“Yeah. She’s going to help herself to Nathan’s head after you lead her right to him!” I was glad miles of highway separated us, because I was mad enough to stake him.

“Nathan attacked her!” Max followed his statement with a loud curse. “She barely survived. But she remembers the attack, and she knows he’s been possessed. And she knows the Soul Eater is involved.”

Max wouldn’t fight so hard if he had a doubt as to her loyalty to our cause. And he wouldn’t let a woman sway his judgment. He might have been a womanizer, but he wasn’t stupid. But I wouldn’t give in to him right now. I was still too angry. “Fine. Tell me more about the Soul Eater.”

“Not much more to tell. There were bodies everywhere, but no guards posted. They’ve been there awhile. I think they’re looking for Nathan, too.” He paused. “Listen, he was getting pretty close, but we chased him off. I’m thinking it’s probably not a good idea for him to be loose, if his big daddy is looking for him.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too. But what are we going to do? I mean, we can catch him, but how are we going to keep him?” I drummed the steering wheel with my fingertips.

He snorted. “We could use the handcuffs I found in his bedroom. You perv.”

“You snooped through our things, you deal with your disgust on your own time.” I was just glad Max wasn’t able to see my mortified blush as I thought of exactly what those handcuffs had been used for. The same kind of mortified blush I’d had the night Nathan had jokingly—but only by half—brought them home. A vampire who’d escaped police capture had been wearing them when he’d run into Nathan, who’d still been on Movement-training autopilot. After Nathan had staked the unfortunate jailbird, he’d retrieved the cuffs.

“Have some respect for the dead, Nathan.”

“Come on. I bet the dead, and the GRPD, would want to see these put to good use.”

And boy, did we ever put them to good use.

“Did I lose you?” Max’s voice startled me out of my steaming memories.

I cleared my throat guiltily. “No, I’m here. It’s not a bad idea, catching him and locking him up. Just be careful. Don’t kill him. And don’t let what’s-her-name do it, either.”

“No way I’m gonna let that happen.” He sounded certain.

That was enough for me. “Okay. Just—”

“Be careful?” He wasn’t mocking me. It was clear from his tone he knew exactly how much I depended on Nathan. “You know I will.”

“Thank you, Max.”