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think about the pain I saw in you, the grief that all of this will cause you when I’m put to death for my crimes.”

She didn’t speak. Just stared at him in silent torment, tears streaming down her face.

Kellan tried to smooth them away, but he couldn’t keep up. He swore softly, hating that he’d caused her this hurt now and hoping he wouldn’t bring her any more.

“I told you I thought you’d be happier believing I was dead eight years ago,” he said. “But I had a selfish reason too. I would rather keep the memory of your sweet smile that morning in bed after we made love the first time than see the way you’re looking at me now.”

Behind them in the corridor, subtle movement sounded. Nina awkwardly cleared her throat. “Bowman? Doc needs to move Candice so he can cauterize her wound and stitch her up. He asked me to come find you—”

“Be right there,” Kellan replied, his eyes locked on Mira, even as he drew away from her.

When he finally pivoted to return to his rebel comrades, he hoped Mira would take this chance to leave him and never look back.

He wouldn’t blame her if she did.

13

RECLINING ON HIS ELBOWS ATOP THE BROAD PLANKS OF A picnic table in one of suburban Boston’s conservation area parks, Vince tipped his head back on his shoulders and let the midday summer sun bathe his face in heat. Overhead, a crow sailed against the blinding blue of the sky.

That’s me, Vince thought, grinning smugly up at the clouds. Free bird.

Soon to be a filthy rich free bird.

He didn’t know precisely whom he was meeting at this rendezvous Rooster had set up for him. Didn’t much care either. All he knew was that making the call to the red-haired snitch after fleeing the base with Ackmeyer was about to net him serious pay dirt.

Rooster had immediately put out feelers with a few folks he knew, who in turn put out feelers to folks they knew, and then bam! Less than an hour later, they had a live one on the hook, ready to plunk down God-only-knew how much in exchange for the scientist and access to his Breed-smoking UV technology.

If Bowman had been smart—as smart as Vince—he would’ve thought of cashing in on Ackmeyer himself. But nope. He’d been too preoccupied with sniffing around the bitch from the Order to recognize the true opportunity he had with Ackmeyer. Then again, Bowman and Vince never had seen eye to eye on how things should be done.

Bowman’s missions were always based on high-principled bullshit, like evening scores and righting wrongs. There wasn’t a lot of cash to be made leaking intel on dirty politicians or exposing corporate grifters, but that never seemed to stop Bowman. And he had no qualms about derailing the ops of other rebel groups if he deemed their goals or methods too extreme.

As far as Vince was concerned, Bowman and his lofty morals could both get fucked. He preferred to operate based on profit and deal making.

Especially when those two objectives sent all the benefits directly into his hands, as they were about to do any minute now.

It was hard not to fantasize about what he was going to do and buy with the nut he stood to collect. Couple million, easy. Hell, maybe he should set his starting price at a cool five and see where it took him.

Gonna get himself a sweet ride, first of all. A swank place of his own too. Maybe he’d set up his own base of operations, recruit a fresh crew of his own and really shake shit up. Unfortunately, he’d have to open shop somewhere far from Boston, because no doubt about it, after the move Vince pulled today, Bowman was going to be coming after him hard.

Vince couldn’t lie to himself; the thought of being on the receiving end of a pissed-off vampire’s fury was more than a little disturbing. Didn’t help that he’d seen Bowman in action enough to understand that there would be major hell to pay. The Breed male had skills that went beyond supernatural genetics. He was lethal even without the advantage of his otherworldly DNA, easily as badass deadly as any warrior of the Order. And for the first time since he’d known the vampire commander of the rebel base in New Bedford, that realization gave Vince serious pause.

Vince had always assumed Bowman’s identity as a member of the Breed was his biggest secret,