AFTER DARKNESS HAD fallen around the warehouse, and I was positive Lou was long-gone and not returning, I began the trek to Evie’s. Guilt twisted in my stomach. Evie had likely spent the day wondering what was happening.

During the time it took to walk to her house, my mind spun with a whirl of questions and worries. Evie had seen me talking with Lou—I had no doubt about that. I also didn’t doubt that Evie would have recognized my sister, but what would she think of Lou’s arrival?

Would Evie think I invited Lou?

Would Evie even be at her house still?

Had she told her Dad about me already?

I could easily recall Evie’s stories of how overprotective he had been before, but would he still be that bad now that she knew her own secrets and had a way to protect herself from attacks? Would he force her to leave Charlotte, and me, behind? Had they already left?

For the second time in a week, my feet struck against the pavement in a rapid beat as I rushed toward Evie’s house. I could’ve stolen a car and arrived faster, but under the circumstances it was better to be a little more discreet. If I hid in shadows and made my way to Evie under the cover of darkness, there was less chance of being followed.

When I finally arrived at the end of Evie’s street, my heart took over and my questions and thoughts fell away completely. I raced straight to the window where I’d seen her face through the curtain, hoping I’d been right in my assessment that it was her bedroom.

I rapped on the glass, trying to ensure it was just loud enough that she’d be able to hear it without it waking anyone else—like her father. After a couple of light taps, I stilled my fingers and waited for her to come to me.

A minute passed with no response.

Then two.

I paced repeatedly around the small grass strip before a tiny flutter in the darkness drew my attention as I spun back toward the house.

“Evie!” I whisper-shouted as I tapped again.

She drew back the curtain, revealing her smiling face. A second later, she pushed open the window and asked me all of the questions I’d been expecting. Looking at her worried face as she asked about Lou and why she’d come, I did the only thing I could think of . . . I lied.

I told Evie everything she needed to hear in order to stop her from panicking about my family, to stop her heart racing and the fire in her blood from igniting the room around us. It wasn’t complete bullshit after all.

Certain elements were the truth; my sister had given me some time, and by the time my family returned, Evie and I would be long gone. Evie never needed to know that not only was Lou aware of Evie’s true nature, she’d seemed somewhat aware of my desire for Evie as well.

Instead of anger over my hours of delay, Evie asked me to spend the night so that I could meet her father in the morning. There was no way I was even going to consider refusing that invitation.

 

AFTER A perfect night of sleeping beside Evie in her bed—I’d almost forgotten the comforts of an actual mattress and had never fully contemplated the bliss of having a warm, beautiful girl tucked up to my side—I was awoken by the sound of a rapidly drawn curtain and a wash of warm, morning sun.

Ripped from my blissful dreams, I opened my eyes and wanted to close them again immediately. My heart pounded in my chest and my mouth went dry at the sight of the barrel of a Remington 700 in my face. Holding the stock of the rifle was an extremely angry looking man with his amber eyes plastered on the chain around my neck and a look of recognition clear on his face.

Oh shit. It was the only thought I was capable of in that moment. It ran through my head on an ever-faster loop, repeating through my brain. I quaked at the certainty that the next few minutes could be my last.

I couldn’t believe my own stupidity. I’d considered the fact that my family would be a threat to Evie—it played on my mind a thousand times a day. I’d been careful to assess the risk of finding and approaching Evie; she could’ve been the big bad other I was raised to believe that they all were.

There was one factor that had never been a source of worry for me—her father.

Of course, since she’d invited me over a couple of days earlier, I’d stressed about meeting him for all the usual, stupid, boyfriend reasons, but I’d never considered whether he would be a threat to me. It had never even occurred to me that he might know.

In that moment, as I was being bid a good morning by the barrel of a gun, I saw how dangerous it had been for me to underestimate him. Of course he’d recognize the symbol on my chain; he’d probably been watching for it all of Evie’s life.

Did he also understand the truth behind the specific symbol I wore? Would he understand how ingrained hunting others was in my DNA, with so many generations of knowledge and prejudice running through my veins?

“Get out of my room, Dad!” Evie screamed from beside me.

I wanted to let her know that it was okay, that I could handle myself, but I didn’t dare speak—wasn’t sure I could even if I had something to say that could calm the situation.

