“WAIT,” HE murmured after breaking off the kiss.

I whimpered as he slowly unraveled himself from me and stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” he said, chuckling slightly at my reaction. “I just think it would be best if we moved on rather quickly. I don’t want to get caught here, in this hotel. That was rather clever by the way, including the phone number for the Reunion Church in Phoenix in your clue.”

I smiled at the compliment. I’d heard of the church a while earlier and had decided it would play a part in any messages I was to leave for Clay to lead him back to me. Of course, I hadn’t known for certain that I would see him again, or that he would try to find me if I did, but I had hoped.

“Are you packed?” Clay asked.

I nodded. “Always.”

He frowned, but I couldn’t say whether it was at the memory of the last time I told him I was always packed or the fact that my life still revolved around needing to flee at a moment’s notice. A moment later, he shook off the darkness that had overtaken him.

“I brought something for you,” he said, stepping back and grabbing the bags from the floor. He fished through them for a moment before pulling out a long ruby-red evening gown, a small clutch, and a pair of matching wedges. The silky material looked like it was in constant motion as he held it in his hands.

“I can’t wear that,” I insisted.

“There’s a convention of sorts going on tonight. You’ll stand out less if you’re dressed up than you would in your usual fare.”

In reverence, I reached for the dress, lifting one corner of the material and letting it slip back through my fingers. “I’ve never worn anything so nice.”

“Just try it on. I wasn’t sure about the size.”

“But—”

He reached for my hand and rubbed his thumb softly across my palm. “Please, Evie. Trust me?”

Grabbing the hanger of the dress, I disappeared into the bathroom. I undressed quickly and pulled the silky material over my head. As soon as I had pushed my arms through the straps, I let the rest of the dress fall. It slipped easily down my body and came to rest a few inches above the floor. The size wasn’t exactly perfect—it could have been taken in a little around the waist—but the style of the dress meant it didn’t matter too much. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t believe what I saw.

Staring at my reflection, I couldn’t remember a time when I’d dressed so femininely. My usual clothes were designed to hide who I truly was—this dress seemed to expose it all. I wondered for a moment what it must be like to live a life where dressing up was a regular occurrence, where dresses and skirts weren’t foreign objects.

The only thing wrong with my image was my bra; the thick, practical straps ruined the lines of the whole dress. I slipped the straps of my bra off and assessed the difference, deciding that I could go braless for one night.

I pulled my hair out of its usual ponytail and let it fall around my shoulders. I gave it a little shake, trying to inject some extra life into it. I would have to put it back up again before we left, but I’d just wanted to see what I could look like if I was allowed to be normal for once. The person who stared back at me from the mirror almost belonged in the world of opulence that this hotel offered—it was someone with a life that was miles apart from my own.

Picking up the clothes I’d been wearing, I folded them together ready to pack—a habit in my life that was hard to break.

I took one last look in the mirror before turning to leave the room. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, self-consciousness overtook me. What would Clay think of what he saw? Would I be as attractive as any other woman that he’d taken out at one time or another? I took a steadying breath and opened the door before stepping out to find him.

The first thing I noticed was that he’d changed as well. He still wore his faded denim jeans, but he’d slipped off his leather jacket and traded it for a tailored suit jacket.

“Wow, Evie, you look . . .” He swallowed audibly. His gaze traced the length of my body and scorched a trail as if he were the one with the ability to ignite. It was enough to leave me exposed—as if more than just my skin was revealed. I wrapped my arms around myself.

“We really need to get out of here,” he said, but instead of making any move to go, he moved toward me and kissed me again. “Before I do something really stupid, like change my mind and stay here all night.” He pulled away with a smile as he traced his fingers along my collarbone, sliding over the thin dress strap that rested on my shoulder. “You’re going to be trouble, I can tell.”

Clay grabbed the pile of clothes I had in my hand and pushed them into the top of my backpack. He gave me the shoes and clutch that matched the dress that I wore. I threw the clutch onto the bed and grabbed the wedges to put them on.

“Is there anything breakable in here?” he asked, holding up my bag.

I shook my head. “Just clothes.”

Walking over to the window, he slid it open before tossing my bag out onto the rooftop.

“I’ll be right back,” he said before squeezing himself out behind it.

I watched as he walked to the end of the roof and dropped my bag onto the ground below.

“It’ll be easier if we don’t look like we’re going anywhere,” he explained when he returned. “There’s a loading bay down there, and I’ve dropped it behind some of the bins so no one will spot it.”

It was starting to aggravate me that he’d only just walked back into my life and already assumed he knew best. For the last few years, I’d managed to keep myself alive and well. Okay, there had been some near misses and stupid choices, but I was still here. In fact, I could recall exactly which place he was talking about from my own assessment of the hotel before booking the room.

