Ana ripped her gaze from Ty’s and took her seat again.
Carly then told them three critical facts Mahone had learned. First, the secret to stopping a vampire from reading a mind or being able to persuade it was wearing pure gold. Remembering the medallion Ty wore under his shirt, Ana’s gaze shot to him, but his expression remained impassive. She understood immediately. He hadn’t mentioned the thing to anyone else. Maybe he didn’t trust them after all.
The question fled her mind given her shock at what Carly said next. Mahone’s second discovery was that a vampire died when he turned a human. That was why it hadn’t happened very often before the FBI had messed things up. Ana wondered why it would have happened at all. Why would the Rogues have agreed to work with the FBI, turning humans for them, if doing so meant sacrificing their own lives? It made no sense.
Unless, of course, they hadn’t been doing the actual turning themselves.
But there was more. Moving right along, Carly conveyed Mahone’s most important information: only a stab to the heart with a blade dipped in subzero liquid nitrogen would kill a turned vampire.
Nice to know, Ana thought dismally. It was unlikely she or Ty would be let into Salvation’s Crossing with a couple of long, sharp knives tucked into their bags. Or better yet, with a canister of liquid nitrogen they’d ask to be placed in the freezer.
“Got it? Memorize everything,” Carly said. “And there’ll be a briefing on our satellite photos and infrared drone images of the compound before you go. It should be obvious that this information is strictly confidential. Ty, as I’m sure you’ve figured out, Ana has decided to—”
Ana couldn’t take it anymore. She bolted out of her chair and raced out of the library. In fact, she fled as if the devil was chasing her. It wasn’t the devil, though. It was the realization that Ty now had a way to do himself in if he was so inclined. He didn’t have to be diagnosed with PTSD for her to know how fast he could spin out of control—and how much agony it caused him.
Extreme stress could trigger suicidal thoughts. If he ended up alone somewhere without anyone to talk him out of it, he could kill himself—kill the monster inside—anytime he wanted. And that made her want to weep.
If things went wrong, how could she protect herself, her sister, Miguel, and Ty all at the same time?
She loved them all, she admitted to herself.
Gloria.
Miguel, who she couldn’t believe had ordered a hit on her sister.
And, yes, Ty, vampire side and all.
She wished like hell she didn’t. She’d lost everyone she’d ever loved in one way or another. Would this turn out the same way?
An hour later, she was sitting by Belladonna’s huge lap pool, staring at the water. She sensed the moment Ty crossed the surrounding flagstones, even before he stepped beside her, kicked off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and sat down with his feet in the water next to hers.
Neither of them spoke for several minutes.
“Having second thoughts about coming with me?” he finally asked.
She smiled bitterly and shook her head. “Sorry. No such luck.”
Ty was silent for a few moments. Then he leaned back to take something out of his pocket.
Ana was surprised when he handed her a necklace, a more delicate version of the one he’d been wearing. “Here you go. Courtesy of Mahone,” he said.
Carefully, she took it from him. She slipped it on and tucked it under her blouse.
“Yay,” she said flatly. “They won’t be able to read our minds. And now we know how to kill a turned vampire.” She snorted. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll find some liquid nitrogen, too.”
“True,” he agreed. “But then what? You’ll grab a knife, dip it into the liquid nitrogen, and do what with it? Kill your friend Miguel? Kill your sister?” He shot to his feet with incredible ease, leaving her to stare up at him.
Slowly, she got to her feet, as well.
“I told you before, I’ll do whatever I have to do,” she said fiercely. “But I don’t believe that’s going to be necessary. I don’t believe what you do about Gloria. Maybe Miguel, but I’m not even sure about that.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. If your life needs protecting, I’ll do it, Ana. I don’t care if it’s Miguel or your sister or whoever else—no one is going to hurt you. You come with me, you come knowing that.”
Instead of answering him, she looked away, which prompted him to gently grab hold of her chin and tilt her face up toward his.
“They’re not saints, Ana. At the very least, Miguel and Gloria are working with vampires to turn humans for the FBI. Thanks to Mahone, we now know that in order to turn a human, a vampire has to die.”
“So I heard.”
Ty scowled. “But maybe you didn’t understand. Rogues aren’t doing the turning. Neither are Miguel or your sister. So how do you think they get other vampires to do their dirty work for them?”
“By threatening those they love,” Ana said. It was what made the most sense. Gangs, solo criminals, abusers all did it. Just how they rolled.
“Yes.” He let her go.
“But Gloria and Miguel could be totally ignorant of the consequences of turning a human,” she insisted. “You were. And I guess Carly and Peter and the rest of the FBI Strange Phenom people were, too.”
Ty opened his mouth to reply, but Ana held up her hand, forestalling him.
“Maybe I can believe that of Miguel. If he wanted my sister killed, I believe he could do anything. But that’s a big if. And I’m sorry, but I’ll never believe it about my sister. No matter what anyone tells me. Not without proof. That’s the only reason I’m going with you, Ty. To save Gloria. This—me being here with you—has always been about Gloria.”
She guessed his thoughts before he spoke them. Fire blazed in his eyes and his fists clenched, as if he was barely stopping himself from reaching for her. “No. When I held you in my arms, when I was inside you, it was only about the two of us, Ana. Remember that.”
His hand lifted and he stroked his knuckles across her cheek. Ana’s lips parted slightly. She didn’t want to kiss him.
But she did.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
Ana went back into the mansion without Ty, going quickly up the stairs but pausing on the landing when she heard Collette’s voice below.
“Before you go …”
She turned to see all three of the other women standing in a group on the marble floor, looking up at her.
Oh no. Ana didn’t have the energy for some weird little bon voyage party.
“I really have to pack.” Her tone was barely polite.
Justine started up the steps. “Let us help. Carly said you would need a few extra things that you probably don’t have.”
Ana noticed the small bags each woman was holding. She couldn’t tell what was in them from where she was, but there weren’t any ribbons and wrapping paper. Obviously, she’d left the conference in the library a little too soon.
“Okay. Come on up.”
Collette led the way, followed by Justine and Barrett. Ana waited on the landing and turned to head toward her room when they were all on the same level.
She opened the door and waved them in.
“Dibs!” Justine headed straight for the bed before anyone else could, sprawling out in a half-reclined position.
Barrett chose the armchair and Collette simply sat on the floor, setting out the small bags she’d gathered from the others. Ana sat beside her.