“Hope’s strong, and she’s fine. She’s already forgiven you,” Paxton said easily. He didn’t know if that was true or not, but he knew Hope well enough to believe that she’d forgive Santino the minute she saw him. That was just her nature. “Go. I’llbe home later.”
“All right, sounds good. I do need to investigate the painted lady butterfly,” Santino said, scurrying down the hallway.
“Make sure somebody gets him some boots,” Paxton called out to the guards. Then he turned back toward the other two in the cell. “Looks like you took a fist to the teeth, Henric,” he said cheerfully.
Henric glared at him. “Thisisn’t the end.”
“Oh, I believe it is,” Paxton said. “Right now, we’re rounding up the rest of your group.” As far as he knew, there were only twelve of them in this Defenders cell and most were currently on missions out of the country. But the Realm forces were good—they would find them all. Then they’d move on to the other cells.
Fralep looked at Henric out of one eye because the other was swollen shut. “I told you we should have beat him on aregular basis.”
“Santino wouldn’t let us,” Henric said. “We didn’t really have any leverage until we got that thing in his head.”
Pax let the killer they’d created show in his eyes. “That was Kurjan technology, as was the minuscule bomb you put in mywoman’s head.”
“Your woman,” Henric snorted. “She’s not going to live long enough to be anybody’s woman, and even if she were, I think the Kurjans have dibs, don’t you?”
Fury clacked through Paxton on the heels of rage, but he let his expression go to pure boredom. “Which one of you has been working with the Kurjans?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Henric said. “They want the same thing we do. To stop the ritual.”
Paxton’s gut turned over. “You’re a traitor.”
“No, I’m not,” Henric said. “I did the right thing for our people, and while I might be temporarily indisposed, we have others, Paxton. So many. Someclose to you.”
Paxton took the blow to the gut but didn’t move, didn’t even twitch.“Tell me more.”
“Oh, I think you know. There’s only one person in the world who would’ve agreed to blow off Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood’s head if I didn’t report in. Just one. Even the Kurjans want her alive.”
“My father,” Paxton said, something tearing inside him.
“He hated you with everything he had,” Fralep said, chuckling. “He saw a weakness in you that I never could figure out. You were a dumb kid, but you grew up to be a pretty decent fighter. Yet I’ve never seen such raw hatred. He’ll be coming for you.”
For the first time, Paxton let a smile tilt his lips. “I’m going for him first.” Then he opened the door to their cell, noting how they both stiffened. They were about to regret making sure his training was so good. “After you tell me everything you know.” He shut the door.“Who’s first?”
Chapter Fifteen
Hope knocked softly on the door to Paxton’s house, acutely aware of the disapproval emanating from the soldiers in the trees around her. It wasn’t easy being the only female vampire on earth, not to mention the demon king’s daughter and the vampire king’s great-niece. She was accustomed to people watching her. She was not used to the wavesof disapproval.
Obviously, word had not yet gone out about what Paxton had done or that none of this was his fault. Still, she couldn’t help a tiny slice of hurt that he hadn’t somehow figured out a way to talk to her. Of course, he had been gone for the last few years, probably by design. The Defenders seemed to have known what they were doing.
The door opened, and he stood there, all six foot six of him, broad, muscled, and mean. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. Instead, his gaze rose to the trees across the icy street. “I feel Liam,” he murmured.
“Yeah, but Liam’s on your side,” she said. She’d at least managed to tell Liam what hadbeen going on.
“There are several out there who aren’t.” He grasped her arm and drew her inside the warm home, putting his body between her and the trees. For several moments, he stood there, making himself aperfect target.
“Would you knock it off?” She punched him in the kidneys and stepped away.
He didn’t so much as twitch. “I thought I’d give thema good chance.”
Slowly he shut the door and turned back to face her, leaning against it. It struck her then how different he was from the boy she once knew. He’d had an entire life she knew nothing about, and the knowledge hurt. It was also intriguing. She’d loved him since she was a child. Loved him as her best friend, as her confidant, as her trusted protector.
This was different. This was something new and something she could not indulge. “I wanted to see if you were okay,” she said.
“I’m fine.” He leaned down to look into her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good. I didn’t even know that thing was in my head,” she admitted. She’d taken more of the Advil, and that had helped as well. “I’m sorry you had to carry that fear for the last year.” She knew Paxton and understood he had always felt responsible for everybody around him. It must have killed him, knowing there was a bomb in her head. “I’m okay now, though.”
