The color rushed to her face. “Bad man. Very bad man.”

He chuckled. “You wouldn’t be saying that by the end of the weekend.”

The snoring stopped and they both froze. There was a rustling sound before it started up again.

“Come on,” Malachi said. “Let’s get this over with.”

The first doorway in the hall at the top of the stairs was cracked open. A shoe was lying right in front of it. Malachi pushed the door open while Ava kept her eyes closed, hoping Luis wasn’t a nude sleeper.

“He’s fine,” he said, tugging her into the room. “And alone.”

The hard-nosed negotiator looked far less like her father’s pet pit bull and more like a normal guy when he was sleeping. His mouth hung open slightly. His hair was mussed from tossing and turning.

Ava sighed. “Okay. Time to scare the shit out of him. He’s never going to return my calls again.”

“Oh yes, he will.” Malachi put one knee on the edge of the bed and leaned over Luis. Pulling out a long hunting knife, he put it under the edge of Luis’s jaw.

“Luis Martin,” Malachi said in a loud voice. “Wake up.”

The snoring stopped, then the man’s eyes slowly blinked open.

“The hell?” he muttered. His eyes widened when he saw Malachi, and he jerked up in bed, only to catch the edge of the blade and cry out in pain. A line of blood welled up from his skin and dripped down his neck.

Just then, the phone rang.

Oh shit.

Malachi was totally calm. “Do you recognize me?”

Luis’s eyes darted between Ava and Malachi. “Ava, what—?”

“Eyes on me.” The phone was still ringing. “You’re going to answer the phone and tell them you’re just fine. Otherwise, I’m going to hurt you.”

“No fucking—”

“Yes, you will.” Malachi reached up and wrote something across Luis’s forehead with a finger. “Luis?”

“Yeah?” The man sounded dazed.

“Answer the phone.”

“Okay.”

Ava watched as her father’s fierce manager followed Malachi’s order like a well-trained dog.

“Yeah…” He was muttering into the phone. “Just tired. I don’t know.” Another pause. “Nah, I’m fine. Maybe kind of… drunk.”

A few moments later, the phone was in the cradle and Luis’s eyes were clearing.

“What was that? What did you do to me?”

“As you can feel, you should not attempt to move. Do you know who I am?”

Luis tried to nod but winced when the blade bit into his skin again.

“Answer verbally.”

“Yes, I know you.”

“Good. That will make this easier.”

Ava was watching Malachi. He was very careful not to move the knife. As long as Luis didn’t move, the edge wouldn’t touch his skin. But the wily little man had always had a hard time sitting still for anything.

She started to warn him how jittery Luis could get. “Malachi—”

“Ava has questions for you,” her mate said. “You’re going to answer them. If you don’t, I’m going to hurt you.”

Ava could smell the scent of urine in the room.

“I see that you believe me,” Malachi said. “That’s good. I’m going to sit here while Ava asks her questions. Are you going answer her?”

“Yes,” Luis whispered, his terrified eyes flying to hers.

“Louder. So she can hear you.”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to take her calls from now on?”

“Holy fuck,” Luis whispered.

The knife moved. “Answer the question, Luis.”

“Yes. I won’t avoid her calls.” His voice was higher than Ava had ever heard.

“One missed call is fine. Two is not acceptable. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to block her access to her father?”

“Who are you?”

Malachi didn’t move the knife—he moved. He leaned down closer. “You don’t need to think about me,” he said. “Are you going to interfere with Ava?”

“No.”

“Good.” He finally looked up and met her wide-eyed stare. “Ask now.”

Ava stepped closer. “Luis, I’m so—”

She stopped when she heard a low growl. Malachi was glaring at her and shaking his head slowly.

Okay, no apologies.

She took a deep breath. “Is my grandmother alive?”

“Y…yes.”

“Did you help my father erase her records?”

“No.” He sucked in a breath when Malachi brought the knife higher. “I put him in contact with someone who did. But I didn’t do it myself.”

Ava took a deep breath and tried not to panic. Malachi was totally calm, but Ava was battling a nervous breakdown. It was one thing to fight through an army of Grigori soldiers who were trying to kill you. It was entirely different threatening the life of someone you’d had over for holiday dinners.

“Ava?”

“Okay, okay. Um… Luis, why did my dad hide her? My grandmother, I mean.”

“I don’t know.” The knife moved a little bit up and Luis attempted to raise his hands. “I’m serious. I didn’t ask. Jasper was always secretive about her. There’s something wrong with her.”