deal, is it. I could not go through the transition, in which case, I’m an issue for you. But again, and fortunately, you’re really good at killing, aren’t you.”
As he tried to think of what he could say, without lying, that was, she lowered her voice. “I don’t want to ever see you again. You lied to me about what I am. You lied to me about why you were around me. I… I made love to you, thinking that you were someone—something—you’re not. And I have to live with all that. But I am not adding one more goddamn thing to that list of bad choices and stupid delusions.”
Syn glanced over his shoulder. When he looked back at Jo, she had started moving away, all the while, keeping her eyes on him as if she expected him to hurt her.
I did the right thing, he thought. He’d made the right decision.
“Wait,” he said.
“No.” Jo shook her head, her red hair moving around her shoulders. “No more. I can’t stand looking at you—”
“I came to introduce you to my cousin. He’s willing to be available for you if you go through the change.”
When she stopped dead, Syn motioned to the shadows.
As Balthazar stepped into view, Syn felt like he’d been shot through the chest. But in so many ways, his life had led up to this point.
Yup. The only way to care for the female he loved… was to let her go to another.
* * *
Jo focused on the male vampire who emerged out of the shadows. He was built like Syn, powerful and dominating, and his coloring was the same. Dark hair—not-Mohawked though—and pale irises. But his features were different, and mostly in the eyes. His were more narrow.
Or maybe it was just that they’d narrowed the moment he regarded her properly.
To his credit, he didn’t do a head-to-toe sweep on her body, and there was absolutely nothing sexual in anything about him.
“This is Balthazar,” Syn said roughly. “He is a fine male of distinction—”
“Actually, I’m a thief.” When they both looked at him, the vampire shrugged. “We need to start this out on a truthful note. I’m a thief, but I’m not ever going to steal from you, and I only want to help.”
He put his hand out. And seemed prepared to wait until she felt comfortable touching him. No matter how long it took.
Jo approached slowly. It was hard to see anything other than Syn, and her emotions made that tunnel vision worse. But the idea that she might have to…
“Hi,” she said, extending her own palm.
As they shook, the male stared at Syn, something passing between them. Like a vow. Or a promise.
Jo released her hold and lowered her arm. “Who do you steal from? And what do you take?”
Balthazar shrugged. “It depends. Sometimes it’s because they have so much they need a haircut to make things fairer. That’s my Robin Hood shtick. Sometimes it’s because they have something I want. I’m less proud of that one, and I do try to even that score. You know, give them something of equal or greater value that they may need or like.”
There was a pause. “And?” Jo prompted.
That pale stare narrowed again. Then the voice dropped low. “Annnnnnd sometimes people need to be taught a lesson. It’s amazing how losing something you care about can reprioritize things. I do not apologize for that one. Ever.”
Jo blinked. And then found herself nodding. “Okay.”
She looked at Syn. He had taken a step back so that he was mostly hidden in the darkness outside the reach of the building’s security lights. And when he took another, he was nearly invisible, nothing but an outline in black blending in with the night.
“Your brothers will be there,” Balthazar said gently. “And Doc Jane will come so you have medical support. You will never be alone with me and there will be nothing sexual about it. I swear this on my honor—which, okay, fine, I don’t have a lot of, but what I do have is yours. You can trust me. All right?”
Jo searched that lean, hard face. And for some stupid reason, she got teary.
No, wait. She knew why.
In spite of everything that had gone down, and everything she knew about Syn… she still wanted it to be him.
“All right,” she said in a hoarse voice.
With that response, Syn took a final step away, the darkness enveloping him so completely that it was as if he disappeared—
“Syn?” she said.
Jo lurched forward and