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Making the call that the noises were coming from just one occupant, Luc headed toward the house. But before he could approach the porch, he heard the sound of the side door opening.

Even better, if the prey would come to him.

He prowled over to the driveway where the side door opened up. The little strip of asphalt was encased in darkness, but Luc’s enhanced vision made out an older man—around Gustav’s age—with a trash bag in hand. Luc breathed in.

Ohh, he’s wicked , his monster sighed. Rotten inside. Perfect.

That was all Luc needed. He pounced.

In less than a blink of an eye, he had the man pinned to the side of the house, his thick neck soft and breakable under Luc’s grip, the trash bag forgotten on the gravel.

Luc lifted his sunglasses, meeting the man’s frightened gaze, his red-rimmed eyes. “Tell me all the terrible things you’ve done,” he ordered, compulsion laced around his words.

He listened then as the man confessed to him. Luc supposed he could have been more specific—everyone’s definition of “bad” was different, and his prey was offering up all kinds of mundane missteps from his many years of life—but eventually Luc got what he wanted.

A lone woman at a bus stop. A secret burial in the desert. The unceasing urge to do it again.

Luc bared his teeth in a sharp grin, his lips stretching further as his prey started whimpering pathetically at the sight of his fangs. “Shh,” Luc soothed. “Hush now. I would tell you this isn’t going to hurt, but believe me, it will. I’ll make sure of it.”

He took a moment—him and his monster both—to revel in the man’s whimpers, even as he wrinkled his nose against the sharp, acrid smell of his sweat, his fear.

Ordinarily, a vampire’s bite would be a pleasurable experience for a human. An old evolutionary advantage for their kind. It kept their prey docile, made their memories easier to adjust.

But there were ways of making it hurt.

Just as Luc was leaning forward to sink his teeth in, that pounding pulse calling out to him, he was interrupted by a voice, deep but lilting in its cadence.

“Well, brother. What do we have here?”

Another voice, eerily similar to the first. “Something that doesn’t belong, I think.”

Keeping his grip on his prey’s throat, Luc turned.

There were two figures at the edge of the drive. Silhouetted against the streetlight, arms crossed like bouncers’ at some shitty basement club. Matching poses. Matching faces , Luc realized quickly.

Twins.

Vampire twins, judging by the metallic edge to their scents and the fact that they’d practically materialized in front of him without attracting his notice. Identical shocks of auburn hair, remarkably bright under the streetlights, pale skin practically glowing.

Even with his enhanced vision, Luc couldn’t spot a single difference between the two, other than their choice of clothing. Even that difference was slight—muscle tanks in different colors, like a precious matching set.

Vampire. Fucking. Twins. Luc wanted to throw his head back and scream. Just his fucking luck, to find his mate in a random desert city and immediately be encroaching on another vampire’s territory. And not just one vampire. Two.

Luc kept his face as blank as possible, refusing to let his frustration show. “Can I help you gentlemen? I was just getting started on my dinner.”

The geriatric murderer started struggling in his hold, and Luc turned his head to meet the man’s eyes again. “Stay still,” he ordered. “Stay afraid.”

The twin on the right spoke up. “You can help us both by getting the fuck out. Hop on the freeway and don’t look back.”

The request wasn’t surprising. Vampires were notoriously territorial. Their inner monsters didn’t usually play very nicely with each other, unless one was lucky enough to meet someone particularly compatible.

“I wasn’t planning to stay long,” Luc lied. “If you’ll just leave me to it, I’ll be out of your hair in no time. I have no interest in remaining in Tucson.”

The twins exchanged a look, wordlessly communicating in an eerie way Stephen King would be proud of. They turned back to him after a long, silent moment.

“We’d like you to leave now , actually.” That came from the twin on the left. Luc was 90 percent sure that was the voice he’d heard first. Softer and smoother than his brother’s, which had a sharp, flat edge to it.

“We insist on it,” added Righty harshly.

Luc sighed heavily, wondering if he was quick enough to snap both their necks before either one could retaliate.

Probably not worth the risk. They were more or less equal to Luc in size, broad and built with actual muscles to display with their muscle tanks. But bulk didn’t necessarily mean they weren’t fast.

“This isn’t an innocent man, you know.” Luc shook his prey by the neck in demonstration.

Lefty chuckled lightly. “What difference does that make? We don’t generally concern ourselves with human morality.”

“We don’t give a shit what he’s done,” Righty chimed in. “We care about what you’re doing. We can’t have rogue vampires in our town, risking exposure. And you don’t exactly look like the poster boy for self-control. No offense.”

“None taken,” Luc ground out.

“We like it here,” Lefty explained, hooking his hands into his pockets and rocking lightly on his heels. “And we’ve had other vamps trying to come around and take advantage. Draining bodies and tossing them in the desert by the border. We don’t take chances anymore with our hospitality.”

Luc was tempted to put up a fight. More than tempted, really. His monster was delighted at the prospect of grappling with someone who could actually match their strength. But with two against one, there was no guarantee Luc would win.

And Luc wasn’t about to meet his end at the hands of a pair of gingers in Tucson fucking Arizona.

He reluctantly released his hold on his murderer, knocking him back against the wall of the house.

“Go back inside,” he ordered. “None of this ever happened. You took the trash out, did your business, blah, blah, blah.” Luc caught the edge of the man’s sleeve before he could step away, leaning in closer to whisper, “Just know you’ll get what’s coming to you. One day very soon.”

He turned back to the interlopers, giving them an ironic bow. “I suppose I’ll be on my way, then. I won’t infringe on your territory any longer.”

“See that you don’t,” Lefty said with a sharp nod.

“Because we’re not afraid to tear you apart with our bare hands if you get out of line,” Righty added.

Lefty shot his brother an exasperated look. “Jesus, Fox, it was implied . Where’s the subtlety?”

Righty shrugged, unrepentant. “He doesn’t look like subtlety is his strong suit. Just wanted to help the guy out.”

Luc felt their eyes on him all the way to his car.

Well, then.

Luc had a new, compelling reason to move forward, didn’t he? To turn Jamie immediately and leave this town in the dust. And wouldn’t it be wonderful? Even if Jamie rebelled at first. Even if he hated Luc for taking him away from his life, he’d get over it eventually.

And then Luc would have him. Forever.

That lovely face. Those long limbs. That smile.

That smile . The one that lit up his entire face. The one that lit up everything around it.

Would he still smile at Luc like that if Luc took his humanity away?

Luc didn’t want to think about Jamie without that gorgeous smile. Without that vibrancy, that joy he seemed to carry without effort. Luc wouldn’t be the one to take that away from him. He couldn’t.

He slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “Fuck!”

So he had to lie low. Stay out of the vampire twins’ way. No maiming or killing. No losing control of his temper.

And what was Luc known for if not for his uncanny ability to control his own fucking temper?

The laugh that came out of him was as bitter as anything he’d ever tasted.