Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(24)

Daniel stopped and stared at Dev. He pointed a long claw at him. “You knew and you let it happen.”

“He didn’t, Danny.” I used my softest voice. I needed to work some serious companion magic to get Daniel to come down from his angry high.

“Well, of course I knew, Zoey,” Dev said, still under mistaken impressions. “I was there. I didn’t realize I had to ask Daniel for permission to screw our wife.”

Daniel was shaking as he spoke. “Was that before or after Marini raped her?”

A dazed air hit Dev as he turned. I started to say something, but he quickly held a hand up to stop me. The strong line of his jaw firmed stubbornly, and I knew he wasn’t going to listen to anything I had to say. His eyes found Zack. “Where is this tape?”

The werewolf quietly led his boss into the small security office. The doors opened behind us and the rest of the crew entered, laughing and joking, until they saw the damage.

“What on earth?” Neil’s mouth hung open as he set his Starbucks on a miraculously intact table.

“Shit.” Lee cursed because he was the only one who knew what had to have happened.

“You!” Daniel yelled, his rage turning to Lee. “Where the hell were you when he was draining her? You’re her bodyguard.”

“And you’re her husband,” Lee growled back, shoving Neil and Nim behind him. “You want to know where I was? I was up in my apartment enjoying my night off because I was assured my charge’s husbands would take care of her. No one told me they would act like imbeciles, get drunk, pass out and leave her on her own. Marini must have thought he’d died and gone to heaven, Your Highness. She was all alone and vulnerable because the men who say they love her were unconscious.”

“Lee, you’re not helping.” The last thing I needed was for Lee to fan the flames.

“She told you.” Daniel managed to make it an accusation.

“Of course she told me. She needed someone to help her after she was brutally assaulted. Maybe she was trying to avoid this little scene,” Lee replied.

“Danny, you need to calm down,” I said in my most patient voice. “Please, calm down and we can talk about this.”

“No, companion,” he said, backing away from me. “You will not calm me this time.” His blue gaze went back to Lee, who seemed to be the one he wanted to take this out on since his true target was inconveniently absent. “You should have told me, wolf. You owe me the truth. I’m her master.”

Lee’s hands sprouted long, nasty claws as he confronted Daniel. “I owe you nothing, vampire. I’m Zoey’s guard. My oath is to her. I put up with you because she loves you.”

“And just what is your relationship with my companion that when she’s hurt, she would run to you?” The question was asked with ugly suspicion.

“What are you accusing me of, Daniel?” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared my husband down. “How many lovers did I have last night? Do you honestly believe I went from Marini to Lee to Dev? Damn, Danny, I’m quite the busy bee. I should start charging.” I was on a tear now because the last thing I needed was Daniel pulling his vampire jealousy crap on me. “Why do you assume it was rape? I sent Neil up to the penthouse. Maybe I wanted to be alone with Marini. Maybe I’m curious if all vampires are the same or if his bite might be even better than yours.”

“Zoey,” Lee warned and I could tell he was getting ready to pounce if Daniel took a step toward me.

“He’s not going to hurt me, Lee,” I said with bitterness. If I couldn’t bring him down with patience, I would do it with guilt and shame. I needed my Daniel back. I needed to get rid of the beast before he hurt Lee. “Don’t you know? I’m his property. He won’t intentionally damage his own property. It might drive my price down.”

Daniel roared and picked up the nearest table, hurling it into the wall like it was a discus. The force caused it to lodge into the wall and stick there like a suspended piece of art. Daniel then sat in the middle of the floor and let his head find his hands.

I sank down beside him, my anger expended, too. “I’m sorry, Danny. There wasn’t anything you could do.”

“You didn’t even give me the chance, Z,” he said quietly as his claws sank back into his hands. “I’m your husband. You didn’t allow me to defend you.”

I shook my head, sick to death of this argument. “I didn’t let you die and leave me alone. He can kill you. He can do it very quickly, and there’s no way for you to survive it.”

“You went to Lee,” he said hollowly.

“Would you prefer I told no one? What would you have done if I’d gotten you up and told you last night?”

His face was fierce as he thought about it. “I would have tracked him and killed him. I would have made him suffer first.”

“Before or after he pressed a button and your chest exploded?”

Daniel growled his frustration.

I just sighed and moved close to him. “If our roles were reversed, what would you have done? Would you have risked my life?”

“It’s not the same.”

“I love you,” I said quietly. “If my suffering will keep us together in the end, then it’s worth it. I can handle it, Danny. You have to let me be your partner in this. Are you seriously going to put everything we’ve worked for at risk because you don’t want me to feel a minute’s discomfort?”