It was impossible to look away from the gun. Maybe I had no hope in hell of being able to dodge a shot, but at least I’d know it was coming.

Ignoring Evie’s request, her father—David, I remembered from my intense study of her limited history in the school’s computer after she’d disappeared—kept the gun leveled with my mouth and stared at me with a cold, hard gaze. “I said get away from her!”

“Dad, stop it!”

“Evie, come over here.” David inclined his head, indicating that he wanted her to move behind him.

The way he acted, it was clear he thought she needed protection from me. Despite what I was, the idea was almost laughable. She was a bigger threat to me than I could ever be to her.

My mind began to run through every possible scenario from this point onward, trying to find the right words to say that wouldn’t involve me irritating the man with his finger on the trigger.

“He has three seconds to get out before I pull the trigger.”

“Don’t do this,” Evie said in a no-nonsense voice. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”

“He’s Rain,” David replied.

I wondered whether he’d cause any problems for her once he discovered she’d known what I was. At the thought, the need to protect Evie hit me in the gut, a sensation stronger than I ever would have expected, and I couldn’t stay still any longer. Regardless of the gun, I wouldn’t let him hurt her. In a bid to not allow any harm to come to her, and hopefully avoid getting shot myself in the process, I held my hands up in surrender and pulled myself up to a seated position before tucking the source of David’s stress—the pendant around my neck—away into my shirt.

Once I was certain that I wasn’t at risk of an addition of metal to my diet, I shifted away from Evie. Moving as slow as I could, so that he’d know I wasn’t posing any threat, I climbed from the bed.

For a second, I debated whether it was better to stay and talk or try to make a break for the window and hope I made it out before he had the sense to fire. If not for Evie, I probably would have gone for the latter option. I didn’t want her to suffer for bringing home a member of the Rain.

As if Evie had read my mind, she began to issue orders. “No, Clay. You’re not going anywhere.” She put her body between the rifle and me. I stood still even though I wanted nothing more than to yank her out of harm’s way. I’d seen firsthand the damage those things could do, and how easy they were to set off by accident.

“Dad, put the gun down before you hurt somebody.”

“I’ll hurt someone all right,” David growled with his stare still leveled on me.

“Dad, this is the boy. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t think you’d understand that he’s different until you actually met him. That’s why I wanted you to meet him yesterday.”

“You mean to tell me that you know he’s Rain?”

“He’s the boy,” Evie clarified, and I wondered how much David knew about what happened in that park two years ago. Worried that he might soon have a new reason to fire the gun, I started to back away. “The one from Ohio. And I love him.”

My gaze left the gun and went straight to the back of Evie’s head. Fear for my life flew from me as a new, odd sensation rushed in.

Love.

She’d said love.

Love? I felt things for Evie for sure, but . . . love?

She loves me? My heart leaped into my throat at the thought—but in a not altogether unpleasant way.

Do I love her too?

Despite everything, I almost thought the answer could be yes. I was certainly willing to give up everything I’d ever had and known in order to spend some more time getting to know her better. I wanted her. All of her. The promise of how perfect we’d be in bed together was a part of it of course, but it wasn’t everything. I wanted to be with her for her smile, for her sense of humor, and for the way she made me feel good about myself when I was with her . . . as well as for her boobs.

Despite the fact my head felt as though it had been on three laps around the room, only a brief second had passed since Evie’s confession. From where I stood, I could see pink creeping down the side of her cheek and her hand covering her mouth. Her tiny show of embarrassment over what must have been an inadvertent slip gave me courage. She was just as uncertain about it all as I was, and must have felt the same strange queasy, but in a good way, feelings about me that I felt for her.

I stepped closer to her and risked her father’s ire—and potential bullet holes—by wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “Sir, I care for Evie very deeply as well. I couldn’t imagine ever hurting her. The reason I was waylaid yesterday was because my family learned that I was in Charlotte, and I didn’t want to tip them off. I couldn’t bear it if they found out that Evie is here.” I told him the same lies I’d told Evie, hoping there was enough truth in the statement for it to be believable.

