He knows!

That was my first panicked thought. Somehow he knew, and was calling to dissolve my partnership with Evan. I wouldn’t let him, I didn’t care what I had to do.

Eyes closed, I forced myself to breathe.

Evan climbed over me, fishing our clothes off the floor. He tossed them on my lap, and I opened my eyes to find my underwear. I needed Evan’s t-shirt back on, the smell of it calmed my racing heart. I didn’t bother with the jeans. Judging by the...wetness I could feel, I would just need to change again shortly.

“Okay.” I held out my hand, trying to act normal.

Peeking, Beni decided it was safe and turned to hand me the phone.

“Sorry!” She mouthed, backing away, then pointed to Evan and flashed a thumbs-up as she pulled the door shut.

I sighed, then held the phone up to my face. “Hello?”

My dad’s voice reached my ear in a relieved rush. “Oh, thank Josh.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” How did my voice sound? Weird at all? Guilty? Not that I had anything to feel guilty about.

“I’ve been trying to reach you, soldier,” he said.

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that,” I said. “I had to fry my phone. There was this vampire--”

“Listen, something important has come up,” Dad said. “I need you to come home.”

Ice water splashed down my neck. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t really explain on the phone,” he said. “But you need to leave right now.”

Heart pounding, I said. “I thought the whole point of the companionship years was to be apart for a while.”

“This isn’t about that,” he said. “Bring Evan with you, just get in the car.”

For a second, I didn’t know what to do. I’d never heard Dad like this, the edge of tightly controlled emotion in his voice.

“Dad, I...I can’t,” I said. “We’re in the middle of something--”

“Son, you have to get out of Rossberg right now!” He bulled over top of me. I froze, then heard him sigh. “I know this sounds strange, but you have to trust me.”

“I always trust you,” I said. “But I trust my team, too.” I saw Evan smile from the corner of my eye. “I can’t come home right now.”

“This isn’t a negotiation,” his tone suddenly fell flat. “I may not be your senior partner right now, but ultimately I’m still in charge of you.”

I shot to my feet. “As my father or my Patriarch?”

“Either way, the commandment is sacred,” he said.

.

. .

. . .

. . . .

. . . . .

I could feel the seconds ticking by.

“Son?”

“No,” I said, as devoid of emotion as I could manage.

“Sethary Regulus,” Dad rumbled, a thundercloud on the horizon. “You are to leave Rossberg before nightfall, is that clear?”

I turn to look out the window, the amaranthine light bluing before my eyes. It was too late. I couldn’t make it before dark now if I wanted to.

“Sorry, Dad,” I said calmly even though my hands were shaking. “The mission is what matters.”

“You cannot be there after dark!” I heard him insist as I pulled the phone away.

I dropped my thumb on the little red circle before I could stop myself.

“Shit,” I whispered. “What did I just do?”

I stared down at Espy’s phone, expecting it to immediately ring again. It didn’t.

“Are you okay?” Evan started to come towards me, but I spun away.

“No, I’m not okay!” I snapped. “I never thought the first time I defied a direct order, I would have come leaking out of my ass!”

Slowly, Evan raised a hand to his mouth, eyes tight.

“Don’t laugh at me,” I seethed. “Don’t you dare.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not, I’m not laughing at you. I’m proud of you.”

I sent him a stony glare.

“Really,” he said. “You’ve always asked the height when Richard said jump. I never really thought you’d tell him no.”

“Have you ever told your dad no?” I crossed my arms.

“Well, no,” he admitted. “That’s why I’m impressed. When your dad is also your Patriarch, it’s hard to ever feel like your own person. Add your dad being the Sword of the Saints, and I bet it feels impossible.”

Stubbornly, I pressed my lips together, unable to admit he was right.

“Babe, I’m on your side.” Cautiously, he came to me, setting his hands on my shoulders when I didn’t pull away again. “I’m not one to advocate for insubordination, but we’ve had our own issues bumping heads over the hierarchy. Your dad has to learn the same lesson I did: respect goes both ways. He can’t just issue commands from on high.”

“Except he literally can,” I said. “He commands all of us, like you said, not just me. I can’t tell him no.”

“You just did,” he said, tipping my face up to look at him. “And it was the right call. I don’t know why he wants you home, but we’re in the middle of a mission.”

Right. The mission.

My hand reached out for the bed, and I sat down heavily. Mind racing, I didn’t even care about the way my briefs stuck to my cheeks.

“Names,” I breathed. “The mission.”

Evan sat next to me. “Babe, what is it?”

“That’s why he doesn’t want me here,” but I was more thinking out loud than answering him. “Why does he want me to leave so badly? Leave Rossberg by dark, that’s what he said.” I wondered if my eyes looked as shocked as I felt when I finally turned back to Evan. “He knows what's out there. He knows about the second cult.”

“How?” Evan asked gently.

“I dunno,” I said. “But why else would he be so adamant?”

“He must have his reasons.”

“I know the reason.” The certainty sat in my stomach like a rock. “Whatever conspiracy is between the vampires and Song...my dad’s in on it.”

“That...that can’t be,” Evan said, but I could see his eyes working on it.

“But it is. This is Dad’s safehouse, Ev,” I pointed out. “Did it smell musty when we got here? No. Was there dust everywhere? No. He’s been here. A lot. Recently. Why? We haven’t pulled any jobs in this area since I was a kid.”

“But if that’s true, why allow Espy to use it?” He asked.

“Because he didn’t know we’d be with her.” I swallowed. “Evan, if this is true...my dad’s been letting people die. He’s just like Song.”

Wordlessly, Evan pulled me into his chest. I went willingly, tucking my head beneath his chin.

“Maybe we should rethink this plan,” he said, rubbing my back. “I’m not going back on my supportive thing. But if Richard wants to keep you away from here so much, maybe there’s a reason we shouldn’t use you as bait.”

“It’s too late now,” I mumbled against his chest. “If they don’t come for me, they’ll go after someone else. Maybe Dad can live with that, but I can’t.”

“Oh, Seth.” He sighed against my hair. “Selfishly, I sorta get where Richard’s coming from. I would do anything to keep you safe, too.”

“Would you let innocent people die?”

“No, but not because of the mission.”

Frowning, I sat up to look at him. “Why, then?”

Smiling, almost sadly, he reached out to stroke a curl off my forehead. “Because if I did that, you’d never look at me the same.”

At the look in his eyes, I kissed him. I had to.

Against my lips he asked, “You sure about this?”

“No,” I admitted in a small voice. “But it’s what we have to do.”

He stood up. “Let’s get you some clothes.

“Right, clothes.” I blushed. “I need to change my underwear.”

This time, Evan did laugh.