if another argument was brewing. “I gather Adam doesn’t know you moonlight for Boston PD?”
“No, and I need to keep it that way.” His gaze wandered to Stefan standing sentinel beside me and then snapped back. “I need to talk with you. Privately.”
I frowned, not entirely sure if Stefan was tame enough to be left in a room filled with people who would kill him if they knew he was a Prince of Hell.
“Go.” Stefan smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about. Don’t go all Elsa on me. No ‘letting it all go,’ okay?”
“Cross my half-demon heart.” A glimmer of laughter touched his eyes.
I wanted to ask Stefan about Wrath’s words—he’d called me Asmodeus’s daughter, among other things. It appeared I’d been promoted from half-blood whore to a longstanding Prince of Hell’s daughter, and I wanted to know what it meant. “Don’t go anywhere.”
He nodded. “Be quick. We don’t have much time left, and I need to know what you discovered about the Institute’s half bloods.”
“Okay, it’s not good though, so don’t get your hopes up.”
I followed Ryder’s generous gait out of the main floor, up the stairwell, and out onto the roof, where he nodded to a guy and appeared to take his place on watch. Mist spritzed my face, clinging to my hair and cooling my flushed skin. It felt good to be back out in the night air, but it also meant my demon was free again, and her thoughts immediately muddied mine. A penetrating ache seeped from my chest. By the time Ryder and I reached the parapet wall at the edge of the flat roof, I had a hard time keeping the pain off my face.
“I’m sorry.” Ryder leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms. His lips turned down in disgust. “I’ve been an ass. I should have told you. I Just—”
“What’s going on? This isn’t you, Ryder. The Institute is your life.”
“No. It’s not. I make it look that way so nobody gets hurt.”
His shoulders dropped. He looked out over the peaceful city of Boston. The fine breeze feathered his hair across his forehead. From the rooftop, it didn’t look as though the demons were creating chaos in Boston. A siren chirped somewhere. The sound carried gently through the air, but otherwise the city slept.
“I have a daughter. Did you know that? Her name’s Kerry.” I did know but only because Akil had told me. “And a wife. Ex-wife. She’s…better off without me. They both are. But the Institute is threatening me, Muse. Using my daughter as leverage. I’ve questioned Adam for years. His ethics, his double standards. I’ve seen him sanction things… Horrible things. I know what he did to Stefan, and the others. And you. I know a lot more than you think I do. I told myself it was all for a good reason, but that became a lie over a year ago.” He sighed. “They threatened me after I shot Dawn, said they’d take my daughter away if I didn’t follow their goddamn rules.” Ryder sucked in a deep breath. “Coleman came to me right after his partner, Detective Hill, was attacked by Damien, and you went missing. He demanded that something be done and wouldn’t take no for an answer. That’s when he told me about the PD’s Special Response Team. I should have told Adam. I didn’t.”
I’d been so certain I knew Ryder. But he had secrets too, secrets I hadn’t earned the right to know. An alien burn smoldering somewhere deep inside quickened my breath. Damien awakening. I winced and squeezed my eyes closed, swallowing back acid. It wouldn’t be long now. Hours, if I could hold him back that long.
“Muse?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I smiled brightly. There was nothing Ryder could do, and he had enough to deal with. “I had no idea, Ryder. About any of this.”
“I’ve always doubted Adam, but I’m a soldier. It’s not my place to question the likes of him. I might have let it go, but then he put me in charge of terminating Stefan. His own goddamn son, Muse.” He spat a disgusted curse. “I joined SRT right after. I know Stefan’s gone. I know that. But I just can’t do it.” Ryder grimaced, and his face cracked with despair. I struggled to keep from throwing my arms around him. “If he wants his son dead, the bastard can do it himself.”
“It’s okay.” I loved Ryder all the more in that moment. I’d always respected his stance