Demon Blood

never seen you torn up like you were the other night. So it hit me that maybe I’d screwed everything up, leaving. And I’ll be the one burying you. Not once in my life have I thought that before. And I didn’t take it well.”
    And when facing grief or fear, he became defensive and angry—and he’d lashed out at her. “Gemma has given me a lecture about not saying, ‘It’s okay.’ And so I won’t.”
    It felt good, not saying it.
    “Good. Because it’s not okay, but I’ll do better.” He regarded her for a moment, and she felt his grief again—but it was lighter, softer. “Pasquale loved you, you know.”
    She’d known. “It was a boy’s crush.”
    “A strong one. He wanted to be with you forever.”
    So he’d attempted to become a Guardian. She saw better why Vin had blamed her. And saw that he didn’t blame her now.
    “I wish he could have been,” she said.
    “Well, if he hadn’t done that, he’d have become a vampire. And he’d still be gone.” His gaze never leaving hers, Vin took her hands in his, squeezed gently. “Gemma and I won’t turn. We love you; we never want to hurt you—but we won’t turn.”
    She closed her eyes. “I know.”
    “I didn’t want you to have the hope that someday we’d transform. We won’t.”
    He was right. This was a hope easier to live without, to know that it could not happen. Opening her eyes, she hugged him close. Then she fixed his collar and his hair. His quiet laugh warmed everything in her.
    He took another piece of ham, said casually, “St. Croix was outside my building last night.”
    Her heart jumped. “What?”
    Though she hadn’t moved, he put his hand out as if to stop her. “Don’t take off and look for him. He said, ‘Tell her that as long as we have the same goals, I won’t use this.’ ”
    She put her hands to her head, dragging her hair back. Oh, God. Where had she made a mistake? Where had the link been?
    Guessing the direction of her thoughts, Vin said, “He’s been watching the church.”
    Damn. Damn. Neither Gemma nor Vin regularly attended, but they’d been going in to see Father Wojcinski. St. Croix would have recognized him from Lorenzo’s house. “Are you feeling safe? Should I make arrangements for you both to leave?”
    He gave her a chiding look. “I own a security firm, and I grew up knowing how to keep demons and vampires out of my home. A human is nothing. I think he just wanted to even things out.”
    “He threatened you?” She would kill him.
    “No. And it didn’t even feel like a threat toward me . He just wanted you to know that he had something on you.” His gaze searched her face, and his brows drew together. “He’s not Lorenzo, Mama. You don’t have to almost-kill him on my behalf. Especially since he’s human.”
    She sighed and patted his cheek to reassure him that she wouldn’t. “Oh, Vin. When did you become the levelheaded one?”

    When she came into the garage, Deacon immediately recognized Rosalia the Guardian. Her black cloak swirled around her boots, and she outlined the steps she’d taken, buying a plane ticket to Rome so that Malkvial would be pointed right to him, and installing surveillance.
    All business. She didn’t speak a word of love. The sadness in her eyes almost broke him.
    He’d made himself turn away the night before. Whatever he saw in her, it was just wishful thinking. And it had hurt like hell when he’d realized that her declaration couldn’t be true, no matter how bad he wanted it, now matter how his heart latched onto it as reality. He’d backed away, faced it logically. And here she was—the woman who didn’t give up on anything—carrying on as if she hadn’t ever said she loved him.
    He wished he knew what was going on in her. Even drinking her blood hadn’t shown him. And although he’d hated reading the thoughts of strangers, he’d have given anything to know hers.
    Would have given anything if her heart could be his.
    But Guardians didn’t give their hearts to men like him. Rosalia didn’t. He knew the paragon she’d loved before. Maybe she’d transferred some feelings, but they weren’t for him. The only reason she’d chosen Deacon for her big plan was because he’d been ruined. And over and over, she’d seen him at his worst. Seen him beaten, seen him fail. And tonight, he’d sink again.
    For her.
    He knew it was for her. If it was just revenge, he could have it now. With the nephil blood in him, he wouldn’t just be