The human’s eyebrows shot into his hair. “Your brother,” he repeated in disbelief. “I’m sorry, you mean the bloke who sold us out to Talon? Are you off your rocker? You want to let Talon know exactly where we are?”

“He didn’t sell us out,” I snapped back. “Talon lied to him. He didn’t know what would happen when he told Lilith where we were. He didn’t know she would try to kill us.” Wes gave me a look of supreme disbelief, and I narrowed my eyes. “I know Dante. I’ve known him all my life. He wouldn’t willingly do anything that would put me in danger. Talon used him, like they used all of us.”

“Be that as it may,” Wes said, “he’s still part of the organization, or have you forgotten they’re the ones sending Vipers after us? Even if your brother is being manipulated, it doesn’t change anything. Talon will still use him to get to us. So, sorry, can’t help you there. I like our status as is—alive and breathing.”

Anger and despair rose up, and my chest squeezed tight. Half of me wanted to threaten the stubborn human before me with fire and fangs, the other half knew he was right, that he was only protecting himself and the rest of us. But still, Dante was my twin, my only family. I knew Talon didn’t approve of such things; the organization was our “family,” and we weren’t supposed to need attachments to anything, or anyone, else. But growing up, it had always been me and Dante against the world. I wouldn’t abandon him, even if he had turned his back on me in favor of Talon.

“Please,” I said quietly, making the human blink. “Wes, please. He’s my brother. I don’t know what’s happened to him, if he’s okay, if Talon is making him do something awful.” Wes thinned his lips, looking annoyed but hesitant, and I pressed forward earnestly. “I won’t tell him where we are,” I promised. “Or give him any information that can be traced back to us. I just need to know if he’s all right.”

Wes sighed. “Even if I wanted to do this,” he said in a softer voice, “which I don’t, let’s make that very clear—I’m not going to risk it without Riley’s approval. You haven’t really seen the blighter lose his temper yet, and as I am not fireproof, I’m not going to sneak around behind his back. You’ll have to take that request up with him.”

“Fine,” I said, backing toward the door. “Then I’ll find him and ask him myself.”

“Ask me what?”