One more week and your ass is mine.

Deidra's text started my Sunday, although details had already trickled down to me through Deidra's contacts, namely Colin. Apparently, we were fighting in the underground arena here in New York, where she planned to pummel me until I bled out, but I didn't wake up thinking about funeral arrangements.

Willem still hadn't turned up, which had me second guessing my compassion-fueled idea to join the search party. Combined with my insanity-fueled idea to fight a Krav Maga instructor with a grudge, I had plenty of thoughts to plague me as I went through my ritual with Mr. Pearlman. By the time I got him propped in his recliner with a cup of coffee and the remote, I had talked myself into spending some alone time in the rec room.

The padded floor made the perfect surface for tucks and rolls, and the punching bag provided a stand-in for Deidra's face. Since I had left Vincent out of the loop, I didn't bother making the change for this spontaneous visit. I just tied the hem of my tee shirt at my waist, donned my gloves, and ended up clocking twenty minutes of speedbag drills before the rec room door opened and Colin waltzed in, wearing only a pair of spandex shorts.

"Sorry, Reese. I can come back later if you'd rather practice alone." Colin clearly didn't want to come back later. He hadn't even stopped his stride as he continued walking toward me.

"I was just about to leave." I pulled off my gloves, averting my eyes from his well-honed abdominals. Apart from their scars, Colin and Vincent had nearly identical chests, but I refrained from staring at Colin's scars as I walked to the utility closet to put away the gloves. Colin followed me in and leaned against the wall as he watched.

"I see you're not wearing your ring," he said. "Vincent already piss you off? Is that why you're here... venting your frustrations?"

"You're off by a mile. I'm not wearing my ring because I left it right here." I opened the lid of a strongbox sitting on one of the utility shelves and plucked out the ring. "I didn't want to damage it while I trained."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"You sound like you're disappointed that Vincent and I aren't fighting. Don't you want him to be happy?"

"Yes, but I want to be happy too."

"That's completely up to you. No one is stopping you from being happy."

Colin folded his arms across his chest, looking pouty. "Vincent is."

"How is Vincent stopping you from being happy?"

"He has what I want." Colin pushed off the wall, and in two fluid steps he trapped me against the utility shelf, caging me inside his arms. "I want you, Reese. My need is consuming me. I don't know how to suppress it. Nothing works. Not even Sylvie."

"Stop hijacking me like this, dammit!" I pushed against him, and suddenly I felt his lips on my forehead, pressing their warmth against my sweaty skin. "Think this through, Colin. You're being selfish. If Vincent caught us like this, he would tear into you without a second thought."

"I don't care. I would challenge him if I didn't think it would pull the family apart."

My stomach plummeted at his confession. This was not good. "There must be someone out there for you. You've got a lot to offer. Don't make a decision that could fuck up your relationship with your family just because you're lonely."

Colin chuckled softly as he continued to hold me prisoner. "I'm not lonely. I could find a mate if I tried, but I don't want to try. Not when I have exactly what I want right here."

Oh, hell. He's going to make me say it. He's forcing me to throw the truth in his face and hurt his feelings.

"Colin, I'm marrying Vincent because I'm in love with him. You need to find a way to be okay with us being friends without benefits."

He groaned out a long sigh, as if I'd just punched him in the gut. "You don't understand," he said as his gaze locked on my lips. "I'm in love with you."

Without asking, Colin dipped down and took a kiss from me, but he wasn't there long. A loud bang startled us apart, and a deep voice rumbled like a thunderstorm.

"Colin! Get the fuck away from her!"

As Colin turned to face his brother, I ducked under his arm, and a second later, Vincent pounced, shoving Colin into the shelf.

"You're in love with her?" Vincent ground out as he grabbed Colin's arm and twisted it behind his back. "You're fucking in love with her! You need to rethink that!"

"You can't stop me from loving her. I can love her until the day I die if I want to."

A roar burst from Vincent's mouth as he tackled Colin to the floor and straddled his chest. "I can help you reach that day sooner!" He landed a solid punch to Colin's ribs, and Colin winced in pain. The blow had definitely hit where Vincent wanted it to.

I backed out of the closet, dodging a yoga ball as it rolled into my path, a victim of the fray. No one had to tell me when it was time to cut and run. I didn't want them to fight, but Colin did ask for it.

The sounds of battle followed me into the rec room, and a moment later, the boys tumbled through the open door. The verbal banter had stopped, and only the thud of fists hitting flesh could be heard. I thought about intervening, or at least informing someone of the situation. What if things took a bad turn? But, who could I trust to keep Colin's secret? I didn't want that getting around. What if Sylvie found out? Awkward didn't begin to describe it.

Neither brother had bothered to make the change, which I felt grateful for, but Vincent looked homicidal, his upper lip cut and bleeding, and he kept up a punishing round of jabs until blood flowed from Colin's nose. Was now the time to intervene?

"Fellas," I began tentatively. "Remember the gollum code. Fight stops at first blood."

My attempt to bring them out of their testosterone-infused madness failed, but I managed to coax a few words from Vincent.

"Only if a formal challenge is made."

