here.”
“And where am I... Okay.” Paxton strode down the hallway, expecting an attack from behind. His gut churning, he strode up the stairs into the main lobby of headquarters. The Christmas tree in the corner glowed light blue, with handmade ornaments hanging from every branch. Too many presents to count were stacked all around the green boughs.
The double doors leading outside were within reach. He paused. “Whatis happening?”
“Get out, Paxton. I think if you stay here any longer, Talen or Dage is going to come back. Believe me, they definitely want apiece of you.”
Confusion filled Paxton’s head, but he moved toward the exterior door, shocked to freely walk out into the snowyIdaho evening.
What hadjust happened?
Chapter Seven
Paxton caught wind of Hope’s scent as he walked along the lake from vampire to demon territory. There was a wide sidewalk where guards patrolled between the two compounds, but right now, none were visible. That was odd.
This entire situation was messing with his mind. Had that been their intention? If so, it was working; he hadn’t felt this off-balance in at least a year. Then he caught sight of the woman, and the world narrowed in focus. His heart started to thrum, and his blood heated.
She sat on the hood of his dark blue truck—she must have wiped the snow off it. She wore a heavy jacket and thick pants, but even so, her nose was pink, and her hands were shovedin her pockets.
