worried father. She took a breath. “I think I should call the boys. Maybe it isn’t safe…me staying here.”
Only once had Kali ever seen Greg cry. That had been at his father’s funeral five years ago. He finally broke down as they lowered the casket into the dark, gaping hole in the earth. Now as he gathered his youngest daughter in his arms, Kali witnessed Greg’s tears for the second time.
“Understand that I don’t want you to go. But I can’t help you with this.”
“I know.” Kali squeezed him back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for being you.”
“Am I allowed to apologize for the table?”
Greg chuckled. “That was Lisa’s antique pride and joy. Tell her you’re sorry once and don’t ever mention it again.”
Kali laughed. It sounded like good advice.
“Bring yourself downstairs into the family room when you’re done. The phone call to your babysitters can wait for a couple of hours. We’ll spend the rest of the evening as a family.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Greg left, and Kali glared at the part-time sociopath, part-time charming ex-boyfriend who was currently their houseguest. “What do you want?”
“I’ve already said. I want to help you remember.”
He walked around the table. Now nothing stood between them. She forced herself not to take a step back. “Why?”
His hand lifted toward her face and Kali flinched. He stopped, raising a brow questioningly. When she didn’t move again, he reached forward and brushed a strand of hair from her face. It was exactly the sort of thing Cal would have done.
“Because the truth would be a useful tool to me.”
Kali swallowed. “Who am I talking to? Cal or Gabriel?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you want to use me to get what you actually want.”
He smiled. “Clever girl. I see why he likes you.”
“Will you let me speak to him?”
A frown briefly crossed Gabriel’s face. Then it cleared. “Oh. The boy. If you insist.” Gabriel rolled his neck slowly. His eyes flashed red for a split second and then were blue again. An easy smile transformed the murderous atmosphere of his features.
“Hey, Kal.”
She punched him in the arm as hard as she could. “I worried about you! What the heck do you think you’re doing?”
“Ow.” He rubbed his shoulder. “I thought I was looking after my girl.”
“I’m not your girl. And you’re an idiot.”
He grinned. “Love makes you do crazy things.”
“Callan, this is serious. That monster you’re harboring inside your body is psycho.”
The amiable smile slipped away. “You’ve only heard one side of the story.”
“Oh yeah?” Kali folded her arms. “Tell me what I missed.”
“Gabriel isn’t the bad guy in this.”
“Wow. So, you mean I misjudged him for killing two police officers and almost a third, ripping a car to shreds—one that my dad and I happened to be inside of—and for trying to kill the man I love? How silly of me.”
Cal shrugged. “Okay, so he had some anger issues. You would too, if you’d lost what he has.”
Kali shook her head. “You have no idea what I’ve lost,” she said hotly.
“I don’t want to fight, Kali.”
“Tell me what Gabriel really wants.”
“He doesn’t let me see that part of him.”
She searched his eyes. After four years of dating, she could tell when Cal w as lying. This time he wasn’t. “Then tell me what he lost.”
Cal looked briefly at something over her shoulder. “I have to go,” he said and started to walk away but Kali grabbed his sleeve. “Tell me, Callan. Tell me what Gabriel lost.”
Cal turned to face her. And tracing a thumb slowly across her jawline, Gabriel answered, “I lost someone very special to me.” His eyes flashed. “I’ll see you soon, Darkesong.”
Chapter 20
“Is Rhane going to kill Gabriel?”
Rion and Warren had returned a few minutes after Cal/Gabriel left. But this time, York was with them. Kali sat in the backseat of the truck as they raced
Only once had Kali ever seen Greg cry. That had been at his father’s funeral five years ago. He finally broke down as they lowered the casket into the dark, gaping hole in the earth. Now as he gathered his youngest daughter in his arms, Kali witnessed Greg’s tears for the second time.
“Understand that I don’t want you to go. But I can’t help you with this.”
“I know.” Kali squeezed him back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for being you.”
“Am I allowed to apologize for the table?”
Greg chuckled. “That was Lisa’s antique pride and joy. Tell her you’re sorry once and don’t ever mention it again.”
Kali laughed. It sounded like good advice.
“Bring yourself downstairs into the family room when you’re done. The phone call to your babysitters can wait for a couple of hours. We’ll spend the rest of the evening as a family.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Greg left, and Kali glared at the part-time sociopath, part-time charming ex-boyfriend who was currently their houseguest. “What do you want?”
“I’ve already said. I want to help you remember.”
He walked around the table. Now nothing stood between them. She forced herself not to take a step back. “Why?”
His hand lifted toward her face and Kali flinched. He stopped, raising a brow questioningly. When she didn’t move again, he reached forward and brushed a strand of hair from her face. It was exactly the sort of thing Cal would have done.
“Because the truth would be a useful tool to me.”
Kali swallowed. “Who am I talking to? Cal or Gabriel?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you want to use me to get what you actually want.”
He smiled. “Clever girl. I see why he likes you.”
“Will you let me speak to him?”
A frown briefly crossed Gabriel’s face. Then it cleared. “Oh. The boy. If you insist.” Gabriel rolled his neck slowly. His eyes flashed red for a split second and then were blue again. An easy smile transformed the murderous atmosphere of his features.
“Hey, Kal.”
She punched him in the arm as hard as she could. “I worried about you! What the heck do you think you’re doing?”
“Ow.” He rubbed his shoulder. “I thought I was looking after my girl.”
“I’m not your girl. And you’re an idiot.”
He grinned. “Love makes you do crazy things.”
“Callan, this is serious. That monster you’re harboring inside your body is psycho.”
The amiable smile slipped away. “You’ve only heard one side of the story.”
“Oh yeah?” Kali folded her arms. “Tell me what I missed.”
“Gabriel isn’t the bad guy in this.”
“Wow. So, you mean I misjudged him for killing two police officers and almost a third, ripping a car to shreds—one that my dad and I happened to be inside of—and for trying to kill the man I love? How silly of me.”
Cal shrugged. “Okay, so he had some anger issues. You would too, if you’d lost what he has.”
Kali shook her head. “You have no idea what I’ve lost,” she said hotly.
“I don’t want to fight, Kali.”
“Tell me what Gabriel really wants.”
“He doesn’t let me see that part of him.”
She searched his eyes. After four years of dating, she could tell when Cal w as lying. This time he wasn’t. “Then tell me what he lost.”
Cal looked briefly at something over her shoulder. “I have to go,” he said and started to walk away but Kali grabbed his sleeve. “Tell me, Callan. Tell me what Gabriel lost.”
Cal turned to face her. And tracing a thumb slowly across her jawline, Gabriel answered, “I lost someone very special to me.” His eyes flashed. “I’ll see you soon, Darkesong.”
Chapter 20
“Is Rhane going to kill Gabriel?”
Rion and Warren had returned a few minutes after Cal/Gabriel left. But this time, York was with them. Kali sat in the backseat of the truck as they raced
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