Julian raked a hand over his face. “I agreed to find someone for him.”
Rayce’s eyes widened. “Leo is freaking all-knowing—”
“No, he’s not. He just likes to act that way.”
“—and you mean to tell me he’s lost one of his paranormals and can’t find the guy?”
“Not a guy. It’s a woman.” This was the tricky part. “An angel.”
Rayce rocked back a step. “Fucking hell.”
“The Collector has her—that same SOB who thinks he is going to get his hands on Rose. Leo is the one who told me about him. He warned me that the Collector was coming after Rose and that’s how I was able to get to her and save her sweet ass.”
Rayce’s brows climbed. “How did Leo know the guy was targeting her?”
“His angel managed to send him a message. She got to one of the Collector’s guards. You know how angels have a way of turning humans to their sides…Well, she pulled at a guard, found his soft spot, and got a message to Leo. She warned him who the next target would be—”
“Because her kind always wants to save the world,” Rayce muttered.
Yes, they did. That was kind of their thing. “And the guard was supposed to give Leo the angel’s location, too. But the guy barely got out the warning about Rose before he died. Leo said the fellow’s heart burned from inside his body.”
Rayce blinked. Then he blinked again. “That’s a…new one.”
Yes, it was.
“Witchcraft?” Rayce wondered. “Maybe one seriously powerful spell?”
“I don’t know, but I’m hoping to find out. Leo said magic is blocking him from finding the angel. He wants her back, badly. Badly enough to make a deal with me. I get her, and he will give me what I want.”
“We both know what you want.”
Julian forced his back teeth to unclench. “If I don’t save the angel, there’s no deal. I have to find her, so that means I have to track the Collector to his fucking hole. I’ll get all the paranormals he has imprisoned there, and then I’ll do what I do best.”
They both knew exactly what that was.
Kill.
“I’ll have your back.” Rayce’s voice was quiet. “You know I stand with you.”
“Thanks.” He turned away once more. He’d only taken a few steps when…
“Thought I heard something…interesting this morning. Some unusual noise coming from your side of the house.”
Oh, the wanker had better not say anything about Rose—
He tossed a glare back, his muscles tensing.
But there was no mockery on Rayce’s face. For once, Rayce appeared very, very serious. “It sounded like you were laughing.”
Julian’s lips pressed together.
“It sounded like you were happy.”
Again, he didn’t speak. He headed down the hallway.
But he clearly heard Rayce’s words as they followed him. “If someone made me happy like that, I’d fucking fight with every breath to keep her with me.”
That was exactly what Julian planned to do.
***
A boat was coming toward the shore.
Rose stood on the beach. She’d taken off her shoes and the water tickled her toes. Her gaze was on the boat. It bobbed in the water, but kept coming closer and closer. She couldn’t help but wonder, who would be brave enough—or dumb enough—to visit the Lord of the Dark’s island?
It was not like she wanted to be there, and, soon enough, she’d be hauling ass back to the mainland.
But who was coming to visit the island right then? She lifted a hand, trying to shield her eyes from the sun. She’d been outside too long, she knew it. Her body felt leaden as exhaustion pulled at her. That was always the way it felt with too much sun exposure. It was her body’s way of protesting. A vamp protest.
The boat bumped along, drawing ever closer to the island. Fear snaked down her spine and she started to edge back. Would the Collector come out there?
There was no magical force field or anything like that in place to stop folks from getting to the island. And that boat—it was almost there. It was heading straight for the dock. She spun around.
And nearly slammed into Julian’s chest.
“Gah!” She gave a mini-scream. “Stop doing that! Stop sneaking up on me, shifter-style.”
He frowned at her. “You’re a vamp. You have enhanced hearing.”
“And you move too quietly for me to hear you!” She had grabbed hold of his arms to steady herself. It took an effort, but she made her hands let him go. “Someone’s coming.”
“I know. I heard them when I was up at the house.”
Her eyes narrowed. That had been a dig at her. “We don’t all have shifter ears,” she mumbled.
He caught her wrist with his gentle hold. “I want you to stay at the house while I take care of the visitor.”
“Is ‘take care’ just another way of saying ‘kill’?”
He didn’t answer. So, yes, that silence was an answer.
“Julian, I think this is a bad idea.” Death wasn’t always the answer. It wasn’t even always close to the answer. “Let’s just see—”