Cal had an echo of that emptiness on his face suddenly.
In the quiet, Amber strode forward until she was a foot from Roger. She met his gaze with her brown eyes and held it. Staring contests were a frequent occurrence in Roger’s life. And often, he had backed down in them, given way so that he could convince the other party he believed they were in the right. Sometimes, those others had been; sometimes, he had been conning them. With Amber, he held her gaze and remained motionless.
“Zack said you had some mission for him, but he wouldn’t tell us what,” Amber said.
“I was hoping he could help me kill Seamus so I could become the master of the coven,” Roger replied.
“What happens once you get him back?” Amber demanded. “You go back to making him wear a collar and making a power play?”
“Once I have them back,” Roger whispered, “I will dismantle everything Seamus has ever held dear. I will burn his clubs. I will decimate his mansion. I will pull apart his coven until every vampire that holds him in esteem is a corpse. But I cannot risk Zack and Takashi. I cannot let him use their safety to keep me in check.”
“Okay. I’m in,” Amber said. She turned to face her brother and father.
Thomas ran his hand through his hair. Light and shadow played across his features, making him harder to read. After a moment, he nodded. “We’ll save Takashi if we can, but Zack is the priority. Deal?”
Roger nodded in agreement.Because if I have Zack, we’ll be able to save Takashi together.
“With you involved, we’re limited to a nighttime strike,” Thomas said. “That’ll put us humans at a disadvantage, especially if the master of the house is in.”
“He won’t be,” Roger said.
“How can you guarantee that?”
“Because Seamus will have to make an appearance when a high-ranking member of another coven stops in for a spontaneous visit,” Josefina said loudly from her hiding place in the house. She stepped out into the night and dropped down to the ground. Despite the hunters’ slight scramble at the sight of her, she approached Roger’s side calmly. “I assume that’s the real reason you asked me here.”
“I was hoping you’d assist,” Roger said.
“Eh, I suppose,” she replied with an air of nonchalance. She had a hint of worry in her eyes, though. Takashi had been part of her coven longer than she had and was one of Nell’s closest sirelings, likely making them close as well. And though she had a tough shell, she’d gone to great lengths to help Zack prepare forhis role at Roger’s side. She wouldn’t have put in the hours if she didn’t care for him.
“Excuse me, but who are you?” Thomas asked.
“Josefina, captain and beloved of Nell.”
“Nell as intheNell? Taliville matron Nell?”
“That would be the one.”
Thomas looked from Roger to Josefina and back to Roger. In a hoarse whisper, he said, “What the hell has my son gotten into?”
“The middle of his favorite sick fantasy,” Cal grumbled.
Amber stepped on her brother’s foot hard enough to make Cal jump. He shoved her in return.
“Knock it off,” Thomas warned. He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s nearing the middle of the night. We need to make a plan to strike. You have anything written out, or do I need to break out the pen and paper?”
Slowly, Roger reached into his inner coat pocket and took out a set of folded papers. He’d written down everything he knew about the mansion and had had Vincent help him where he could. He offered the papers over to Thomas.
“Cal, grab the lantern,” Thomas said as he walked around to the back of the truck. “And turn the engine off.”
“I’ve got it,” Amber replied as she hurried to the cab.
“Since the threat of murdering each other appears to be over, I’ll be going,” Josefina said. “Roger, a word?”
While the hunters spread the floorplans and Roger’s notes across the tailgate, Roger accompanied Josefina over to her car. She lowered her voice to the barest whisper. “Have you thought about Dmitri?”
“It’s possible that he’s still alive,” Roger admitted. “Anton said the gamble wasn’t settled after all just before breaking my neck. Seamus could have come up with some new condition. Some other comparison to start. I don’t know. But if I try to winback everything I’ve lost in a single move, I’ll be crushed under the weight of my goals.”
Josefina put her hand on Roger’s arm. When Roger had seen her as a mortal, she’d been demure with a caring soul. After she’d been turned, the softness in her brown eyes had died. A hint of that old warmth came back now. “My love put her faith in Zack and Takashi, but mine has been in you. Ever since you told me what you did for me, I’ve had a new filter to view the past. I can see you clearer now. You have a strength in you, Roger.”
