wasn't me."
Yonnie swung so hard that when the feral punch connected with Carlos's jaw it made both men lose their balance. Shelves fell with a hard crash and books scattered everywhere. Carlos and Yonnie hit the floor at the same time. Up on his feet in seconds, Carlos grabbed Yonnie around his upper arms the moment he lunged at him again, and he hugged Yonnie hard.
"Get it out, man. I didn't do that to you. That's the poison talking. Get it out."
"Why!" Yonniehollered, his voice fracturing as he struggled to break free from Carlos's hold. "Get the fuck off me! Why you do that to me, man?"
"Theydid it to you-Hell's best.I got your back,always got your back . . . ain't let even my wife take your head when you was a daywalker, 'cause you my brother, man-we gonna get through this. It was fucked-up what they did to you in life and death-but I got you . . . just let it out-just me and you, here, aw'ight?"
Yonnie's struggles slowly gave way to a returned embrace. Mournful sobs tore through the store and Carlos quietly black-boxed the area to preserve his Guardian brother's privacy. There was so much pain riddling Yonnie's body that he could barely hold them both up. Man pain stabbed into his chest.Broken pride.Decimated dreams. Indignity upon indignity for two hundred years poured out of Yonnie's battered soul until the weight of it nearly buckled Carlos's knees. Then slowly, without warning, the storm passed, leaving both Guardian brothers in a warrior's embrace drawing short breaths, not sure what had transpired.
"You been holding that for two centuries," Carlos said in a thick rumble, finally letting Yonnie go.
Both men stared at each other. Yonnie turned away, ashamed, but Carlos landed a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"Confession."Carlos waited until Yonnie's now normal, but bloodshot, brown eyes met his. "I'm scared to fucking death this time out, bro. Nerves are so damned bad I couldn't get a sanctuary address in a fold-away right, and could've gotten the team butchered from that stupid shit I just did, missing Monroe Street. But I've got shit cooking my brain. My wife is pregnant and this ain't a drill . . . and I know, like you do, how bad Hell really can be. The fucking Devil himself is pissed off at both of us, man . . . he called me outmano a mano and is coming for mine like I came for his-so this right here that just happened, so you could get your head right, stays between me and you. Nothing but respect," Carlos said, pounding Yonnie's fist. "You ain'tno punk just because you let out what most motherfuckers couldn't carry for a day, let alone two hundred years, aw'ight."
Yonnie nodded. "Yeah . . . I hear you," he said in a gravelly tone.
"If I come to you like this . . . if anything happens to D, I'mabe right here, too . . . totally fucked-up. You just ain'tsee me go to the rock before-Marlene took me there in front of the whole team-I'm sparing you that embarrassing shit."
"Get out of here." Yonnie gaped at Carlos and then wiped his face."You, Mr. Chairman?"
Carlos nodded."Yeah. Last I checked, I was part human . . . you are, too, now, man."
"Fucked-up, ain't it?" Yonnie said with a half smile."The being human part."
"Completely . . . but whatchu gonna do?" Carlos let out a hard breath on a shrug.
"Suck it up and deal." Yonnie pounded his fist.
"As brothers," Carlos said.
"As brothers," Yonnie confirmed, and then wiped his face.
"Take a walk to the men's room . . . splash some water," Carlos said. "I'll tell the team whatever. Ain't a man been in battle that hasn't gone here . . . either that or they lose their damned minds. If they tell you otherwise they're crazy or lying."
"Or both," Yonnie said with a sad chuckle.
"Yeah, man," Carlos replied, walking away."Or both."
She'd waited for this opportunity-for Sebastian's fear of Lilith and his venomous jealousy of Fallon Nuit to make him desperate for a win. He'd even made a deal with the Dark Lord, and amazingly returned whole with his conjuring arm intact. Such desperation in a man besieged by fear and guilt and hatred was bound to make him sloppy. But that he was the more adept necromancer was something she could use to her advantage. He hadn't even noticed the invasion to his spell chambers; he'd been too preoccupied with obtaining results and keeping