He paused long enough to listen to my story. I wasn’t sure whether he believed the truth in my words, but I hoped he would see that I was just as invested in keeping Evie alive as he was. The fact that she was alive should have been testament to that. If I’d wanted her dead, I’d had the opportunity to do it countless times. Even the thought of any harm coming to her was enough to make my stomach churn.

“Where are they now?” he asked.

“It was only my sister who came, and she left in a mood last night after I refused to go with her.”

“Why are you still wearing the pendant then?”

His statement confirmed my fear that he’d recognized the symbol of my position.

“Pendant?” Evie asked, her confusion evident in her tone.

“That thing around his neck.”

“It’s a symbol of the oath I made to the Rain,” I explained to her. I hoped she would understand why I was still wearing it. Partly it was habit, I’d had it since I was eight and felt oddly naked whenever I had to take it off, but it was also the only thing I had left of my Dad’s mother. “But it’s also a family heirloom. It originally belonged to my great-grandfather. Nana Jacobs had my name engraved on the back when she gave it to me for my sanctification.”

Nana Jacobs had selected heirlooms for all of us when we were born and had them all engraved, ready for our sanctification day—the day of our official rise into the ranks of the Rain that coincided with our thirteenth birthdays. Only, she was murdered by an Unseelie fae before any of us could reach that milestone.

Her death had been the deciding factor behind the Rain’s choice to sanctify Eth, Lou, and I at a younger age than usual. Nana’s will had clearly stated that the pendant was to be given to me on that day—as her final gift.

I felt the weight of the memory pulling at my heart and mood even as I told Evie the simplified version of it. When I looked in her eyes, my discomfort increased. It was nothing to do with what I was saying though, but the magnitude of the choices I’d made for Evie—was continuing to make—struck me with a unexpected force, dragging guilt quickly behind. My family had suffered for so many generations because of the creatures we hunted, and now I was planning on living with one.

“So you won’t get rid of it?” David challenged.

I clutched at the pendant through the material of my shirt and thought about whether I could throw it away. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I would if I needed to. There was only one person who I would do it for though. Monster or not, Evie owned my heart, and I would do anything I needed to do in order to keep her happy and safe.

Maybe it is love? The words struck me hard. My heart raced, both from fear but also something akin to freedom.

“I will if Evie wants me to.” I tried to fight the disappointment and dread that crept into my voice. I looked to Evie, trying to plead with my eyes for her to not take away the one link I’d have to my family when I fled Charlotte with her.

Evie’s gaze met mine as she considered the battle between my will and her father’s. “I don’t care what it means to some organization,” she said in a deliberate measure. “I only care about what it means to you. If you want to keep it, I understand.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my face and my fingers threaded into her hair. I longed to guide her lips to mine in thanks, but I couldn’t. Not while her dad was watching, and certainly not while he had a loaded weapon.

“Thank you, Evie,” I murmured. “I promise you that the Rain dove on it means nothing to me anymore.”

“I don’t believe it,” David said from somewhere nearby—I was lost in Evie’s eyes and couldn’t turn away from her even if I’d wanted to. “A sympathetic Rain. I never thought I’d see the day.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as I got what I assumed was the seal of approval—or at least “approval for now, so don’t fuck it up or I will end you.” After the gun was lowered, everything happened rather quickly. David warned they’d be moving on—which I had to agree was the wisest move given the circumstances—and gave us an hour to get ready before we’d hit the road.

If I wasn’t ready right on the hour, I wouldn’t be going with them. It was clear both in his words and what I knew of the two of them. Another two years of not knowing where Evie was would no doubt snap my tenuous grip on sanity.

In that moment, as I panicked about how much I needed to organize in a very short length of time, I saw how stupid I’d been. In my need to get to Evie—to know that she was okay—I’d left everything I owned unpacked and scattered around the warehouse. In hindsight, it was easy to see my mistake. I should’ve packed it while I waited for nightfall and brought it all with me instead of wasting so much time watching for Lou. I could have been ready to go already if I’d packed my bag and brought it with me. My desires had overridden all good sense.

Now I’d have to waste precious time to go and get my things, and to meet the deadline I’d have to steal a car to do it. The actual theft didn’t bother me—I’d committed that crime and worse before—but it risked drawing attention to myself, which in turn risked drawing attention to Evie.

