Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(111)

“Nope. Dev and Danny have been working every night on whatever the hell it is they work on. They have some big meeting coming up with a couple of vampires, and it requires a whole lot of talking apparently.” And left no time to deal with our situation, which was becoming unlivable for me. I would rather we all just fought it out. It would almost be easier to deal with two breakups than to live constantly wondering when they were going to break my heart.

“Are you not feeding Daniel?” Sarah asked.

“Of course I am. I sit in his lap and he feeds, and I get my mind blown and he very politely thanks me and then he leaves me alone.”

“Damn,” Sarah breathed. “That’s cold.”

She was right. It was very cold. The minute he walked out of the room, I felt used. I know he thought he was being polite, but I was ready to bring that damn nurse back because it hurt too much for him to walk away when I needed him so badly.

“He just needs time, cousin.” Felix took a sip of his wine. “They both need time.”

“They’re going to make me choose.” I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do.

Sarah patted my hand. “Of course they are, sweetie. You can’t expect them to go on like this. Daniel is possessive. It goes against his nature to share you. The problem is Daniel needs you more than Dev. As much as you enjoy Dev, you’ve always loved Daniel. Don’t get me wrong, I like Dev. I think you would be better off with Dev, but I know you. You won’t be able to leave Daniel.”

“I love Dev, too.” I didn’t want to admit she was right. Just because I’d loved Danny longer didn’t mean I wouldn’t feel Dev’s loss. In some ways, Dev was mine. I had to share Daniel with his freaking destiny, but Dev was mine alone. I just didn’t see how I could keep him. I would never be able to leave Daniel. I was tied to him far too tightly, but my heart ached at the thought of never touching Dev again.

“Don’t cry, little cousin,” Felix said, reaching over to brush my tears away. “It will work out. You have to have faith.”

“Easy for you say.” He’d been the embodiment of faith for millennia. It didn’t come so easily to me.

He smiled brightly. “Yes, it is. It is also true.”

I shook my head and banished my misery. We’d talked enough about my men. I had other people to worry about. “Were you able to locate Neil?”

Her bright blue pixie bob shaking, Sarah leaned toward me. “Not a sign of him. I’ve been trying every night, but he’s either too far away or he’s staying in wolf form. It’s hard to track a werewolf when they stay in wolf form all the time.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. He changes when he’s upset. I just wish he would come home.” I missed Neil so much I ached with it.

The loss of Neil added to my misery. Daniel refused to let me so much as speak his name around him. I’d tried to get Dev to put some of his investigators on finding Neil, but he’d flatly turned me down. They considered Neil’s defection an unforgivable betrayal.

“Your new wolf seems very professional.” Sarah glanced back at Zack.

The young wolf stood a comfortable distance away but was well within hearing range. He could get to me in a single flash of speed. Zack took his new responsibilities seriously. He was dressed in a suit and sported a snazzy communications device in his left ear. He and Lee coordinated their movement through the earpieces.

“Yes, it’s all very efficient.” I found the bottom of my wine glass but refused when Felix offered to refill it. I’d been drinking far too much since I got back. I needed to stop wallowing. “Everything is running really well since Dev took over. I get a daily schedule. I’m sure at some point I’ll have my own secretary so neither of them has to actually talk to me. Speaking of schedules, I have to meet a freaking personal shopper. Dev claims I need a new wardrobe for all the events I have to attend.”

I knew what my role was—to look pretty and not cause trouble.

I watched as Zack touched his earpiece and talked quietly. I was probably the only person in the restaurant who was forced to cart around not one but two bodyguards. Lee patrolled the entrances and exits. Since we’d returned, we’d all been waiting for Lucas Halfer to make his move. It was just a matter of time.

“Hey, Zoey, before you leave, Felix and I wanted to ask you to do us a favor,” Sarah said a little too brightly.

“Anything.” I meant it, but the tight look in her eyes told me this wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Don’t worry, you’re going to like it,” Felix reassured. “It’s just a little problem of mine that Sarah is being completely irrational about.”

“He wants me to chop off his wings,” Sarah blurted out.

My eyes got wide. “Seriously? You want me to cut off your wings? Where the hell are they now?”

“I’m holding them in. But it gets more and more difficult with each passing day. The longer I go the harder it is. I need someone to help me get rid of them. I assure you it won’t be painful for me. Sarah doesn’t believe me. I thought my little cousin would find it an amusing way to pass an afternoon.”

I grinned because he was totally right. “Cool. Do I use a sword?”

“I’ll leave it up to you,” Felix offered. “Tomorrow afternoon?”