Page 22 of Bound

“Why doesn’t Hayden have any memory of this?” Brody asked.

“She wouldn’t. By then, she’d passed out. I moved her to a safe location, then hid the bodies in a dumpster, knowing the sun would burn them to ash at dawn.”

“I still don’t buy it,” River said. “No offense, but you could take out one, maybe two leeches that way. If the Vampire Nation wants you back so badly, why not send half a dozen? What you can do? Rare as hell. The Pacific Coastal Council has a former blood slave among their Tracers. Supposedly he was held for even longer than you were.”

Topher frowned. “What do you think the chances are my brother is still alive?”

“Oh, he’s still alive, if for no other reason than they don’t have you yet. The Vampire Nation could have taken you out a thousand times by now. Why haven’t they? They could’ve bombed your apartment. Faked a call when you were on duty and killed you and your entire team. You’ve been careless, going into Austin on your own. They’ve had ample opportunity.”

It was only when my chest began to hurt that I realized I’d stopped breathing.

“You’re being hunted. And someone powerful wants you alive.”

* * *

The meeting broke up. Topher flicked a glance towards me, then started for the door. When I stood, Brody held up a hand.

“You and I need to talk. Alone.”

August cleared his computer equipment off the table and followed Topher out. I ground my teeth.

“Look, I get that you and Topher have your issues, but do you have to be a dick about it?”

My brother’s eyes were hard as ice. “Have you considered the possibility that he could be lying about this whole thing?”

I scoffed. “What, now you’re saying he faked the photograph of Kieran?”

“He wanted to go back to the fang-heads all last winter. How many times did he break out of the room where we were keeping him?”

“That’s total bullshit.”

“Is it?”

“That was PTSD. Stockholm Syndrome. How can you blame him for that when he’d just been tortured?”

“Because I’m worried you’re too close to this situation.” Brody stared down at the moonlit street, watching as a car headed north out towards the lake. “I’m worried you’re too close to him.”

And there it was.

“You’re blowing this out of proportion,” I said tightly, feeling my face flame in the dark. “He’s… we’re not… it’s not like that.”

“He imprinted on you. We both know that complicates things.” Shame slithered over my skin. I wanted to crawl inside my closet under a pile of blankets and shut out the world, erase what I’d done, burn the curse I carried in my veins from my blood. Brody continued, “You can’t let him get so far up in your head that he can manipulate you—”

“He’s not.” I started to shove past my brother, pretty sure I was about to be sick. “We done here?”

“Be pissed at me if you want. I don’t care if everyone in this family thinks I’m the hard ass of the century if that means I never get another call like the one we got the day they took dad.” Brody folded his arms. “Just be careful, okay? Keep your eyes open. I want to trust Topher, but… there’s something about him that’s off.”

“If he wanted to go back to the undeads, he could walk off his shift at any time and call for them to come pick him up. We’re not keeping him in a cage.”

At least not anymore.

“Maybe he isn’t the only target.”

“I’m not following.”

“The bounty out on Topher is a hundred grand. How much do you think some unscrupulous pack would pay for an Omega wolf?”

* * *