For a brief moment, I debated just leaving everything there but I knew the money would come in handy, not only for myself but for Evie and her dad too. It might have been somewhat stupid, but I also didn’t want to leave my HK45 behind either. It was replaceable, but that particular piece had saved my life so many times I had a certain sentimental attachment to it.

While I prepared to leave, Evie insisted on driving me. At first, I refused, worried that she wouldn’t have time to pack her own things, but then she showed me the reality of her life. She never unpacked; only left out what she needed to wear each day before washing and repacking everything each night. So often, I’d complained my family moved around too much, but my issues were juvenile compared to Evie’s.

Until Lou and I had graduated from high school, our “often” was settling into an area for a few months, sometimes as long as a year, and our moves were, for the most part, planned and structured with rigid precision. Even in the time since, we’d tended to make New York a bit of a base of operations and stayed in motel or hotel rooms wherever we needed to.

When we were called to a city on an emergency, we had a team that could make all the arrangements for us. We’d never had to dash off with less than a moment’s notice with no luggage and nothing booked.

On the drive to the warehouse, it was easy to push the thoughts of what had to come next out of my head. A big part of that ease was that Evie had turned playful, teasing me, and hinting at where she might have moved my hand that morning if we’d remained undisturbed—it had been temptingly close to the underside of her breasts when I’d awoken. Her words made me instantly hard and I wanted my hands all over her again.

Soon, I promised myself.

After we arrived, I planned on just ducking in quickly to grab my things, but Evie stopped me before I could. She insisted on coming in too. When I questioned why, her answer surprised me.

“You don’t really appreciate what you’ve agreed to with my Dad, do you?”

“What do you mean?” I asked. I wasn’t entirely sure what David’s plan was, but knowing how well he’d been able to evade my intense tracking for the last two years, I was certain it would be effective in shaking Lou when she came back in a few days.

Evie surprised me further by laughing at me before explaining herself. “We’re about to be stuck in a car with Dad for at least a few days while he plans the next step, and then there’ll be the drive to wherever the hell that is. Just because you’ve been almost invited to come with us, doesn’t mean he’ll make it easy for you.”

I thought for a moment about what she was describing. Three adults squeezed along the bench seat would be a very tight fit, and I could only hope Evie would grant me the window seat so that I wasn’t stuck between her and David. That is if I wasn’t relegated to riding in the bed of the truck.

We’d be traveling like that for at least a few days. My mind started to work overtime at the thought.

Is this really worth it? Is she? I glanced at Evie again and had my answer. Abso-fucking-lutely.

She was worth everything.

“We won’t have any alone time for a little while yet,” she added.

“I see.” The wicked glint in her eye told me exactly what she meant by alone time and confirmed for me once more that she was worth every bit of discomfort the next few days would bring. “In that case, shall we?” I asked.

“We shall.” Her voice spoke to carnal places within me as she grinned at me. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she was out of the car and racing for the warehouse.

Someone’s keen.

I smiled to myself, moving with a deliberate slowness and stopping to pretend to tie my shoelace. As soon as her back was turned to open the roller door, I raced after her. Grabbing her around the waist, I twisted her around, lifted her, and then claimed her lips.

 

IT WAS almost impossible to drag myself away from the perfect moment we shared—where I was finally granted the chance to explore more of her skin, to feel the weight of her breasts in my hands without the barrier of her bra—and grab my things, but I did. The thing that forced me to stop in the end was that I didn’t want to return to her house late and make an even worse impression with her dad than I already had.

She followed me into the space that had been my bedroom and watched as I threw together the few possessions I had. A questioning look crossed Evie’s face as I grabbed the cash I’d hidden away. I wasn’t sure how she’d react to knowing that I’d stolen it from Dad, so I only told her what she needed to know.

I packed up a few other items, trying to decide on the fly what was vital and what could be left behind. Every time I glanced up at Evie, she gave me a small, nervous smile. It was shy and completely at odds with the way she’d acted when I had her pinned against the wall moments earlier. My mind spun, turning over the possible reasons for her concern.

Almost as if I’d been struck by lightning, a realization hit me. She’d never asked me to go with her and when I’d mentioned it the previous evening, she’d suggested making a decision after I’d met her father.

