Page 90 of Body and Soul

“Rapists, murderers, abusers. That's who we kill,” I spat. “Scum that the system fails to put away. We protect the innocent by taking out the trash.”

“So you admit it then,” Algerone said, lip curling in disgust. “You don’t even try to hide it now that it’s out in the light, do you? But in all the months you’ve had him with you, all the times he’s shared your bed, slept next to you… You haven’t told him exactly how much of amonsteryou are, have you?”

Eli's fingers dug painfully into my arm, his whole body trembling against me. I could practically taste his fear, his confusion, his doubt. It coated my tongue, thick and cloying.

I refused to look at him, keeping my glare trained on Algerone. If I saw the horror and revulsion in Eli's eyes, I didn't know what I would do.

“The truth hurts, doesn't it, boy?” Algerone crooned, taking another step closer. “To realize the man you've let into your body is nothing more than a rabid dog that needs to be put down.”

“Shut your fucking mouth,” I snarled, baring my teeth.

Algerone smirked. “What's the matter, Shepherd? Afraid he'll see you for what you truly are and run screaming? Though Isuppose there's nowhere for him to run, is there? Not with your claws sunk so deep into his flesh.”

I saw red. A roar built in my chest, rattling my ribs. I started to lunge forward, fully intending to rip Algerone's smug face off with my bare hands.

But Eli's grip on my arm stopped me. His fingers dug in hard enough to bruise, anchoring me in place.

“Don't,” he said, so softly I almost didn't hear him.

The effect was instantaneous, like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head, soothing the flames of my rage. The beast inside me stilled, hackles lowering, claws retracting.

I blinked, startled by the sudden shift. It was as if Eli's touch had flipped a switch, transforming me from the snarling, feral creature I'd been only seconds before back into an almost rational human being. I glanced down at where his fingers gripped me, marveling at the way his pale skin contrasted against my tanned, weathered flesh. Such a simple gesture, yet it held an unexpected power.

Algerone's eyes narrowed to slits. “See our guests out, Maxime. We're done here.”

I tugged on Eli's hand, pulling him close as we followed the other man out of the study and back through the decadent corridors. The sounds of carnal pleasure assaulted us from all sides, but they seemed distant, muted, as if belonging to another world entirely.

All I could focus on was the warmth of Eli’s body pressed to mine, the overwhelming urge to cocoon him in safety, to shield him from harm. I was used to looking out for my brothers, my sister—but this was different.

We emerged from the mansion into the cool night air. It was a relief to breathe in something other than the cloying perfume and sweat from inside. The moon hung heavy and bloated in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the estate grounds.

The same driver led us to the SUV. Eli curled into my side, and I wrapped an arm around him, tucking his head under my chin. He fit perfectly, like he belonged there, though his body was stiff.

Fucking Algerone… I was going to kill him.

The driver took usback to the closed restaurant. While he and Keres traded barbs, I ignored them, exhausted. I went straight to Shepherd’s SUV, curled up in the back seat.

I’d started the evening with such high hopes, dreams of a perfect date with a man I was growing to care for and trust. Instead, we’d gotten kidnapped and threatened, and to top it all off, I’d learned Shepherd was some sort of vigilante murderer. Tonight’s events left me feeling raw and hurt, and I just wanted it to be over.

Keres slid into the seat beside me, his presence both comforting and unnerving. His hand rested tentatively on my shoulder. I flinched but leaned into the touch, craving the connection I shared with Shepherd.

“Eli,” Keres said. When I didn’t respond, he growled it at me. “Eli, look at me.”

I forced myself to meet Keres' gaze, his intense brown eyes—like Shepherd's but with something more feral. He studied myface, hand heavy on my shoulder, and though I wanted to look away, I held his stare. I owed him that much.

“You're afraid,” Keres stated, his deep voice rumbling through the confines of the SUV. It wasn't a question. He could read me like an open book, just as Shepherd always could. “Of me. Of Shepherd.”

I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat. Fear churned in my gut, but it warred with a strange sense of safety in Keres' presence. He'd protected me, even if his methods were brutal and shocking. I didn't know how to reconcile the Shepherd I'd come to trust and care for with the man who apparently hunted down and killed criminals in cold blood.

“I don't know what to think,” I rasped out, my voice hoarse. “Shepherd, he... you...” I trailed off, unsure how to put my swirling thoughts into words.

Keres' grip tightened on my shoulder before he sighed, letting go. He ran a hand through his hair, so like Shepherd, it made my chest ache. “It’s not what you think, Eli. We have a code. We only go after the worst—rapists, murderers, human traffickers. The ones the law can't or won’t touch.”

I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around it all. “But you're still killing people. Playing judge, jury, and executioner. How is that right?” My voice rose with each word until I was nearly shouting.

“You think what happened to you was right?” Keres snarled, his upper lip curling. “What those sick fucks at the Children of the Light did to you? To me and Shepherd when we were kids?”

The reminder of the abuse I'd suffered, that Shepherd had apparently endured too, made bile rise in my throat. I swallowed it down, my hands clenching into fists. “Of course not. But that doesn't mean—”

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