Daniel’s jaw tightened. “There is no other way. You’re the one who taught me to use the cards I have, Dev. That’s what I’m doing.”
I took a deep breath. “All right, Danny, I’ll bite. Who do you have to meet, baby? Who’s so important that you would leave us behind here?”
He didn’t even flinch. He just looked me straight in the eyes and replied. “Her name is Tamara. I found her in Oregon when I found Joel. She should be at the penthouse by now, but I need to make sure she’s comfortable.”
Getting punched in the gut hurt a hell of a lot less than hearing those words come from his mouth. I could guess just what Tamara was. Danny had solved one of his problems, no doubt. But he was going to have to say it. “And who is Tamara, Danny?”
“She’s a companion, Zoey,” he said, making my fear a real thing. “She’s my companion.”
I quickly searched Dev’s face. It was tight and his mouth twisted down. That told me this woman actually existed rather than being a lie to get me to run away. Maybe he wasn’t trying to get me to run, I acknowledged for the first time. Maybe he was just sick of me. I let myself sink onto the sofa because my legs didn’t want to work anymore. I knew my face was red, and the tears were already filling my eyes when I looked back up at him.
“Did you already perform the ceremony?” I forced the words out of my throat.
“Does it matter, Z?” he asked quietly, his mouth a thin line.
“It matters to me,” I replied.
He nodded, accepting my answer. “No, I haven’t yet. I didn’t actually make contact with her until a few weeks ago. I intended to bring her in for one of the baby vamps. To make them strong. I changed my mind.”
“After the heist.” After I managed to screw everything up and get his vamps torched, I added silently.
He hesitated, but finally acknowledged the timeline. “Look, Z, this hasn’t been working for a long time. It’s obvious to me that it’s best for everyone if I just let you go with Dev. He’ll make you happy and Tamara can give me what I need. I need an easier companion. I need a companion who I never have to call a cleaning crew in for. You can see why I’m anxious to get home. I need to perform that ceremony.”
I was trouble. I was a whole lot of trouble. I didn’t follow directions. I didn’t always do the best thing. I tried to do what was right, but I often screwed up more things than I solved. I had to accept the fact that he might be telling the truth, that he really wanted someone other than me.
I knew suddenly that it didn’t matter. His not loving me didn’t change the way I felt about him. It just made my heart break.
“All right, Danny.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. Fighting wouldn’t change anything. Yelling at him would only make me look like a fool. “If that’s what you want, I can’t stop you. I’m really sorry about Joel, though. I didn’t mean…I never thought trying to steal that artifact would hurt anyone like that. I thought I was helping.”
“You always do, Z,” Danny said with a sigh.
I stood back up. I was going to leave, but stopped because something he’d said finally penetrated the haze of pain the conversation had caused. “Why is she in my house?”
Daniel frowned, turning to Dev. “You haven’t told her what we decided?”
Dev shook his head. “You decided this, and you told me what I was going to do. Don’t you dare pin this on me.”
“I thought we were in agreement that this was the best course.” Daniel had that hard edge to his voice that told me he was getting angry because things weren’t going the way he planned. He was more emotional than he was letting on. His eyes found mine. “You’re going to the sithein with Dev the day after tomorrow.”
Son of a bitch. Bastard. I laughed, a humorless sound, because now I knew his game. “No, I’m not. I’m going home the day after tomorrow, and she better not be there, Danny. I won’t take it well. You should fly back and get her settled into your place because I’ll be damned if I let you toss me out of my home. If we’re getting a divorce, I’m keeping Dev and Dev’s keeping Ether.”
I wouldn’t be relegated to a prison because Daniel found me inconvenient.
“Dev, would you like to explain this to her?” Danny’s every word was clipped and hard.
Dev stopped stooping over and raised himself to his full height. He walked over to me and slipped his hand into mine. “We need to go to the sithein, Zoey. There are some things I need to do. I’ll explain it all to you later, but I have obligations I need to fulfill. If the ritual goes as I hope it goes, I’ll be a true high priest, honored in every way after I make the rounds in Faery. It won’t take more than a month,” he explained and I heard Daniel sigh impatiently, unhappy with what Dev was saying. “But, sweetheart, we have to face certain realities.”
