It was more than she could stand.
"How did you get out of jail?" Otto asked.
Dave clenched and unclenched his fist as a myriad of emotions played across his face. Rage. Hurt. Even bitter humor was there. But it was the hatred that flared so bright, it was blinding. "They were watching it. After Troy died, they came to the cell and opened the door... 'Guess we were wrong about you. But you should be more careful about who you befriend.' Then they stepped back and walked me out of there."
"We can get them for murder!" Erika said angrily.
Leo shook his head. "How? I'm sure by now they've erased whatever surveillance data they had. Even if they hadn't, who would have believed it? Human beings don't disintegrate in real life-only in Hollywood movies."
"And there's no body," Otto added. "No evidence. As far as we can prove, all they did was arrest one man who they let go a few hours later. No harm. No foul. They're untouchable."
Dave's gaze went to Leo. "And that's why I quit. I'm completely out of this."
Kyl got up and reached for him.
"Don't touch me," Dave snapped as he stepped away.
Kyl's features turned harsh. "You've got to pull yourself together."
"No, hell, I don't." His face was ashen. "I'm a sixth-generation Squire on my father's side, Kyl. Eighth on my mother's. I grew up in the house with Troy and I never doubted what I would do with my life." He gestured meaningfully with his hands to emphasize his words. "We are here to protect the Dark-Hunters' identities. We're their lifeline when they're hurt and we're the only ones they're ever allowed to rely on. Dammit, I failed him. And now I know the man who was like a brother to me is stuck as a Shade suffering for eternity because he tried to protect us. Where's the justice in that?" He turned toward Leo. "I don't care if you guys kill me. I'm done. I can't go through this again."
"He's right," Nick said in a deep voice. He gripped the cup of tequila so tightly that his knuckles were white. "This is just like New Orleans. The Daimons are screwing with us and laughing while they do it. There's no telling what they've done that we don't even know about... yet. " He cut a look around the table that was so cold it could freeze fire, and it chilled Susan all the way to her bones. "For all we know right now, one of you could be a Daimon who's already killed a Dark-Hunter and who is now using his body to spy on us." His gaze stopped on Cael. "You even live with them."
Cael's face turned to stone. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"When a cow lives with the butcher, sooner or later he gets eaten unless he helps the other cows off to their slaughter."
"Bullocks!" Cael shouted as he came to his feet.
Still Nick didn't back down. He merely sat there, staring at Cael as if he were trying to figure out if it was Cael or something else. "How do we know Stryker or one of his chief minions hasn't possessed you?"
Otto scowled at him. "Nick, what are you talking about?"
He pinned that deadly glare on Otto. "You don't remember anything about the night my mother died, do you?"
"We were attacked."
"To say the least." His voice dripped sarcasm. "We weren't just attacked, Otto. We were fucked over royally. Don't you remember the phones and how the Daimons played us? I'd get a call from you, only it wasn't you... It was them screwing with our heads."
Susan and Ravyn exchanged an eerie look. The hair on the back of her neck rose at Nick's words.
"No one screwed with the phones, Nick." Otto snarled.
"I don't remember that either," Kyl added.
"How could they get our numbers?" Ravyn asked.
Nick scoffed. "Do I look like a Daimon? How the hell do I know? But they did it. Night after night they led us on a merry chase through the streets as they killed us and any innocent bystander who caught their attention." He looked over at Otto. "Don't you remember the night they almost killed Ash?"
By Otto's face it was obvious he had no idea what Nick was talking about. "No."
Nick growled deep in the back of his throat. "Let me guess, when all was said and done, Acheron took all of you aside one by one and erased your memory, didn't he?"
Kyl shook his head. "Ash wouldn't do something like that."
"You idiot. Of course he would. None of you know Jack Shit about him. But I do." He raked his hand through his hair as his eyes burned with anger. "When you think back, is everything fuzzy? You can remember some things clear as a bell, and others are vague?"
"That's true of any memory," Otto scoffed.