Hauk wanted to hate her. He did. But for the first time, he understood Keris’s insane addiction to drugs. That need to have the one thing you knew was lethal to your entire being. To put your life on the line to have one second of pleasure.

Sumi was his addiction. And he was willing to die to possess her.

Growling in his throat, he knew he should kill her where she stood. It would be the smartest thing to do. Yet he respected any mother who would offer up her own life to protect her child.

Anyone who could be that altruistic wasn’t a monster. Like she said, Kyr wouldn’t hesitate to cut his own family’s throats if he thought it would advance his career.

Or make him feel better.

She still had a soul, and those damn tears weakened him even more as they fell unimpeded down her cheeks. They made him feel like an ass for accusing her and making her sad. So what if she’d done it?

For some insane reason, none of that mattered.

And she was terrified of him now. There was no missing the fear in those hazel eyes as she stood bravely in front of him. Toe-to-toe. Waiting for her death at his hands.

Before he could stop himself, he offered the knife back to her.

She refused to take it. “There’s something else you need to know about me.”

His gut tightened even more at her dire tone. This he couldn’t wait to hear. “What?”

“I’m Omira’s younger sister.”

His jaw went slack. Though to be honest, he’d suspected as much. Still, suspecting and hearing it confirmed were two vastly different things.

“Is that why you withheld your name when I asked?”

She nodded. “I knew you would hate me for it. And it’s why Kyr assigned this to me. He knew I hated your brother, and thought my presence might unnerve you enough that you’d make a mistake he could use against you.”

Now that he hadn’t suspected from her. No one hated Fain. Not really. Even when he beat someone’s ass, they eventually ended up liking him. “Why the hell would you hate my brother?”

“For what he did to my sister.”

His scowled at her. What Fain had done to Omira? Really? Was Sumi insane?

She had to be…

“What? Let the bitch live when he should have ripped her throat out?”

She shoved at him, but it didn’t budge him. And that pissed her off. “Don’t you dare insult my sister!”

He held his hands up in surrender as he continued to stare at her with total stupefaction. “You and I obviously have two very different sides of this story. What do you think happened to their marriage?”