I drew her into my lap and pulled her down so her head was resting on my shoulder. “You know what we have to do.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Kill Blake.”

I choked on my laugh. “No, Kitten. We’re not going to kill him.”

“We’re not?”

I pulled back, because she actually sounded surprised. “We’re going to have to do what he wants.”

“But…but…but…”

Grinning, I slid my hands down her arms, stopping at her elbows. “Use your words, Kitten.”

“But we can’t trust him. This is most likely a trap!”

“We’re kind of damned if we do and damned if we don’t.” I shifted, dragging my hands along her lower back. “But I’ve given it thought.”

“What? The whole ten minutes it took us to get home?”

“I think it’s cute that you call my house home.” I liked her responding flush. “By the way, it is my house. My name is on the deed.”

“Daemon,” she said, sighing. “Nice to know, but it’s not important right now.”

“True, but it’s good knowledge to have, but anyway, since you went totally off topic there—”

“What? You’re the one—”

“I know my brother. Dawson’s going to go to Blake if we don’t agree,” I told her. “It’s what I would do if our positions were reversed. And we know Blake better than he does.”

“I don’t know about this, Daemon.”

I shrugged. “I’m not going to let him turn you over.”

She frowned. “He’ll turn you over, too, and what about your family? Bringing Blake into the fold is going to be dangerous…and stupid.”

“The risk outweighs the possible consequences.”

“I’m shocked,” she admitted, dropping her arms to her lap. “You didn’t want me training with Blake because you didn’t trust him and that was before we knew he was a killer.”

“But now we’re both going into this knowing what he’s capable of. Our eyes are open.”

“That makes no sense.”

It didn’t really matter if it made sense or not, because we really had no choice. Car doors closed outside, catching Kat’s attention. She glanced at the window. “The only reason you’re going to work with him is for Dawson and me. That’s probably not the wisest decision you’ve made.”

“Maybe not.” I clasped her cheeks, drawing her attention back to me. I kissed her deeply, keeping us connected until she moaned into my mouth. Then I dumped her on the cushion next to me and stood. “But my mind’s made up. Be prepared. This meeting isn’t going to go well.”

As expected, the meeting went as well as rolling around naked in a pit of fire ants would.

Matthew looked like he was two seconds from drowning himself in a bottle of liquor. Dee, Ash, and Andrew wanted to find Blake and murder him slowly and in a very bloodthirsty way. Admittedly, it was disturbing seeing Dee as fired up as she was. Adam’s death had hardened her, just like it had me when we thought Dawson had died.

And Dawson was ready to say screw it all and invite Blake right into the house.

But Dee…damn, she was undeterred, even when Ash and Andrew, who’d lost their brother, seemed to realize the predicament we were in.

“Then we find out who he’s talked to or working with and take care of them!”

My mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

“Yes!”

I turned away, unable to look at her. This wasn’t my sister.

Dawson leaned forward on the couch. “Is your need for vengeance more important than finding and stopping what they’re doing to Beth?”

When I glanced back at her, she stood there, staring at Dawson with a grim, determined look on her face.

“Because, little sister, let me tell you that what Adam went through pales in comparison to what she’s experiencing. The things I’ve seen…” Dawson trailed off and his gaze lowered as he shook his head. “If you doubt what I say, then ask Katy. She’s had a taste of some of their methods, and she can still barely talk from screaming.”

The blood drained from her face as she glanced at Kat. They still hadn’t really talked, but Dee knew what had happened to Kat when Will had hold of her. Dee looked away far too quickly, and based on the shit she was spouting earlier at Kat, it was obvious that she still blamed Kat for Adam.

“You ask a lot,” Dee said, her voice hoarse. Her lower lip trembled as her shoulders slumped. Her tear-filled gaze swept the room, then she turned and walked out the door.

Andrew moved before anyone else, glancing in my direction. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Thank you.” I rubbed my palm along my jaw. “Well, that went wonderful.”

“Did you really expect her or any of us to be okay with it?” Ash asked.

I snorted. “No, but I have a problem with my sister so willing to kill.”

“I can’t…” Kat didn’t finish. She scrubbed her fingers through her hair.

“How do we contact Blake?” Matthew asked, getting the conversation back on track. “It’s not something I can or wish to discuss with him in class.”

“What?” Kat asked when eyes settled on her.

“You have his number, don’t you?” Ash stared at her nails. “Text. Call him. Whatever. And tell him we’re ridiculously stupid and plan to help him.”

Kat wrinkled her nose, but she reached into her bag and grabbed her phone. Her fingers flew over the screen. I could tell he responded quickly, because she sighed. “Saturday evening.” Her voice sounded weak. “He wants to meet tomorrow evening in a public spot—Smoke Hole.”

I nodded.

She sent back a text and then said, “It’s done.”

The two words landed like a ton of cement in the center of the living room. No one was really relieved, but what was done was done. Dee and Andrew hadn’t returned by the time Matthew and Ash left. Dawson had gone upstairs and Kat outside. I followed, walking up behind her, repeating what she had done for me this afternoon. I wrapped my arms around her, and she leaned into me. Several moments passed as neither of us spoke in the silence that was broken only by a distant call of a bird. In those few precious minutes, my thoughts raced over everything that had happened since Kat had moved into the house next door. Regret settled in my chest.

I rested my chin atop her head. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked.

For a shit-ton, but I guessed I should start somewhere recent. “I shouldn’t have flipped out over the whole Dawson thing last weekend. You did the right thing by telling him we’d help. If not, God knows what he would’ve done by now.” I kissed the top of her peach-scented head. “And thank you for everything with Dawson. Even though our Saturday will take a turn into crapsville, Dawson… He’s been different since zombie night. Not the old Dawson, but close.”

There was a pause. “You don’t need to thank me for that. Seriously.”

“I do. And I meant it.”

“Okay.” Several seconds passed. “Do you think we made a mistake? Letting Blake go that night?”

Mulling that over, I tightened my arms around her waist. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“We had good intentions, right? We wanted to give him a chance, I guess.” Then she laughed.

“What?”

Her eyes opened. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions. We should’ve blasted his ass.”

I lowered my chin to her shoulder and thought about that. The old me? Yeah, I would’ve taken him out without thinking after what happened to Adam, but now? “Maybe I would’ve done something like that before you.”

Kat turned her head toward mine. “What do you mean?”

“Before you came along, I would’ve killed Blake for what he did and felt like crap afterward, but I would’ve done it.” I pressed a kiss against her neck, right where her pulse beat so strongly. “And in a way, you did convince me. Not the way Dee thinks, but you could’ve taken out Blake, and you didn’t.”

She gave a little shake of her head. “I don’t know.”

“I do.” I smiled against her cheek. “You make me think before I act. You make me want to be a better person—Luxen—whatever.”