Only things weren't really black and white in the world, and, according to every legend that Julian had ever heard, an old prophecy had foretold that one day, the twins would battle to the death.

Then h.e.l.l would truly reign.

"You can't trust Leo. Tell me you realize this."

"Don't worry about it."

A growl broke from Rayce. "I do worry about it. What do you think he'll do? Help your lady? Give her back a human life? Cause that can't happen. There is no going back. She died. If she stops being a vamp, she'll turn into a corpse."

Julian's muscles clenched.

"What did you offer him?" Now worry edged Rayce's voice. "I mean, that guy isn't going to bargain easily. He's like Luke that way."

The twins were alike in many ways. That was the problem.

"Tell me what you did. Tell me, man, so I can help you."

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. "f.u.c.king h.e.l.l."

"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 a.s.s."

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 f.u.c.king 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 w.a.n.ker 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 f.u.c.king fight with every breath to keep her with me."

That was exactly what Julian planned to do.

A boat was coming toward the sh.o.r.e.

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 a.s.s 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 b.u.mped 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-"

Smoke. Her nose twitched and she looked back at the boat to see black tendrils of smoke drifting from the rear of the vessel. "The motor's on fire."

Then she saw a figure-a woman in shorts with long, blonde hair. The woman was waving frantically from the boat and calling for- "Help!" The woman's shout reached Rose as a whisper and she took a step forward.

"No." Julian pushed her back. "Absolutely not. I get that you're out to rescue the world and all, but this scene has trap written all over it."

"It has desperate woman written all over it!"

"Go back to the house. Stay inside. If she's just some lost tourist, I'll send her on her way. Marcos can tow her vessel back to Key West. If she's not...then I'll make sure she doesn't cause any other trouble."

"We're supposed to stay together. You said-"

"For the moment, I want you to stay in the house. I'll just take a quick trip out there with Marcos and see what's happening. Generally, we try not to arouse suspicions with humans. If she is just human, we'll make her understand this is private property."

But he was still ditching her. "Promise you won't go to Key West without me. If this is some kind of trick and you're just lying to me so that you can sail away and leave me trapped here-"

His hold tightened on her wrist. "I'm not lying to you. Stay inside until I a.s.sess the threat, then we'll go, together, back to Key West."

Okay. Good. She could deal with that.

"Take her in, Rayce."

She'd actually known the wolf was behind her. Rose had caught his scent just a moment before. Since she couldn't hear the shifters approach, Rose was trying to focus on recognizing their scents to warn her of their presence.

She turned from Julian and made her way toward the wolf.

"I don't like this," she muttered to Rayce.

"You and me both," he rasped right back.

"Ahoy!" Marcos Minos called as he drew the Devil's Prize closer to the other boat.

"Oh, thank G.o.d!" The woman with the long hair gave Marcos and Julian a brilliant smile. "My motor overheated, and I thought I'd have to call a tow from Key West, and then, you know, it could be hours before they got out here."

The Devil's Prize was just a few feet away from her vessel.

"Please tell me that one of you knows a lot about motors," she pleaded, her smile winking again.

Marcos looked at Julian.

Julian held his gaze a moment, communicating that Marcos was not to move, not yet, then he glanced back at the woman. "You're out here alone?"

"Yes, I am-wait, I'm not supposed to say that, am I?" She gave a nervous laugh. "I mean, you're always supposed to say that you have a buddy with you for safety if strangers ask..."

No one else was on the boat. He didn't hear anyone else. Didn't smell anyone else.

"But you two are my heroes, right?" she continued. Her hands ducked behind the railing. "You're not going to hurt me?"

"We don't have any plans to hurt you," Marcos called.

It was looking as if they didn't.

"That's good." Her smile came back, but her hands stayed down. "What happened to the woman on the beach? Where did she go?"

Julian tensed.

"I really need to find her..." And the woman lifted her hands. She had a gun gripped in one. Without another word, she fired-first at Julian, and the blast hit him in the chest. f.u.c.king h.e.l.l. The pain slammed hard into him, burning and he stumbled back. He fell onto the deck of the Devil's Prize even as he saw her swing the gun toward Marcos.

Marcos was human. A shot could kill him.

And Marcos...

He's my friend.

Roaring, Julian leapt up.

"I'm really sorry about this," the woman was saying. "But I don't have a choice. I have to distract, you see. Death has to come."

The bullet fired. But it didn't hit Marcos because Julian was in front of him. The bullet thudded into Julian's side and that was when he realized that it wasn't just a regular round.

He could feel the drug spreading through his system. Thickening. Numbing him. He sagged to his knees.

She fired again. This time, she hit Marcos.

"I have to find the woman from the beach," she said. "Where did she go?" She tucked the gun into her waistband and jumped into the water. Julian struggled to keep his eyes open. She'd smelled human. She'd seemed innocent.

He should have known f.u.c.king better. He was softening because of Rose. Becoming weak. That couldn't be allowed.

The woman pulled herself onto the Devil's Prize. Water dripped down her body as she came toward him. She grabbed his head, tipping it back and he was just f.u.c.king helpless. Couldn't even move at all.

She shoved the gun under his chin. "It got wet, so it might not fire..."

He stared at her. That was all he could do.

"How many guards are on the island? Where's the girl?"

Even if he could have talked, he wouldn't have said a word.