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She gave me a very unfriendly look, but stayed silent.

“You wanted me to walk in on this blind, Dom? Really?” I asked him, venom in my tone, bile rising.

He cleared his throat, looking more uncomfortable by the second. “The geas protects you. We thought of every eventuality.”

I felt my skin start to steam with my temper. “We? Who is this we?” I asked softly.

“Helen and I,” he answered.

Bravely, I thought.

I stood, almost too furious to speak.

“She knew that I was coming into this, but you kept me ignorant, Dom? Have you so little care for my welfare?”

The boys stood up with me.

Christian placed a restraining hand on my arm. I knew it burned him on contact, but he didn’t even flinch. “Let’s take a walk, Jillian. Cool off a bit.”

Dom pointed at Christian. “You, out. I warned you not to touch her,” he had the audacity to say. “In fact, everyone leave us. The others aren’t expected for another half an hour. Jillian and I need to speak privately for a moment.”

Helen placed a familiar hand on Dom’s shoulder, and he looked at her questioningly. But he did not remove her hand.

He had the nerve to threaten my boys, but let her touch him like that?

My fist slammed into the thick granite that topped the oversized conference table. With a loud crash, it cracked down the middle. The dumb bitch didn’t have the sense to remove her hand even then. “Do you really think that’s necessary?” Helen was asking Dom.

Dom saw my intent before anyone else and made a lightning quick move to intercept me. He had me in a rock hard embrace, pinning my arms to my body, before I made it to them. “Out! All of you! Just shut up and get out!” His shout held all of his power to command.

Finally, they listened, making a hasty retreat.

I shook for a good five minutes before I could speak. “How could you, Dom?” I whispered. “I’m vulnerable now that I’m out in the open, and you invite an extra slayer to town without warning me? You let me walk into this room blind. How could you betray me like that? Do you want me dead?”

A powerful shudder wracked his body, and I could tell by the punch of magic in it that it was the power of the beast-call running through him. I wasn’t the only one in this room on the verge of losing control of their temper. “Of course not. I do not believe her a threat to you. The geas is foolproof. Just look at Christian. She is only interested in slaying the dragons who’ve given in to their baser instincts.” I thought that was a diplomatic way of putting it. “She’s said so, and she has been a trustworthy ally for a very long time.”

I laughed bitterly. “And you believed her? At the risk of my life, you believed that? She must be an amazing lay.”

His expression froze, and it made him look guilty as hell. I started to struggle out of his hold. It was damn near unbreakable.

But I would break it. I was very good at breaking things. It was, in fact, my most notable talent.

“Dammit, Jillian, I told you about all of that. It’s in the past. Our relationship is completely platonic and professional at this point. I did not put your life at risk. My former sexual relationship with her has not affected my judgement.”

“Former?” If true, that was something, at least.

“Yes. Former. Ancient history, as far as I’m concerned. I have something else to discuss with you. She’s not the only slayer coming to town.”

I suddenly knelt in a flash, my body escaping his arms. I pushed back and kicked up high with the same motion. My other heel was barely on the ground, so when my kick connected solidly with his jaw, it threw me back and down. I slid across the floor, gliding until my head connected with the wall across the room from Dom. I stood quickly, preparing to defend. I had probably hurt myself as much as I’d hurt him, but it had been worth it.

Dom just rubbed his jaw, looking at me. “That smarts.”

He took one cautious step forward. He reached a careful hand out to me. His devastating eyes were focused, trying to capture mine.

I shook my head at him. “Do not touch me. If you lay one finger on me, I’m going to leave. And anyone who tries to stop me will suffer. Call them back in.”

I was still furious, but I felt that at least I had my temper under control. Ish. Jealousy and righteous fury combined were a hell of a combo to walk away from clean.

The others came back in. The table was set aright in a long process that involved planks being brought in and nailed along the wooden base table. It was a temporary solution. I had ruined that table. I was hoping it was the most destructive incident in this meeting but it was a fact that we hadn’t even gotten started, so that seemed a little too optimistic.