She’d never once told me that she wanted me to go with them.

It was possible I’d invited myself along without permission, and she was too polite to refuse. My mind began to race with worry that I’d overstepped some invisible boundary. “Do you actually want me to come with you?”

“Of course I do.” The confusion in her tone caused relief to flood through me. If she thought it should have been obvious, I was willing to accept that.

“I just realized I never bothered to stop and ask you what you wanted,” I admitted when she continued to give me a confused look.

“I still don’t know exactly what I want, but this—you—it’s a good start.”

Her words cemented that this was what I wanted to do—as well as what I needed. I stood, slipped the backpack over my shoulder and grabbed her hand. “I think that’s everyth—”

I stopped when a dull thud sounded outside—too close.

A second thud broke the silence almost instantly after.

“Was that a car door?” Evie asked, confirming my suspicions over what could have caused such a sound.

“I think so.” I was listening to the noises from outside, worried that Lou had changed her mind or had lied to me.

Why I had let Evie come with me?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The voices registered almost immediately, and my heart sank. Lou would have almost been preferable. At least I could have taken her on while Evie ran.

“Shit, it’s Dad and Eth.” I turned to Evie and hated the look of fear that marred her innocent face. “We need to get you out of here.”

She panicked and the heat around her rose by degrees every passing second. Soon, she would be a danger—a threat—exactly what Dad and Eth already assumed.

“This is definitely the truck Lou mentioned,” Eth said. “See, Maryland plates.”

“It probably means that creature is in there with him.”

The blood in my veins felt like it could match Evie’s for heat as I heard Dad refer to the most precious person in my world as “that creature.”

“What do we do?” Evie mouthed silently.

“Stay here.” I pointed to the ground so that she’d get the gist even if she couldn’t read lips. I had no idea how I was going to get Evie out safely—there was only one entry. At the time I’d picked the hideaway, I’d thought that having only one door to monitor for threats was part of the appeal of the place. There was nothing I couldn’t fight my way through to get out of a bad situation. With Evie thrown into the mix, I regretted that choice.

I slid the backpack off my arm and rested it on the floor. My hand worked the zipper, desperate to get inside to find the handgun hidden beneath my clothes. Without letting Evie see it—no point panicking her further or risking her becoming a greater threat to herself and everyone else—I tucked it into the waistband of my jeans. When I stood up again, Evie had paled. Her eyes widened and her breathing sped.

The arrival of my family was a complication I should have foreseen. Lou had obviously left with the sole purpose of ratting me out to Dad. Even if I could lead Eth and Dad away and leave Evie in safety, I wouldn’t be able to do that and be back in time to make her father’s deadline.

The choice was clear.

I stared at Evie, the one I would’ve done so much for, and drank in all of her beauty knowing that it could be the last time I would see her. Despite the fact I might never be near her again, it was worth the sacrifice if my actions could save her life.

Unable to resist holding her one last time, I reached out and drew her body against mine. My fingers brushed across the skin of her lower back, desperate to absorb as much of her heat as they could to get me through the cold months, maybe even years, to come. With so much more fodder for my subconscious to throw at me while I slept, I wasn’t sure I would be able to survive the dreams and memories this time—I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to.

Insanity would find me a willing captive, if only it meant I could spend my life with her.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I never meant for it to be like this.”

“What do you mean?” She placed her hand on my chest, and my heart quivered beneath her touch.

“When the moment comes, take it.” I had no idea exactly what the moment would be, but I would make one for her. Regardless of what it might cost me. I owed her that much. “Don’t look back.”

“I don’t understand.”

Holding her closer until we were completely flush against each other, I prepared to say goodbye. I stroked her cheek with a gentle sweep of my fingers and couldn’t resist the call of her lips for a moment more. When my mouth moved over hers, and she responded in kind, I knew we were likely sharing our last kiss. In order to hold her as tightly as I could, I twisted my fingers into her fiery locks and drew her close.

By the time I stepped away, it was clear I had to tell her an undeniable truth. One I’d found without any lingering doubts the instant I’d heard the danger coming. One she needed to hear in order to understand. “I love you.”