Vincent narrowly avoided Colin's right hook as he dipped down and grabbed Colin by the arm, hauling him over his shoulder. Colin landed hard on his back, but he barely looked phased as he scrambled to his feet. These guys were brutes.

"Is this how you boys always solve problems?"

The question was mostly rhetorical. I just wanted to distract them from pounding each other, but I got an answer from both.

"Yes!"

"Fine. Act like Neanderthals. I'm leaving."

I threw my arms up in resignation and shut the brawling brothers behind the rec room door, forcing my legs to carry me away and trying not to think about my fiancé taking hits to his handsome face. Hopefully, their fuel would run out when the focus of their fight left the premises.

Thankfully, I made it all the way to the apartment without running into anyone, and the dogs greeted me with wagging tails. They followed me into Vincent's bathroom as I peeled off my clothes, and I stepped into the shower before letting it heat up. That first blast of cold water hit me like a slap, but it didn't take long before I relaxed under the warming spray, letting it wash away the visions of Vincent and Colin wrestling like animals. I couldn't decide whether to be angry with Colin or sympathize with him. How would I feel if Deidra and Vincent were together, and I realized I needed Vincent like I needed oxygen?

I showered, dressed, blow dried, and still no sign of Vincent. This prompted morbid thoughts to plague my mind; one of Colin getting his wish and taking Vincent out of the picture, and the other of Vincent doing the same to Colin, but I ignored those. No way would the brothers go that far. They were family.

Vincent's cellphone rang on the counter, and I walked over to look at the screen, expecting to see a name I didn't recognize. When I read Petula's name instead, I quickly answered it.

"Hi, Petula. It's Reese."

"Hello, Reese. How nice to hear your voice. I hope everything is well with you and Vincent."

"That depends on your interpretation of everything. At the moment, Vincent is not here, so I can't vouch for him. I'm fine, though."

Petula's airy laughter carried through the speaker, which I took as a sign she had called with good news, but Petula had a good nature already, so I wasn't betting on it. "I'm glad to know you're fine. I called Vincent to discuss your grandfather, but since I have you on the phone, it makes better sense that we have this chat."

"Has Willem contacted you?"

"Not directly, but a source informed me he has sought refuge somewhere relatively safe."

"Relatively safe? What's your definition of relatively safe?"

"He has taken up the company of a rogue demon named Titan. They have been friends for a very long time."

"Okay. Should I still be worried? If they're friends, why is Willem only relatively safe?"

"Because Titan has been a rogue for most of his life. That kind of solitude affects change. There is no guarantee alliances will be remembered."

Lovely. She called to tell me I may or may not have to keep worrying about my grandfather. I started pacing the living room, attracting the attention of Clyde, who hopped off the couch to walk beside me.

"Do you know where Titan lives?"

"In the Allegheny forest. A very remote part."

"Of course, he does."

"Don't worry too much, dear. Willem can hold his own against most foes. I expect he wouldn't be with us if Hadria hadn't banished him. He would have fought to his death. Of course, if you're the kind of girl who needs to see things for herself, I know the way to Titan's home if you want to pay Willem a visit."

"I would have to bring Vincent with me. Will that be an issue?"

"Titan has no hatred toward other species. He chose his life because it fits his personality better. I believe, if you decide to journey to Titan's home, you may want to ask him to recall what he saw the night your mother died."

My legs came to an abrupt halt, and Clyde skidded next to me. "Titan was there during the rescue mission? Was he one of the demons after my mom?"

"Not your mom. The amulet. He agreed to help recover it for Cecile in exchange for goods. After the mission failed so terribly, Titan refused to speak of it, but I think you could coax the story out of him."

Yikes.

"I guess my next question is, do I want to know what happened that night? I have lived this long not knowing. Would I be poking a sleeping bear?"

"The way we interpret knowledge is different for each of us. Most are driven to seek the truth. It is in our nature, but sometimes when we find it, we realize our reason for seeking it was all wrong. Regardless of the answer, we learn and grow, and maybe we choose a different path because of it."

As Petula recited her pearls of wisdom, all I could hear was Wren's voice telling me about Marco's devious intentions. Now, I wanted to know how Titan fit in.

The front door opened and Vincent staggered through it. Dried blood painted his lips, and his shirt had gone missing, exposing more battle damage. I noticed Colin standing in the hall, but he wasn't there long before Vincent shut the door in his face. I walked toward my punch-drunk fiancé as I spoke into the phone.

"Petula, Vincent is home, but he might need a few minutes before he's ready to talk."

"Don't bother him, dear. I trust you to fill him in. Let's not give time the upper hand before we speak again. It's nice to know you have grown into a bright, headstrong female. Your mother had that too. Oh, I'm rambling, and you need to go. Take care, Reese."

I returned Vincent's phone to the counter where he had slouched, resting his forehead on his crossed arms. "Well, I'm glad to see neither of you need a stretcher," I said. "But I'm not kissing those lips until they're cleaned up."

Vincent didn't argue as I guided him to the bathroom. He favored the left side of his ribcage where bruises were already painting the area, but his respirations were normal, making me think he had time to recuperate after the fight. Good thing our search and rescue mission had been postponed and Willem was in relatively safe hands. Vincent would need at least a day of healing before we took off for the Allegheny forest to hunt for rogue demons.