“As should your mother,” he returned firmly. “No conditions, Delilah. I know. I turned from a puppy into a human who tried to sink my fangs in her flesh, and still had a mother who took me on, loved me, and accepted me, no conditions. In fact, I had two.”

“I see your point,” she muttered.

He was glad because he had another one to make which was almost as important.

“For your safety and everyone else’s, she does not know about me or about us. When you start to break ties down there, she doesn’t get the story and you share it with others in a way it won’t get back to her.”

“Okay, honey,” she agreed.

Abel fell silent.

“Uh…speaking about that,” Delilah started, “for everyone else’s sake, what are we doing?”

“What are we doing?”

“About taking off,” she clarified.

Abel drew in breath and let it out, noting, “Their reaction was violent.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Even more than I expected it to be.”

“Yes again.”

“And I haven’t even mentioned it to Jian-Li.”

Delilah made no response. She just pressed her lips together and widened her eyes, giving her unspoken opinion that Jian-Li’s reaction would be what it was going to be—that being even more volatile than the rest—and his mate didn’t even know Jian-Li very well

“Your father will follow us, his boys with him,” he stated.

She kept stroking his throat. “He will, Abel. To be honest, I thought he’d give in. When he didn’t, I was surprised. But even if I didn’t guess his response, I know one thing for certain about my dad…when he digs in, he digs in.”

Abel had that impression about Hooker Johnson too.

Not to mention his crew.

Abel looked from her to the ceiling, muttering, “Fuck.”

Delilah said nothing, and when this lasted for some time as he contemplated the ceiling, it occurred to him there was something about that he liked.

They were talking about something, it was important to both of them, it weighed heavy on their minds, and even as she lay atop him, when he needed a moment in his head, she gave it to him.

He’d met many women in his life, not all he fucked, obviously, but both varieties, this trait was rare. Especially if what was being discussed was something important and she might have her point to drive home.

On that thought, he tipped his eyes back to her. “What’s your vote?”