“Hey, man, can I talk to you?”
Sunil threw down his cards. “I’m out anyway.” He followed Lore to a corner table. “Heard you’re free. Congratulations.”
“Yeah. How’s Sin?”
“Haven’t seen her.”
A chill throbbed through Lore’s veins. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen her? How did you know I’m free?”
“The new Sem told me. He came to me for some healing after Deth was through with him.” Sunil shook his head, making his long, tawny bangs swish across his eyes like wiper blades. “The bastard waited until Tavin was crazed with lust, and then he brought in a whore. Turned Tav loose and watched the show. I don’t know what happened to the female, but damn, Tav’s broken. Afterward, Deth kicked him to me to patch up.”
That sick son of a bitch. Lore would take revenge for Tavin as well as for Sin. “Can you get me into the den?”
Sunil knocked back a swig of his beer. “Fuck that.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I like my head on my shoulders, thank you very much.”
“Sin could be in trouble.”
“You know I like your sister, man. But I can’t risk my life for her. I have kids to feed.”
“I know, and I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t important. I plan to re-up with Deth,” he lied.
“Then go through the normal channels.”
He couldn’t do that, because Deth would meet him in the Guild Hall, which was under a Haven spell similar to the one protecting Underworld General.
“I need to see Sin first.”
“Dammit, Sem—”
“Please.” Shit, Lore hated begging. But he sucked it up and added, “I’ll do anything.”
Sunil cursed. Long and hard. Finally, he growled, “I’ll get you through the barrier. You’re responsible for getting yourself inside Deth’s keep. And if we’re caught, I’ll save my own skin and say you forced me.”
Lore grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Deth was as good as dead. All Lore had to do now was pay a visit to Eidolon.
Lore had earned a fierce ass-chewing from Brother Doctor.
“I’ve left you a dozen messages,” Eidolon said, as he spread his palm on Lore’s bare chest.
“Didn’t feel like answering.”
“How have you been?”
This was exactly why Lore had avoided Eidolon. He didn’t want to talk about any of this. Didn’t want to talk about it, think about it, didn’t want to be here, because he’d made love to Idess for the last time in this very hospital.
“I lost my mate,” Lore rasped. “How do you think I’ve been?”
“I’m sorry. If anything happened to Tayla…”
“You’d die. I know.” Lore took in a ragged breath. “Thanks, by the way. You know, for knocking me out the other day.” Whatever his brother had shot him up with had put him on his ass for a good twelve hours.
But when he’d awakened in a hospital bed, Idess was still gone, and he’d gone into a fresh meltdown.
Eidolon nodded. “You shouldn’t have taken off so soon.”
“’Cuz I so wanted to hang out here and watch everyone pity me.” He looked down at Eidolon’s hand. “A little to the right. The scar has to look real if I’m going to get past Deth’s goon squad.”
Eidolon adjusted his palm. “You sure you want to do this? If you wait, we can work out a plan to get Sin out of there—”
“Can’t wait. I need something to do.” He didn’t see any way for his brothers to help get Sin out of Deth’s contract anyway. This was their best shot.
“We could keep you busy.”
Lore snorted. “Doing what? Polishing the floors? Emptying the garbage? I’m good at killing people, not healing them.”
“We haven’t replaced our ME,” Eidolon said with a shrug, and Lore stared.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“It’s perfect for you. You don’t have to worry about killing anyone.”
Lore shifted Eidolon’s pinky a hair to the left. “You should be doing standup.”
“I’m serious, Lore. We could use you.”
“Yeah, whatever. Tell you what. If Deth doesn’t kill me, you can do whatever you want with me.” He figured he wasn’t coming back, so hey, this would be just yet another promise to a sibling that he couldn’t keep.
Eidolon pressed his hand more firmly over Lore’s heart. “This is going to hurt.”
“Again, whatever.” There was nothing left in there to injure.
Eidolon’s dermoire lit up, and instant, searing pain tore through Lore’s chest. Who cared. He lost track of how long it went on, but when it was done, he had a hand-shaped scar on his chest. It wasn’t an exact replica of Deth’s, but it should be good enough to get him past Deth’s minions.