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then.”
    â€œThat’s right, amigo. Things changed when you betrayed me to the man who killed Esperanza.” Diego rose from the desk and came to stand nose to nose with him, his posture more challenging than it had been before. “You do remember that you nearly cost us all our lives during that little escapade.”
    Meeting Diego’s gaze, he noted the telltale blossoming of neon green in his eyes that said the other vampire was battling to rein in his anger. Blake had no desire for Diego to lose that control. He was no match physically for Diego—or even Ryder, for that matter. But that didn’t mean he would give up so easily or tuck his tail in like a whipped dog.
    Rising on tiptoe until he nearly bumped noses with Diego, he said, “I saved your life and the little chit’s.”
    Turning to Ryder, he pointed to him and said, “And I’ve helped you and yours out of more than one scrape.”
    Ryder surged from his seat, all earlier traces of friendliness gone, and came to stand beside Diego. “Which makes you an Eagle Scout all of a sudden?”
    â€œAll I want is a job.”
    â€œAnd a chance to see Meghan every day,” Diego pressed.
    True, not that he would admit it. “I won’t bother her.”
    â€œWhy do I find that so hard to believe?” Ryder said, before plopping back down in his chair.
    â€œMaybe because in the same circumstances, you wouldn’t leave her alone, either,” Blake said, earning a chuckle from Ryder, who also acknowledged the statement with a nod. He pressed on, “Look, mates. I’ve had your backs and it seems to me you could use a few more friends to watch out for you, considering what happened the other night.”
    With a surge of speed and power, Diego had him by the throat, his feet dangling off the ground. “What do you know about that?”
    â€œJust what I saw from the alley afterward, but there’s all kinds of rumors floating around about what happened to those two vamps,” he replied in a choked voice, all he could muster thanks to the force of Diego’s grip on his throat.
    Diego tossed him away and leaned on the edge of the desk.
    Ryder faced him and in a calm voice asked, “What kinds of rumors?”
    â€œSuicide pact. Murder. Humans wanting revenge. You name it.” With a nonchalant shrug, Blake continued. “So what really happened?”
    Diego and Ryder exchanged a look, as if considering whether or not to answer, but then Ryder admitted, “We don’t know.”
    â€œYou don’t know? Isn’t your little FBI friend—”
    â€œDiana’s out of this, Blake,” Ryder said, the tone of his voice growing harsh.
    â€œLover’s spat?” he tossed out without a thought, but was sorry he did so at Ryder’s reaction.
    Ryder bowed his head and took a deep breath. His body grew frighteningly still the way the air turned dead before a storm. Diego reached out, laid a hand on Ryder’s shoulder and asked, “Amigo, are you okay?”
    Ryder nodded and then faced Blake once again, his eyes glittering with the harsh bright color of the vampire. A low rumble filled Ryder’s voice and a hint of fang became visible as he spoke. “You want us to think you’re honorable? That you understand friendship and respect—”
    â€œI’m sorry, Ryder. I didn’t mean anything about Diana.”
    â€œWe’ll give you a job, Blake.” Ryder rose slowly from the chair, his hands clenched at his sides. He stood before Blake, his troubled gaze boring into him and his face fully transformed to that of the vampire. Considering that Ryder kept the vampire in check more often than any of them, Blake knew it was not a good sign. Ryder made his demands. When he was finished he added, “And we’ll expect you to respect us and do as you’re told. Understood?”
    Blake hated the feeling of unworthiness that both