“Yes, I can,” Haven ground out and glanced back at Katie.

Luther knew what was going on in Haven’s mind at this moment. He was remembering Katie’s ordeal. And he didn’t want Katie to go through the same horror a second time.

“There has to be another way,” Luther interjected, drawing everybody’s attention on him.

Samson tossed him a defiant look. “And what would that be, huh, Luther? I’m afraid there are no more prisons you can break into.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Luther ground out. “Listen, Samson, I know you’re upset, but don’t allow this guy—” He pointed to the picture on the monitor. “—to cloud your judgment. You know as well as I do that there are always several solutions to a problem. I learned that from you! Don’t let him defeat you into thinking you have to follow his plan.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that because you shacked up with Katie, would you now?”

Luther sucked in a breath of air and glanced at Blake. But the young vampire seemed as surprised as Luther himself that Samson knew about him and Katie.

“Goddamn it, Luther, I can smell her on you from across the room!”

“Samson,” Haven interrupted, “this has—”

“Stay out of this, Haven!” Luther snapped, before addressing Samson again. “It doesn’t matter what’s between me and Katie. It’s none of your fucking business. And it has no bearing on how I feel about this situation. But I’m not going to let you trade one innocent for another. That’s not what you stand for Samson. You know it. Would you be able to live with yourself if Forrester harmed Katie? And every time you looked at your daughter, would you be able to forget what you had to do to get her back? To sacrifice another innocent for her?” Luther shook his head. “That’s not the Samson I remember.”

“You’ve been gone for a long time, Luther. I’ve changed. I’m a father now. I have other priorities.”

“Other priorities, maybe. But other values, other morals? No.” Luther sighed. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. My biggest one was not to trust you and Amaury. Because deep down I always knew you were steadfast, the rocks I could rely on for anything.” He glanced at Amaury, then back at Samson. “I regret what I did to both of you and your mates. I regret every single second of it. That’s why I came back. To atone. To make good the wrongs I committed. That’s why I was there the night Isabelle got taken. To talk to you and Amaury and ask for your forgiveness. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna ask forgiveness of a man who’s prepared to deliver an innocent into unspeakable horror. I will not stand idly by and let it happen.”

There was no sound in the room. Nobody spoke. Nobody as much as breathed.

Samson’s nostrils flared as he visibly tried to control the emotions warring inside him.

“You have the greatest minds at your disposal here,” Luther said, making a sweeping motion with his arm. “Think for a moment. There must be another way to get your daughter back without putting Katie in harm’s way.”

Samson pointed at him. “You and me. Outside.” Samson marched to the door and opened it.

Luther followed him outside and closed the door behind him. There was nobody but the two of them in the corridor.

“If you’re playing me, Luther, you’re a dead man.”

“I gain nothing by playing you.”

Samson scoffed and motioned to the conference room. “Don’t lie to me. I’m not blind. Katie shielded you as if you meant something to her. You’re doing this for her, not because you can’t stand the fact that an innocent might be harmed.”

“Let’s not fight about who’s got a nobler motive. It doesn’t matter. If you’re worried that you’ll have to tolerate me once all this is over, don’t be. I’ll be leaving once your daughter and Katie are safe. I never intended to stay in San Francisco. All I wanted was absolution for my sins so I could start a new life somewhere else. I can see now that you’re not able to grant me that.” Luther looked down at his shoes. “Doesn’t matter now. I still want to offer you my help saving your daughter.”

“While protecting Katie,” Samson added.

Luther lifted his eyes and met Samson’s gaze. “Yes. I owe her that. She showed me that there is hope even for somebody like me. And while you may never believe me, those twenty years in prison changed me. I’m not the same angry man anymore.”