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“Because that’s how you stay at the top of the food chain, right?”

“Of course. It’s also how we protect ourselves and those we love.”

“Fighting fire with fire just creates more fire,” she insisted.

“Agree to disagree then.”

She scrubbed her hand over her face, obviously not liking my responses. And then she looked at Kai. “Your silence is deafening.”

That was true. Whywashe being silent about this? He’d been on board all the way.

“Because you’re all about the big picture, being analytical, being very careful and strategizing every move you make in advance. Doing this tonight flies in the face of all of that. Because this was you lashing out after feeling weakness from the sickness. You wanted to feel strong again. All-fucking-mighty and powerful.”

“It’s not about power,” he murmured.

Murmured?Kai Hunter? What was going on?

He stepped up to her. “You’re right. I didn’t approach this with the careful calculation I’m known for. I needed to get some things out of my system, sure. But it was more than that. They hurt somebody I care about dearly and, as you’re aware, there aren’t many who qualify for me. I also needed to test my power after that infection, because I want to examine that test for you—to figure it all out with my love for puzzles only actually being a small part of it this time. The larger part is helping you and V’s peace of mind.” He shifted his weight and then even admitted, “When Sorin revealed he was connected to that fanatical group whose very existence threatens Nyx… it escalated everything. But, like you said, I didn’t approach this as I normally would have. If I had been doing that, I would have looked deeply into Sorin and his vampires first, beyond their Academy records, and I would have discovered the connection toPuritas.And then I wouldn’t have taken this approach. I would have brought them to Warlow Boyd at the Guardian Compound, with your assistance. Because this is bigger than threatening and exerting our power over these shitheads. It’s much more far-reaching than that.”

Reaching out, he grasped her jaw. But it wasn’t with the usual sexual ferocity that he employed when doing that. It was shockingly soft. Tender, even.

She softened a little and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “Those are a lot of excuses. That momentary silence of yours clearly allowed you to come up with a great many.”

He cracked a smile and it cut into the intensity coming off him. “Which one do you prefer, sweetheart?”

I barked out a laugh, unable to stop myself. Yeah, that was the Kai Hunter I’d come to know and enjoy immensely.

She didn’t look amused in the least.

But she also didn’t bite back at him.

Instead, she eased his hand off her jaw and held it between them, telling him in a patient tone, “Just the truth, Kai.”

He started at her words.

“You asked for the same from me, for me to stop running and shutting down, and I’m trying hard to bring that now. I thought we reached an understanding that night, but now there’sthis.”

His gaze wavered as he told her, “We did reach an understanding, but I’m scared to trust in it.”

“On my end?”

“Yes,” he admitted openly. “It’s all been a hell of a mind-fuck lately.”

“But you don’t regret punishing them?” I put to him.

“No,” he admitted, looking out at me, before returning his attention back to Ariana.

“I understand,” she said. She looked out at me. “And I understand what you’re doing, too, and why you’re doing it.”

“And? What do you propose we do about it?”

“Well, Nyx is getting us a dinner reservation as we speak.” She gestured at our bloodied clothes. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll finish up with the mess here, then I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

“Dinner?” Kai asked, also sharing my surprise.

“Thatiswhat you both wanted that night outsidePolaris, isn’t it? Until I blew you off?”

She was good. “Yes. It really was.”