“Finally,” Daniel said under his breath.
“The minute Daniel takes another companion, you become fair game.” Dev neatly explained the impossible situation Daniel was trying to maneuver us into. “I assume he’s going to make a big announcement.”
“I’m required to inform the Council,” Daniel said casually, as though he wasn’t changing my entire life. “It’ll be all right, Zoey. As long as you’re in Faery no vampire is going to touch you.”
Dev ignored him completely. “So when we get back from Faery, I think our best option is Marcus. He’ll let us stay together. We’ll get back from Faery and head immediately to Venice. I already contacted Marcus earlier today and informed him of what’s going on. He’ll have everything ready, and he’ll perform the ceremony the night we arrive. Marini won’t take you away from Marcus. We’ll be safe.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Daniel’s face was stark white and his hands gathered in fists at his sides.
“Give him a call, Dan,” Dev replied, his eyes giving nothing away. “You’ll find everything is ready. I never bluff about a good plan. You should know that. Marcus is more than happy to accommodate us. He’s quite eager to take a new companion. I also find myself unwilling to throw my mistress out of the only home she has left. You’ll remove your new wife from the penthouse. You have a perfectly good apartment. I suggest you use it. I set up an account in your name. It has ten million in it. I think that’s fair. We’ll need the penthouse. Marcus has agreed to split our time between Venice, Paris, and Dallas. Zoey will want to spend time with her friends and family. We’ll keep ourselves out of your life and your line of fire, but we won’t leave our home.”
“Why? Why the hell would you do this? Why would you give her to Marcus?” Daniel practically roared the question.
Dev stood his ground. “She won’t be happy in the sithein forever. I won’t be happy there, either. I like this plane. I’ve made it my home. Marcus is offering us a way to stay together and be safe. He cares for Zoey, and he’s promised to allow us all the freedom we have now. I believe that he’ll be kind to her and tolerant with me. It’s our only option if we don’t want to run for the rest of our lives or be held in a cage. That’s what this little plan of yours leaves us with. We must remain on this plane. She has obligations here.”
“What obligations does she have here?” Daniel asked, confused.
“I have to work for Marini or he’ll kill you,” I responded quietly. “I have to go to Faery and do the job, and then I’ll do the job after that and so on and so on. I’ll do what I have to. Dev is right, though. Marcus can keep us safe.”
“That’s the stupidest plan I ever heard,” Daniel said, stalking toward us.
“Don’t,” Dev warned. “Don’t you dare question my judgment when you’re leaving me all alone to take care of her. You’re leaving both of us. You have no right or say in anything we do after this, Daniel. We’ll be on our own, and we’ll make our own way.”
“Why, Zoey? Why would you work for Marini after I leave you for another woman? Why would you let her, Dev?” Daniel’s face was filled with emotion now. He couldn’t stop it.
I stared up at my soon-to-be ex-husband and knew I was blotchy and red because I looked like hell when I cried. It didn’t matter. “I’ll do it because I love you, Daniel. I always have and I always will. I’ll love you until the day I die. I’ll stand by you even if you don’t love me anymore.”
Love didn’t have to be returned. It only had to be honored. I wouldn’t allow Daniel to turn me into something I wasn’t. I loved him. I would fight for him. I would be kind to him. Even when he wasn’t kind to me.
Now it was Dev’s turn. “I love Zoey and I believe in you, Daniel. I believe in the man you are. I haven’t had many friends in my life. I’m going to miss you. I really am. You talked to me yesterday about how you watched us walk through the valley and how different our reception would have been had you been by our side. I would have walked with you anyway. You mistake respect and need for love, Daniel. I would take my friend over a thousand affectionate strangers. Zoey and I would walk anywhere with you. Leave us if you must. We won’t abandon you. If you ever need anything, just come to Venice.”