Page 78 of Colin

“Citizens’ arrest. Human traffickers.”

He probably should have just compelled her to begin with, but maybe the dementia was setting in early, because Mrs. Brown nodded as if that made some kind of sense. “Oh. All right.”

She reached a hand down for the kiddo just as Dane heard the telltale sound of a neck snapping. Before he could turn to seewho it was, the kid started absolutelywailing, crying like he had eight years’ worth of tears built up inside him.

That was Serena down, then. Her compulsion must have cut off as she lost consciousness. A snapped neck wouldn’t kill her—they’d need complete decapitation for that—but it would keep her down long enough to take her elsewhere and do the job properly.

They weren’t letting these two live; that was for certain.

But if her compulsion had broken…

Dane whirled to see Colin tumbling out of the back seat, barely managing to stay on his feet. Dane was at his side in an instant. “Hey. Hey, you’re okay.” He wasn’t sure which one of them he was reassuring with his useless words. “Where else are you hurt, baby?”

He started patting Colin down, and when he hit Colin’s right arm, Colin hissed. Dane realized for the first time what an awkward angle it was hanging it. Fury threatened to overtake him again, his devil chanting a mess of words about their injured mate. “They broke your arm?”

Colin gave one sharp nod. “Lady’s got anger management issues.” He started looking around frantically. “Where’s Fox? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Dane said in the same moment they heard the sharp crack of another snapped neck. He already knew it was Robert. Fox would never let a slimy coward like that get the drop on him.

Sure enough, Fox was at their side in the next second. Dane blocked him before he could repeat the pat down on Colin. “Broken arm,” he told him. “Cut on his head. Possibly a concussion. We should get him to a hospital.”

Colin glared at him. “I fucking hate hospitals. I’m not going. Not until this is all sorted.”

In the next second, they were surrounded by the other vamps. Dane growled, long and low. It didn’t matter that these guys were all on their side—his devil didn’t like it, all these relative strangers so close. Not when their mate was hurt.

Luckily, Alexei had the sense to hold Jay back before the little vampire could reach out and touch their human. Smart man, that one. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

Jamie spoke up. He had a jagged cut on his face, one that was already closing in front of their eyes. “The car’s still running. Luc and I can take the bodies back to our property. We have, um—” He glanced at Colin, who looked back at him calmly. “We’ve got the tools to manage what needs to be done.”

“And disposal?” Fox asked gruffly.

Jamie gave him a lopsided grin. “We’re good there too.”

“All right.” Dane let out a breath. “Alexei, can you handle the neighbor? She’ll need some memory adjustments. The boy too. And the cops, for that matter.”

Alexei nodded, his arms still wrapped around Jay, who seemed content enough to be held, although his concerned eyes stayed on Colin. “I’m on it.”

“Alexei has lots of practice evading the authorities,” Jay told them, patting at his mate’s arm.

Dane had no fucking clue what that meant, but he didn’t care.

Everyone dispersed, although not before Jay had reassurance from Colin that he wasn’t going to be dropping dead in the next five minutes.

Dane studied his brutalized mate, his battered body and the blood on his face. They could have taken him from them. They could havekilledhim.

Five more minutes and they would have been gone.

Dane couldn’t stand it another fucking second. He dropped to his knees, pressing his face into Colin’s flat stomach. He inhaled deeply, steadying himself with his scent, before tilting his headup and meeting Colin’s eyes. “Please,” Dane begged. “Please let us turn you. Let uskeepyou. I promise we’ll take good care of you, no matter what happens. You’ll never regret it. We’ll make sure of it.Please.”

“Holy shit.” It was a testament to their combined worry that, for once, Fox wasn’t laughing. “You finally broke him, slayer.”

Colin met Dane’s eyes. Dane tried to put every bit of his love into his gaze. Because there was no use denying it—Dane loved him. He loved his bravery, his curiosity. He loved the fact that even though he’d been judged and burned before, he still didn’t give a fuck what other people thought. That he made his own judgments, made up his own mind. He was fierce, and he was kind, and he was everything Dane and Fox needed in their lives.

He needed Colin to say yes. He needed it more than he’d ever needed anything.

Colin glanced at Fox, his expression unreadable. “You want this too?”

Fox stepped in close, cupping Colin’s cheek with his hand. “You’re staying with us. Forever. He may be asking, but I’m not. You’re our fucking mate, and we’re keeping you.”

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