“Maybe it’s time you take a break,” Abel suggested.

Hook tore his eyes off Miko and gave them to Abel.

They were burning with angry, badass biker hellfire.

Fuck.

“You don’t do that to a woman,” he growled low.

“I know, Hook,” Abel said low too, and hopefully calming.

“You sure as fuck don’t do it to six of them. And I’m not talkin’ about takin’ their lives, which everyone knows is not fuckin’ cool. I’m talkin’ about makin’ their last memory on this earth—”

Abel cut him off. “I know, Hook.”

Hook looked to Miko. “He’s lower than a piece of shit.”

“You need to take a break, man,” Abel repeated.

Hook moved his gaze to Gregor. “You execute traitors too?”

“Absolutely,” Gregor answered.

Hook scowled at him.

Then he jerked up his chin, muttering, “Time for me to take a break,” and he walked out of the room.

Abel gave his attention to Gregor. “He’s given us all he’s got.”

Gregor nodded his head, his eyes cold and on Miko. “Indeed.”

“You want him back in play?” Abel asked, and Gregor looked to him.

When he did, Abel felt a chill glide down his spine.

“I want to build a great fire and have you control his mind so he walks into it himself and burns to ash, all while we record that and send it to Etienne.”

“I hear you,” Abel said quietly.

“Alas, we cannot do that,” Gregor continued. “So I believe our best course of action right now is to return him to his home and continue to monitor him, with you programming him to report to us should there be communiqués he receives while not in his house. If those who call themselves The True believe we’re scrambling or inactive, and still don’t know we’ve turned their own against them, we build our upper hand.”

“Right,” Abel agreed. “But he’s got three kids that he’s…” Abel trailed off when Gregor shook his head.

“They’re hangers, Abel.”

“He’s abusing them. They think they like it but—”

Gregor interrupted, “They do like it.”

Abel turned fully to the vampire. “It isn’t healthy.”

“No, agreed, it’s not to your understanding of what’s healthy, as well as mine, as well as anyone who has a fit mind. However, hangers do not have healthy minds and they cannot be rehabilitated. This has been tried. It would serve no purpose to keep them away from Miko. They’d only find the next closest vampire and hope for more of the same.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do to get them help?” Abel asked.