Page 66 of Bound by Vengeance
“If that happens, Jordan will be allowed toreturn to the stronghold and reveal everything he knows. Beprepared for the alliance to break afterward.”
“What if I decide to kill him instead?”
“You won’t. You know this is the right wayto handle it.”
“I do,” Ronan reluctantly agreed. “And whatabout Vicky?”
“He’ll pay for hurting her.”
“I meant what happens to her if you losethis battle?”
“Her family, you, and the others will keepher safe.”
For a second, confusion crossed Ronan’sface, and he looked about to say something more, but instead, hegave a subtle nod. “She’ll be protected. When will this trial bycombat occur?”
“When he’s healed,” Nathan said. “Untilthen, it won’t be fair.”
“I’ll talk to your sister about this. Iunderstand your decision, but she’s not going to be happy withit.”
“It has to be done.” And while Ronan wasspeaking with Kadence, he would find Vicky.
“It does,” Ronan agreed. “I don’t think he’sgetting out of there, but I’ll have a trainee come to stand guardover him so you and Asher can return to your stronghold.”
“Thank you.”
• • •
“Jordan’s older than you,” Vicky said.
Lifting his head, Nathan watched in themirror as she appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. He’d gone insearch of her earlier, but she hadn’t been with the others in thehouse, and he hadn’t found her outside.
“Where were you?” he asked as he turned onthe sink and cupped his hands under the warming water.
“Exploring. He’s older than you. Do hunterswork like vampires with your power increasing with age?”
“Exploring where?” he asked to distract herfrom her question.
“The houses. I was curious to see how youhunters live.” The few cabins she’d gone through were small. Theyall displayed the same white walls, brown wood floors, whitekitchen cabinets, black counters, and gray fireplaces. By the timeshe was halfway through the fourth house, she’d become bored anddepressed. “You hunters do realize there are more colors in theworld than brown, white, gray, and black, right?”
“Yes,” Nathan replied.
“Do you have a lot of depression in yourstrongholds?”
“Hunters don’t experience depression.”
Nathan turned the water off and turned toface her. She almost rolled her eyes when he removed a gray handtowel from the rack beside the sink to dry his face and hands.
“Order is a must with our people,” he said.He preferred having this conversation with her than the one aboutJordan.
“It won’t throw your world into chaos if youbuy an orange towel. It’s not like it’s the gateway color to allthe otherbadcolors; you won’t all be losing it to get ayellow towel next.”
He hung the towel neatly back on the rack.“Perhaps, but it’s the way things have always been done.”
“And at one time, people believed the earthwas flat and leaches cured all ills; time changes things. Why doyou stay so stuck in these bleak ways?”
“You see them as bleak?” he asked.
“Don’t you?”