Before I had a chance to lose my cool and screw everything up even more, I dragged myself away from her. Using my fingertips, I tidied my hair as best I could and brushed away the guilt on my face before moving out to meet my family head on.

“Eth, Dad, what are you guys doing here?” I tried to sound casual and surprised when I greeted them. The tremor that quivered through my voice was almost certain to give me away though.

“Lou said you might be in trouble.” Eth eyed me with a mixture of concern and suspicion. Lou must have told him all about Evie and the lingering emotions I had for her. She’d possibly embellished or added in some bullshit of her own though, because he appraised me as if I’d just grown an extra limb.

I swallowed to calm my rapid heartbeat and fight the fear I felt for the one I loved. The best thing I could do for her was deny the truth and try to get my family away from the building as fast as I could. “No trouble. I just needed some time to myself.”

Dad gave me a look of disgust and disappointment, and I couldn’t help but feel ashamed under his glare. I’d failed him and the family by allowing my heart to lead my head. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. None of that meant I was willing to hand Evie over to them.

“Why don’t we go get some coffee and breakfast?” I said. “This place is a dump.”

“Then why are you staying here, bro?”

Even though my brother had been the one to talk, my gaze was steady on Dad. It was clear he was allowing Eth to lead for some reason. There was little doubt Eth had begged to lead in order to avoid Dad growing psychotic and beating my ass.

My palm found the back of my neck. “I told you, I needed some time alone. That means away from people. You don’t get more away than this.”

Eth nodded as he looked around at the building behind me. “Fair point.”

“Is it true?” Dad asked. His stern tone, coupled with the stern set of his eyes, left no doubt Lou had ratted me out. He wanted me to know that—as if I hadn’t already guessed.

“No.” The second the word was free, he gave me a look that clearly said he wasn’t in the mood for bullshit. I sighed and said, “Yes.”

“You came down here for a phoenix?” It was impossible for him to have sounded more disgusted.

I hung my head, but that didn’t stop me from lying to him. “I needed to get her out of my head, but she’d already left Charlotte by the time I got here.”

“Funny, the way Lou tells it that’s nothing more than a story,” Eth said. “She doesn’t believe it.”

“Well, I can’t help what Lou thinks or believes, can I?”

“I don’t believe it either. Especially not with that truck there.” Dad nodded in the direction of David’s truck before looking at the warehouse behind me.

“Truck?” I tried to sound questioning. “Oh, that heap over there? It was already here when I picked this shithole.” I swallowed heavily around the lump in my throat. “It doesn’t even run,” I added for good measure.

“Why don’t you let us inside.” The tone in Dad’s voice made it clear that it was a directive and not a question.

Knowing any hesitation would sell Evie out in an instant, I nodded. “Sure, if you really want? I mean it’s—” I was going to make up some story about the place being a mess, but Dad cut me off.

“I really want.” The tone in Dad’s voice was deadly. I said a silent prayer that I could still give Evie the break she needed. Just a small pause would be enough for her to run. I knew she was fast when she needed to be, and right now she really needed to be.

“Mi casa es su casa,” I said, gesturing toward the roller door with my arms.

I waited until both Dad and Eth had passed through the roller door before I followed to ensure that it was open and that Evie had a clear path to her truck the instant I provided her with the opportunity to run.

Jogging to catch up to Dad and Eth, I led them through to my room. I debated guiding them to a different part of the warehouse, but besides the showers, there wasn’t anywhere else to go. Most of the offices were full of debris and there was no way I could convince them I’d stayed anywhere else. Besides, I knew both my father and brother were skilled enough trackers to guess which room I’d been using even if I didn’t show them the way.

When I pushed open the door, relief struck me. Evie had at least had the good sense to hide and not be standing exposed in the middle of the room. I glanced around the space to locate her, and as soon as I had, I tore my gun from its holster. Without thinking of anything but Evie’s freedom, I leveled it at my father and shouted at her to go.

Relief struck the instant she cleared the doorframe that lead out of the office. Before I could celebrate, Eth’s fist struck me hard, catching me on the cheekbone with an unexpected jab. As I tried to recover from that, he lunged again. Based on his trajectory, it was clear his goal was to knock the gun from my hand. I twisted out of his way and sent my elbow crashing against his larynx in retaliation. Around the choking sound that issued from him, came a feral growl, and he came at me harder than before. His shoulder drove into my stomach, sending the breath rushing from my body.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dad make a break for the door to give chase to Evie. Even as I tried to catch my breath, I aimed the gun at the space right in front of him. Right when I squeezed the trigger, Eth knocked my arm during a new struggle.

