Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(93)

Whatever gaze they exchanged must have spoken volumes because Thomas didn't make any further comments, his gaze dropping to mine.

"Now that I see the yearling is safe and fed, I think it's time to take care of that other matter," he said, his face a polite mask.

"Theo," I said. It wasn't much of a guess. I could think of no other reason for Thomas to be here.

One side of his lips quirked up in answer.

Damn.

"He's probably close," I said. "He planned to kill Caroline after she'd taken care of me and collapsed into a coma after her shift back."

He wouldn't want to be far away, but he also couldn't be too close without risking her turning her focus to him.

"Yes, there's a cabin not far from here that his master used to own," Thomas said in an amused voice.

"Makoto is a hacker," Liam said in answer to my unvoiced question. "When pointed in the right direction, he was able to uncover a lot of very interesting information."

Eric got into the driver's seat, Anton by his side in the passenger seat. It was odd to see someone other than Nathan in that spot. Anton didn't turn to address any of us, staring forward with a fixed expression.

"What do you plan to do with Theo when you find him?" I asked, looking away from the enforcers as we began to move.

Thomas’s face turned amused. "What do you think I have planned?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking," I said in a measured voice. My fear was that Thomas would do exactly as Theo wanted, turn him into a vampire. If he did that, I very much suspected Theo would bide his time until he could act against Thomas. Eventually, he would come after me, and I would never be safe.

"What do you want to have happen to him?" Thomas asked, his head tilting in question.

I wanted him dead. He'd killed multiple people, and he'd planned mine and Caroline's deaths, not to mention almost sacrificed his sister when she tried to help us. He was a psychotic killer. Making him a vampire wouldn't change that. It would just make him a more efficient killer.

I didn't know if Thomas would see it my way. Though the relation was long ago, Theo was Thomas’s descendant. How would I feel two hundred years from now if I was in Thomas’s shoes and it was Jenna's great, great grandson facing judgment? Would I still feel an attachment to that long-ago family?

Liam's hands tightened briefly in warning around my waist.

"He's Steven's creation," I finally said. "And he's responsible for at least two deaths that I know of, though I suspect you'll find many more that can be lain at his feet."

"And?" Thomas arched an eyebrow.

Vampires didn't have the same attachment to life I had. At his age, Thomas alone was probably responsible for more deaths than I could count.

"He tried to kill me," I said, lifting my chin. "I want him dealt with in a very permanent way."

A part of me broke at that request. I wasn't the sort to solve my problems with violence, and basically asking for someone's death went against the human part of me I tried to cling to. I saw no alternative. Next time Theo might not be content to plot against just me. He might go after Jenna or her daughter. I couldn't risk my family, and if it meant sacrificing some of my humanity to ensure their safety, so be it. Every soldier knows they might have to sacrifice a life in defense of their country.

"What will you give me for this outcome?" Thomas asked, an anticipatory expression on his face.

I opened my mouth and then closed it, meeting his stare with one of my own. That was what Liam had been trying to warn me about. That's what all his questions had been leading toward. Tricky, tricky vampire.

"Nothing," I said with a note of finality.

Anton's head turned slightly before he directed his attention forward.

"Nothing?" Thomas looked amused. "You're not very good at bargaining."

I arched one eyebrow, not allowing his words to shake me. "It’s in your best interest for you to take care of the matter permanently."

"Oh?" His lips curved.

"Yes, your enemy did a very good job convincing him you were the problem. Theo has a very developed victim complex, and in his eyes, you're the source of all the wrong in his world. How long do you think it will be before he starts plotting against you?" Answer: Immediately. "I know vampires are very long-lived. It may be centuries before he sets his plans in motion. I bet you never even see it coming because he will have utterly convinced you of his loyalty."

"You don't have much faith that I can sway him to my side," Thomas returned, a half-smile on his face.

I snorted. "Please, I've seen your methods of persuasion. They need a lot of work."

That surprised a soft chuckle out of him.

"Whatever he might have been, whoever he could have been, died as soon as Steven got hold of him," I said, my expression serious. "He tried to sacrifice his own sister for his plans. This isn't someone you can ever trust. You'll need to watch your back around him for all of eternity and never show him any weakness. Is that really the kind of person you want on your side?"

He made a 'hmm' sound and turned away, not answering my question. My lips tightened. Fine. If I needed to find a way to end the threat Theo presented, I would.