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After Beth gave him the address and assured him the rental was safe, his first instinct was to race over there, but he canned that idea. Wrath was going to the Scribe Virgin right now. Maybe they could get the regression over with and there’d be good news to share on the other side.

“She’s coming back tonight, right?” Man, he wished she’d told him about the move out.

“Definitely. And Wrath is going to ask Vishous to work on the security system, so she’ll stay here until that’s done.” Beth frowned. “Hey…you don’t look so good. Why don’t you come down and get some food with me?”

He nodded, even though he had no idea what she’d said to him. “You know I love her, right?” he blurted, not sure why he was going there.

“Yes, I do. And she loves you.”

Then why didn’t she talk to him?

Yeah, and just how easy had he made that for her lately? He’d freaked out about the feeding. Taken her virginity while he was drunk. Hurt her in the process. Christ.

“I’m not hungry,” he said. “But I’ll watch while you eat.”

Back at the Pit, Vishous stepped out of the shower and yelped like a nancy, slamming back against the marble wall. Wrath was standing in the bathroom, a big leather-clad male the size of the goddamned Escalade.

“Christ, my lord. Scare a brother, why don’t you.”

“Little jumpy there, V, huh?” Wrath handed over a towel. “So I just came back from the Scribe Virgin.”

V paused with the terry cloth under an arm. “What did she say?”

“She wouldn’t see me.”

“Goddamn it, why?” He wrapped up his hips.

“Some shit like ‘wheels turning.’ Who knows. One of the Chosen met me.” Wrath’s jaw went so tight it was a wonder he could talk at all. “Anyway, I go back tomorrow night. Straight up, it doesn’t look good.”

As frustration spiked, V felt his eyelid start to flicker. “Shit.”

“Yeah.” There was a pause. “And while we’re on the subject of crap, let’s talk about you.”

“Me?”

“You’re strung tighter than cable and your eye’s twitching.”

“Yeah, because you just Friday-the-thirteenthed me.” V pushed past the king and went into his bedroom.

As he put his glove on his hand, Wrath leaned against the jamb. “Look, Vishous…”

Oh, they were so not doing this. “I’m fine.”

“Sure you are. So here’s the deal. I’m giving you till the end of the week. If you haven’t straightened up by then, I’m taking you out of rotation.”

“What?”

“Vacation time. Can you say R&R, my brother?”

“Are you out of your mind? You realize we’re down to four of us now with Tohr being gone, true? You can’t afford to—”

“Lose you. Yeah, I know. And so you’re not going to get killed because of whatever’s going on in that head of yours. Or not going on, as is the case.”

“Look, we’re all on edge, what with—”

“Butch came by a little while ago. Told me about your repeating nightmare.”

“That cocksucker.” Man, he was going to pound his roommate into the ground like a stake for blabbing.

“He was right to tell me. You should have told me.”

V went over to his bureau, where his rolling papers and his tobacco were. He spun one up fast, needing something in his mouth. It was either plug himself up or keep swearing.

“You need to get checked out, V.”

“By who? Havers? No CAT scan or lab workup is going to tell me what’s wrong, because it’s not physical. Look, I’ll get it together.” He glanced over his shoulder and exhaled. “I’m the smart one, remember? I’ll figure this out.”

Wrath lowered his wraparounds, his pale green eyes burning like neon penlights. “You’ve got a week to fix this, or I’m going to the Scribe Virgin about you. Now get your ass dressed. I need to talk to you about something else involving the cop.”

As the king took off for the living room, V drew hard on his cigarette and then looked around for his ashtray. Goddamn it, he’d left the thing out front.

He was about to head to the living room when he looked at his hand. Bringing the gloved nightmare up to his mouth, he peeled the leather off with his teeth and stared at his radiant curse.

Shit. The illumination was getting brighter and brighter every day.