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He has access to my wife…

He could be with her now…

My hands fisting, I order, “Drive faster.”

He glances over at me, but there isn’t any humor in his light-blue eyes that nearly verge on lilac. “Not to throw accusations around,” hesays slowlyas the carpicks up speed. “But I think it’s David.”

My head snaps to him, wondering why the fuck he’s never voiced this suspicion before. I’ve trusted David for these last thirty years. Trusted him alone with my wife. With my kids. He is their beloved great uncle; him being the traitor will rip this family apart. Not the Family, the Shadow Domain, butmyfamily.

My jaw tight, I hiss, “Why?”

He shrugs,but it isn’t one of flippancy. It’s a calculated move that expresses an unease in his gut.“Perhaps I’ve read too many books becausethe gods knowhe’s never done anything to warrant suspicion... Hel, he was the one who wanted you to become Boss,and he has given you decades of support.”

“But?” I grind out. His job as reaper has him constantly watching those around me, and thinking about it, it’s been years since Myers has left me alone with David.

He quiets for a moment, no doubt trying to find the right way to voice his suspicions. I want to snap at him to speak already, but I know that’ll do nothing to hurry him up. This accusation might damn well lead to a full-on war within the Family. Such matters cannot be spoken of lightly.

“But not oncehas he ever acted like he wanted to kill you.”

“What?”

He looks at me askance as if he can’t seriously believe I just asked that question. “You’re a dick, Caden. Everyone hates you.”

“Thanks,” I say dryly.

“Nah, not like that.” He tilts his head. “Well, also like that, but I mean… You’re too calculated when it comes to people’s lives. Sacrifice a few here to save a few there. You’re too callous, not having favorites –”

“How is that too –”

“Your own children,” he says softly. “You had Mack and Jack hold position at the portal rather than to retreat to meet up with the backup and retake it.”

“It’s too strong of a position to lose.”Although the portals were closed by decree of the archangels ages ago, the Seven have looked the other way recently about them being reopened to smuggle sups across.A good portion of our income and off-world alliances come from it.“Getting it back would’ve cost more lives. They –”

“I know,” he cuts in. “Iknow. I was there when you opened a scry to be with them the whole way through, trying to help where you could. And I was there when you broke down and cried over their loss.” He glances at me, and I don’t even get on to him for taking his eyes off the road for so long. There are some moments you just can’t avoid. “I’ve been there every single time you’ve watched David take their bodies into his shadow domain, hating that you couldn’t,” he says softly. “But they don’t see that. They see a father who sacrificed his children.”

I look away, the buried grief in my chest banging at the lid of the locker I chained it inside. “What does this have to do with suspecting David?” I ask, my voice soft but not cracking in the slightest.

A leader cannot bend.

And he sure as hel cannot crack.

Not if he wants to keep his family alive. If Idieunder the blade of a traitor, so will all my children. Like a lion clearing out the pups to make way for his own.

“Davidhas never once questioned an order or shown even the tiniest bit of frustration with your rule, and you and I know both know you’ve made mistakes. He’s not kissing your ass, but his emotions are hidden beneath a mask of loyaltywhenno oneis that loyal. I know he’s heard the whispers of discontent concerning you.They like him.He’s a born Shadow. He could easily claim the throne.”

I shake my head.“He loves our children.”

“Does he? Or is he luring them over to his side, happy to put Leon up as Boss?”

“Then hecould just wait four years. I’m not holding tight to the throne.” At the start, when I was young and groomed to take Sau as my wife and take control of this Family as my own, yes, I wanted the power and respectthat came with being Boss. But after thirty years of losing eight children, of watching my wife suffer in nightmares I was helpless to save her from… I just want done with it.

“I know that. But there are whispers about why you are so quick to sacrifice your children.”

“Quick?” The word explodes out of my mouth as I turn to him. “Two of them died from the flu! I spent two weeks beside their bedsides, guiding water down their throats so they wouldn’t die of dehydration.I dideverythingI could to get Eric and...George –” I choke on his name, on his particular death before continuing, “back from Antonio. AndAleric already hit the portal three times in three days the week before Jack and Mack arrived. No one thought he would try again so soon with an even larger number of sired –”

He reaches over and grabs my shoulder. “I know.”

I stare out the window, trembling under the pounding of the grief wanting to get out of its cracking cage. “They died heroes,” I whisper, “not victims.”