“What the hell?” Dad cried out.

Both Eth and I stopped our scuffle and looked in Dad’s direction. The bullet, meant for the wall beside him, had instead torn through his calf. The hit must have shifted the trajectory of the bullet, sending it directly into Dad’s path rather than in front of him as a warning shot.

Eth scrambled for the gun. Twisting away from him, I used the butt of the weapon as a weight and smashed my fist against his collarbone. A loud crack echoed through the small space and he dropped away from me with a grunt.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I said to Dad as I threw myself across the room to help him. I might have wanted Evie’s safety, but not at the expense of any member of my family. I didn’t want them to be hurt. For all their faults, they were still blood.

I was about to help Dad—who was uttering a string of curses so profuse that it would have made a drill sergeant blush—when Eth snuck past us and into the corridor. I couldn’t let him get to Evie and I still hadn’t heard her truck pull away. Stuck with a choice between helping with Dad’s injury and ensuring Evie’s safety, there was little else I could do. I gave chase to Eth, charging into the corners as he disappeared around each one.

Turning another corner, I saw Evie standing stock still in the middle of the corridor frozen with fear as she stared back at my brother who was fast closing in on her.

“What are you waiting for, Evie?” I shouted with everything I had in me. “Run!”

I rushed for Eth, using my shoulder to drive hard against his chest and bring him to a stop.

“Run and don’t look back. I’ll find you!”

It was a promise I probably wouldn’t be able to keep. I was certain her father would hide away better than ever before once he found out what had happened. I couldn’t help uttering it anyway. I needed to cling to the hope that it was true, and I was certain Evie would too.

Watching her skid around the corners toward freedom, I inadvertently let Eth get the upper hand. His hand closed around my neck and he dragged my body across his, smashing my face against the drywall hard enough that it caused a dent. I blacked out for a fraction of a second, but when I came to, the sound of Evie’s engine filled the air.

Eth was already at the door ready to follow, but he wasn’t there yet. Pulling myself to my feet, I gave chase as best as I could to stop him. By the time the sun hit my eyes, Eth’s Hummer had already pulled onto the road and sped off after Evie.

Fuck!

I glanced around the street for a car to follow them in, but couldn’t see any. Knowing there was nothing more I could do—and hating that fact desperately—I headed back inside the warehouse to help my father with his gunshot wound. I couldn’t leave him alone with his injuries if I had the means to help him. It meant relying on Evie getting herself to safety somehow, but I had to trust her statement that she knew how to survive in a world that wanted her dead.

Dad was on the phone with Lou when I reached him. He’d located the first aid kit I’d stashed in my backpack and had already bandaged his wound. In his hand, he had a needle ready with something for the pain. Stopping in front of him, I reached for the needle to help. It was the least I could do.

“Here, let me . . .” I didn’t even get the chance to say the words before he’d jabbed the needle into my hand. A cool sensation pooled underneath my skin before flooding up my arm.

“Sorry, son, but I can’t have you interfering in this case anymore. Ethan, Louise, and I will handle the phoenix from here, and we’ll come back for you once it’s done.”

I blinked at him in shock.

“What?” I asked as I tried to make sense of what had happened. My head swam, but I shook it off. “Once it’s done?” I repeated. The words were meaningless at first, but then the terror hidden in them registered.

Evie!

My heart pounded, but instead of giving me a surge of adrenaline to rely on, it sped the rate the sleepy coldness passed through my arm. Dad drew himself up to a standing position, and I followed him to my feet.

“It’ll be best if you sit. That will take effect soon, and you don’t want to collapse onto the concrete when it does.”

His voice faded in and out and the world grew fuzzy. A strange metallic taste filled my mouth at precisely the same moment my tongue seemed to increase rapidly in size.

“What did you—” I couldn’t force the words out around my sluggish tongue.

I sank to the ground as the world shrunk to a pinpoint and then faded to black.