Bound to Shadows (Riley Jenson Guardian 8)

He studied me for a moment, as if judging my seriousness, then said, "That is a risk in itself. We both know that. "

Yes, talking to souls was a risk. They could drain me to the point that I might not be strong enough to get back from their realms. But the key here was finding a solution that suited us both - and offsetting a greater risk for a smaller one was one of those.

"It's the lesser of two evils, Jack, and it gives us both something we want. " And it gave me the chance of an almost normal life. It gave me the ability to raise Liander and my babies and be a steady, regular influence in their lives.

He studied me for several more - very long - minutes, then a small smile touched his lips. "I knew this was coming. Especially given you've found your own replacement. "

Hope bubbled through me, but I stamped down on it. Hard. I knew fate well enough not to trust her so easily.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's more an 'I could live with a deal like that. '" He hesitated and studied me grimly. "Which is not to say that Director Hunter will. "

"But you'll support the idea in principle?"

"Riley, I am many things, but I am not stupid. And I do not want to destroy what is left of the daytime division. " He smiled grimly, then added, "Nor do I wish to go to war with a man who was the finest cazador the council ever produced. "

I let go a whoop they would surely have heard in Sydney, then leapt forward, throwing myself into Jack's arms. He caught me with a grunt, but his laughter ran all around me.

"Don't get your hopes too high. As I said, it'll still have to go before Director Hunter for final approval. "

"I know, I know. " But if Jack approved it, that was three-quarters of the battle. The Directorate might be his sister's, but the guardian division was his.

"Then untangle your arms from around my neck and go help your brother clean up the house. Consider it your last official duty as a guardian. " He hesitated, green eyes suddenly serious. "Unless, of course, you want official status when you confront the bastard who kidnapped you. "

I stepped back, my joy suddenly tempered. "We're going to do it on Jenson lands. Pack law will apply. "

He half nodded. "It still won't hurt to have the Directorate behind you. After all, he kidnapped Evin and his mate, kidnapped and mind-washed you, and damn near killed Quinn. His death is slated. So, if you like, that can be your last official task. "

"And it doesn't matter which way I choose to apply it?"

"I don't give a damn, as long as the bastard dies. "

"He will. He has to. "

Jack nodded. "Then go help your brother, and I'll get the paperwork started. For both things. "

"Thanks, Jack. You're the best. "

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and damned if he didn't blush. "Just go, and let me get some work done. "

I grinned and all but bounced out of the van.

One more thing to attend to, and then my life was finally mine.

If I survived the encounter with Blake, that was.

Chapter 16

As eager as we all were to confront Blake, getting rid of him wasn't simply a matter of walking onto Jenson pack land and challenging him. We had to stop his whole damn family, because Blake was simply one poisonous head on the Medusa. Cut him off, and another would grow in his place.

And whoever replaced him would probably be even more hell-bent on revenge.

To end the cycle, we needed to bring down the whole lot of them. Maybe then those who didn't quite fit into the Jenson pack ideal could live free of tyranny and fear.

So we spent precious time tracking down every one of his siblings and his get. Where possible, Jack sent out vampires to read their minds and gather information. It quickly became apparent that the Jenson pack's change of fortune hadn't come from good management but rather blackmail, robbery, and even murder. And as I'd suspected some time ago, Henry Bottchelli - the man who'd hired the red Mazda driver to follow me - was one of Blake's aliases. He had several others, as did Tyson and most of his sons.

We worked practically nonstop. We gathered our evidence, we stuck our fingers into their bank accounts, and we raided their computer systems, and slowly but surely we got ready to snatch the whole damn lot of them.