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“I think we’re okay,” I said, and they both lowered their hands.

We slowly entered, and Mercy was sitting next to her father. They both turned their heads toward us.

“I’m sorry, Caleb. I knew you’d try to stop me, but I had to come,” Mercy said before we fully entered the room. “As you can see, I’m safe with my father.”

Are you fucking kidding me right now? She’s sorry?

“Caleb, nice to see you again after all these years,” Alexander said while standing up and approaching me with caution. The fucker knew I had no emotions for him, as Mercy did. I wouldn’t hesitate to end him. “I’m not going to hurt you or her. Relax.” His voice was eerily calm.

“I’ve just come here for Mercy,” I said, biting down on the inside of my cheek.

Alexander flashed a slight smile at me and looked at his daughter. “Mercy, do you want to leave with them?”

Mercy shook her head. “Not right now,” she said. “I appreciate that you’re checking on me, guys, but as I said, I’m safe.”

Was she really dismissing us? Just like that?

Mercy sat next to a man who hadn’t seen her in centuries, and she already trusted him? Alexander could have been killing innocent humans to get to her for all she knew. He ran a dangerous vampire clan, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t doubt for a second that he would snap the neck of an innocent victim without hesitation.

No. Mercy’s not staying here.

“Mercy,” I started, attempting to keep my tone as controlled as possible. “Get your ass off that chair and leave with us. Now.” My voice came off more authoritative than I had intended it to be. I didn’t want to upset or boss her around, but it was clear Alexander had manipulated her, and she wasn’t thinking straight.

Mercy stood and walked up to me. “I’m not leaving.”

I shook my head. “What’s happened to you? You have a coven and a family who love you.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Alexander, who wore a stupid grin on his face, then turned back to her.

“If you weren’t over here playing house with vampires, you would have noticed that the body count hasn’t stopped rising. We need you. A homeless man turned up dead in Goddard Park. It was the same as the others. Bite marks and a tattoo ofyourfucking club.” I turned to Alexander again, seeing if he’d react to my accusation.

He didn’t, only shook his head, walked up to me, and held out his wrist. “Feel that?”

I grabbed his wrist, placing my fingers near the vein.

Heartbeat.

I let go of his wrist, glancing at Mercy, then back at him. “What the hell?”

She placed her hand on my arm. “Alexander isn’t the one killing people, Caleb. I fed him my blood a few hours ago. He doesn’t want to be a vampire. He never has. For years, he ran this clan to keep this group of vampires under control. My father doesn’t kill people, but he hasn’t always been in control of those in the clan who did. He’s going to give it all up to help us.”

Joel and Lily exchanged a glance, then looked back at Alexander.

“I’m Mercy’s uncle, and this is her aunt Lily.” Joel reached out his hand. They shook before Alexander turned back to Mercy, wrapping his fingers around her arm. My body stiffened when he touched her.

“We may be divided by the two different lives Mercy has lived, but we areallfamily,” Alexander said. “I would never hurt my daughter. I knew she was alive, but I wasn’t ready to face her yet. I’m glad she came to me, and I’m also sorry about what happened at my club the other night. I would never have left anyone with Devon if I had known he would do something like that.”

I grunted out a snarl and looked away.

Mercy must have noticed my annoyance because she walked up to me and placed her hand on my chest, hoping it would help me relax. “My father is a powerful witch, Caleb. You know this. We could use his magic,” Mercy said, and my shoulders relaxed the more she touched me. Not because of what she said but because she still hadn’t removed her hand from my chest, and her touch always helped me calm down. When my eyes met her gaze, she continued. “He’s agreed to help us find out who is killing in East Greenwich.” She turned and smiled at her father. “Alexander has the ability to read minds.”

Alexander’s smile made me feel uneasy, but I listened as he said, “Which is why having me help is crucial. If someone from my clan did this, I’d know by reading their thoughts.”

I wondered if that would work. Would the vampires really allow a witch to get that close to them? His clan would know right away he wasn’t a vampire anymore. They’d slaughter him before he drew breath in their presence.

The vampire who greeted us at the door entered the room. Alexander waved him over. “Thomas, are you ready for my daughter’s gift?”

“I’m ready, Mercy,” he said.

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