“We don’t know,” Hugh replied, falling back against the car again. The bloodstains on his shirt and jeans had spread, hair matted to his forehead, the rise and fall of his chest was more pronounced.

Tess fought the urge to move closer and take his arm in hers for support. “I can find out for you.” This was her in. The way to keep tabs on Hugh and investigate him while also finding out more about the Wolf Seekers.

Dane got right in her face. “We don’t need your help.”

She pushed him in the chest. Hard. “Do not speak to me like that ever again or you’ll find yourself singing soprano.”

“I doubt that.”

“Try me. You’ve got no idea what I’m capable of.” Not all Night Runners are created equal, she decided. Dane, she wanted to kill. Could kill. Right now.

“Nor you I.” He whispered the retort like he didn’t want Hugh to hear.

Was he an idiot? Didn’t Hugh hear everything? She glanced toward him. Okay, maybe right this minute his senses weren’t too keen. But threaten her? Dane’s warning rumbled though her, leaving a cold, resentful feeling she wanted to hang on to for as long as she was breathing.

“So what’s your interesting information?” she asked, eyebrows raised and her hands itching to hit something.

Dane moved closer to Hugh, attempting to cut her off from the conversation. “They told me—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Hugh slid down the car. In. Slow. Motion. His legs slipped out from under him until he landed on his butt. His head lolled forward as if he’d fallen asleep.

“Jesus Christ,” Dane said, moving to Hugh’s side.

Tess moved too, kneeling to the ground beside Hugh. Dane lifted Hugh’s head and the blue eyes that had mesmerized her hours ago were almost completely drained of color. Thankfully, he blinked a few times, allowing her to catch the breath she’d held when he slumped to the ground.

“Fuck,” Hugh said, a groan following.

“Where is it?” Dane asked. “I’ll run and get it. Be back as fast as I can.”

“Where’s what?” Tess hated being left out of the loop and worried that whatever it was wasn’t going to get to Hugh in time.

“It’s an antibiotic. An antidote. In case of emergencies like these, we usually carry a small vile of liquid to drink to counter the effects of certain poisons that affect our tissue replacement. Small amounts of poison don’t affect us, but larger amounts… Fuck, Hugh. How long were the Banoth’s fangs in you?”

“Too long,” he said, turning his head to peek at Tess. “But necessary.”

“I’ll go get it,” she offered. “Tell me where it is and I’ll go get it.” The words flew out of her mouth without a second thought.

“I’m not sure there’s enough time.” Hugh’s gaze remained on her.

Don’t get emotional. Let him die. Your life will be so much easier. The job will be done. Finished. The boss will be happy.

Dane stood and pivoted. His brisk steps told Tess he was thinking about what to do. But there wasn’t time to think. They needed to act. Do something now. And then a thought struck her.

“Where’s your vial?” she asked, standing. “Can’t Hugh use yours?”

“You don’t think I would’ve offered already?” he said, his tone spiteful. “I gave mine to a friend last week and keep forgetting to replace it.” He hung his head with a small shake.

A golf-ball-sized lump sat in her throat. Maybe she’d misjudged Dane.

Hugh let out a choke, startling Tess and bringing Dane closer. They squatted beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder.

“There is something you can do.” This time Dane spoke to her as if they’d been friends for years.

Tess didn’t want any more friends. The rapid pulses migrating back and forth between her chest and her gut were a clear indication that she did not—should not—get involved with these two wolfen.

Yet she said, “What?”

“I know this is going to sound strange, but your saliva—”

“No.” Hugh shook his head in protest and let out probably the last deep breath he had.

“Your saliva,” Dane continued, ignoring Hugh, “can save him. The enzymes in it act as a natural disinfectant and when they mix with the protein in the nerve growth factor of Night Runners, it breaks down the poison at the molecular level.”

Biology was one of Tess’s favorite subjects in school, but this was a little over her head. “Is human female saliva in your vials?”

“Not just female, but given the circumstance, I think you’re in a better position to help,” Dane said.

“So what, you want me to lick his wounds?” There was no way she’d lick her own, let alone the shifter she was supposed to eliminate in the next few days.

Hugh let out a small gurgled sound. “I said no.”

Dane still wasn’t listening. “No. I want you to kiss him. The mouth will absorb the saliva much quicker than anywhere else and we’re running out of time.”

“Kiss him? I don’t think so. I just met him.” She’d wanted to kiss Hugh five minutes after meeting him. Of course, she thought his name was Trey and he was human. And the beer sliding down her throat had lowered her inhibitions, and lessened her nervousness at being on a date with someone for the first time since Jason.

Jason.

He’d died in her arms and there hadn’t been a thing she could do to save him. Her eyes met Hugh’s. She could save him. Right here. Right now. With only a kiss. A little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“If you don’t, Tess, he’s going to die.”

An uneasy feeling settled in Tess’s gut. She’d never saved anyone before. Hugh might think she’d saved him in the warehouse, but she hadn’t. Not really. She’d only helped so she could eliminate him later. Under other circumstances. Because that was what she did. She manipulated situations and people—no, not people, Veilers—so that she could kill them.

Suddenly, the ground felt cold as ice under her hands. The murmur of traffic in the distance evaporated, the whisper of wind ceased, the buildings around her faded into nothing. Her eyes were locked with Hugh’s, and what she saw there completely unnerved her.

He’d said no. Twice he’d said no. He didn’t want her to do this, but in the faded blue eyes she couldn’t tear her gaze from, she saw fear. And humanity. She looked away before compassion ripped every ounce of obligation from her. Before she not only saved him, but spared his life no matter what it cost her.

“I need a second,” she said, turning her head so she could think clearly. She hated, hated herself for even having to think. What kind of cruel, insensitive person was she? What kind of person didn’t save the life of another?

A person owned by P.I.E., that’s who.

What if…what if Hugh could help her find out who killed Jason? What if they could work out some sort of deal? A trade. She’d help him find Trey if he helped her find the wolfen responsible for Jason’s death. And at the same time, she could look into his life and find enough evidence to eliminate him.

The arrangement would help solve all her current problems.

She looked back to Hugh. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Like a falling star, something twinkled in his eyes for the briefest moment. She straddled his legs, her dress inching up her thighs as she got comfortable. She placed her hands on the car on either side of his head, and moistened her lips with her tongue.

“It might take some time,” Dane said, “so don’t let up until he breaks the connection. He’ll know when to stop.”

Tess wondered exactly what kind of kiss this was supposed to be, but didn’t ask. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She’d never get another chance to kiss him.

She hadn’t kissed anyone since Jason, and now the thought of surrendering her mouth to Hugh’s made her hungrier for physical contact than she’d ever been.

God, she was pathetic. Even in his weakened state, Hugh got her juices flowing.