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“How’d you get tangled up with her?”

Roman raised his brows, wondering how he should go about explainingthatone. “Another long story.”

“So give me the short version. Come on,” he said with a smile, beckoning with a curling of his inked fingers. “I feel like I’m fishing here and you’re doing everything you can not to bite. You not trust me anymore, or something? What changed?”

“Of course I trust you.” There weren’t many people who Roman trusted, but Dean was the one person, apart from Travis, Pax, and Kylar, who he’d always trusted.Completelyand without question. Dean had never broken that trust, never betrayed him in any way, shape, or form. If Dean could be summed up in one word it would betrustworthy. “Okay, short version is…she blackmailed me into helping her look for her sister, Anna. Anna was missing, Shay convinced me to go with her to try to find her, Dad found out, and…”

“And now he’s got her in his crosshairs,” Dean concluded.

Roman nodded. “And I feel like it’s my fault. I told her she can come with us to Darien’s, but…” He sighed. “I think, after that, we should go our separate ways.” The thought of saying goodbye to Shay again made him want to peel his own skin off with a knife, but… Safe. He wanted her safe. Not tortured. Not raped.

And sure as hell not dead.

“And what doesshesay about that?” Dean asked, pointing to Shay with a floppy fry.

“I haven’t talked to her yet. Last night, I told her the decision is up to her, but…” When he looked over his shoulder, his gaze slammed into Shay’s. She immediately tore those pretty green eyes off him and found something else to look at. Which wound up being the ceiling. Roman turned back around. “The longer she sticks around, the worse it’ll be.”

“You got feelings for this one?”

He sighed. “Too many.” Way too many.

“Don’t let her go, then—that’s my advice. If she’sThe One,you fight for her. No matter what—no matter your dad and his stupid fucking rules. You understand me?”

“You say that like you speak from experience.”

“I do. Trust me—I know how it feels to fuck up and letThe Oneget away.” He ate the last fry off Pax’s plate. Every dish was now empty, nothing but crumbs and melted whipped cream left. Dean was a bottomless pit—he was always eating. Burgers and milkshakes were his favorite.

“Who was she?” Roman asked, curious. “The Oneyou speak of?” He smirked. Dean had never talked about his romantic life before, beyond flings.

He waved the hand that was marked with the symbol of his Darkslayer House—a pair of fiery bat wings with tips that curved inward like horns, worn by Death Dealers on the skin between their thumb and index finger—in dismissal. “It was before your time.”

Roman was about to prod when the waitress came by. “Can I get these out of the way for you?” she asked.

“That’d be wonderful,” Dean said, flashing his famous charming smile that won all the ladies over. Sure enough, the woman blushed. “We’ll take the bill, too, darling, soon as you got a sec.”

“Sure,” she said, fighting a smile as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind an ear. She stacked the plates and set the cutlery on top. “I’ll be right back with that.” She swished her hips as she walked away.

As soon as she was gone, Roman chuckled under his breath and said, “Still the ladies’ man, hey?”

“Always.” He winked.

‘He can never resist,’grumbled a voice from Dean’s shadow. It was deep and rumbling, like thunder. Roman felt Sayagul perk up; she had always looked up to Brutus.‘It gets tiring.’

Roman chuckled. “Hey, Brutus. Long time no talk.”Or see,he thought. Brutus was almost always sleeping, the lazy spirit. “How’s it going?”

Brutus let out a smoky, deep-bellied sigh that vibrated the floor beneath Roman’s boots.‘Peachy, Roman. Just peachy…’Brutus barely got the last word out before he fell back asleep.

Sayagul sniggered.‘Nice to see you, too, Big Brute.’

Brutus’s distant, growly snoring faded away.

When the waitress came back, Dean covered the bill—with cash—and she bid them a good night. And a backward glance for Dean, of course.

Roman shook his head, amused. Always the ladies’ man, was right. He yawned, his eyes watering. Gods, he was tired.

Dean said, “You ready to sleep with both eyes shut tonight?”

“Fuck, yeah, finally. That’d be nice. You think there are any motels around here?”