“I do know what I’m doing,” I said, perhaps a little too sharply.

Placing his hand on my arm, he comforted me. “I know you do. I also know it’s harder for two people to pass through unseen. We need to blend, at least until we get the hell out of Dodge.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I didn’t want to scare you, but it’s extremely dangerous here at the moment. There are some wicked things going down, the convention is actually a rare meeting of three covens of witches. My father and some other members of the Rain are in town, amped up and ready to kill anyone appearing to be with them. That’s why I was at the museum—research.”

Stepping behind me, he wrapped his arms around my waist, crossing his hands at my belly. His lips slid tantalizingly over my collarbone. “I won’t let anybody hurt you, Evie. And I’m not going anywhere without you. I walked away from you once; I don’t have the strength to do it again.”

Relaxing into his hold, I allowed my head to tip back against his chest. “All right, what’s the plan?”

“The crowds are already starting to come in, that’ll give us some coverage. We’ll skirt through the lobby, around the edges of the party and slip out the front door. Then we’ll grab your bag and get out of here.”

“Wait,” I said, pulling instantly out of his hold. “The party is here? At this hotel?”

“Why do you think I want to get you the hell away from this place?”

“Wouldn’t it be easier for us both to sneak out that window?” I asked. It would mean changing out of the beautiful new dress he’d coerced me into, but I would probably be more comfortable in my jeans anyway. Then I remembered my jeans, my bra, everything I had was in the bag he’d dropped out the window.

He reached for me and brushed his palm against my cheek. “We can’t. There are four scouts in the park across the road, and the roof out there is lit up like a Christmas tree. I just signaled them to let them know it’s all good for the moment, but they’d know something was wrong if I tried to get off the roof. All of the entrances are being watched, they have been since last night.”

“There’s no other way out of here, is there?”

He closed his eyes as the edges of his mouth turned down. Then he shook his head slowly. “I can’t see one that won’t flag us as being out of place. We have to risk the lobby.”

My heart pounded in my chest.

“I’m sorry, Evie,” Clay murmured.

“For what?”

“For being me. If I wasn’t who I am, we could have probably strolled out of here without earning a second glance. Even now, there are people downstairs who are probably wondering where I am. I won’t have too much longer before my absence will draw attention. And yet despite all of that, there’s no way I can let you walk out of here alone. What if someone realizes the truth and I’m not there to stop them? I can’t lose you again, not if there’s anything I can do to keep you safe.”

The reality that we were surrounded on all sides by Rain operatives set flames in my blood. My pulse pounded, and I grabbed at my hair, pulling it back up into a ponytail. I needed something familiar to help me keep hold of my sanity.

“I think I have a something for that,” Clay said softly.

He reached into his bag again and pulled out a long blonde wig and a small container that must contain contacts. I hadn’t worn either in a long time, not since I’d lost everything in the fire that took Dad’s life. After helping me to properly situate the hairpiece into place, and watching me pop the contact in, Clay surveyed his handiwork.

His nose wrinkled. “It’ll definitely work to help get us out of here.”

“But?” I asked, worried because of the scowl on his face.

“But I prefer how you looked a moment ago.”

Scrunching up his shopping bags before throwing them into the trashcan beneath the desk, he surveyed the room one more time before looking back to me. I ran my hands over the dress to smooth it out, wishing I could settle my own nerves as easily.

“You ready to go?” he asked quietly.

I nodded.

“Perfect.” Offering me his hand, his lips turned up in a grin. “Let’s go then.”

 

 

CLAY WRAPPED his arm around my waist and directed me through the gathering crowd. His fingers pressed the red, silky material against my side, igniting a mild burning for more. Despite the barrier between my hips and his fingertips, I squirmed at the almost intimate touch.

“Relax,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t do anything to draw attention to the fact that we shouldn’t be here.”

“Play it cool?” I elbowed his side. “I’ve got it. Now, can we get out of here, please?”

“Definitely.”

The main doors were in sight when suddenly Clay clutched my hip and twisted us so that we were heading into the throng of the party, into the room marked “Tavern on the Green,” where the majority of people were heading.

“What are we doing?” I whispered under my breath.

He stopped suddenly and grabbed my arm, before turning on the spot to face me. His abrupt halt and about-face concerned me.

“Do you trust me to get you out of here safely?” he asked in a rushed whisper.

I worried what might have caused the sudden change in his demeanor. His face was ashen, and he stared at a point directly ahead of him with horror-struck eyes.

“Of course,” I said. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Just as I was about to follow his gaze, his eyes snapped back to mine.

“Don’t turn around and don’t ask any questions. Just walk to the bar now and order a drink. Wait for my signal.”

Looking at the bar behind him, I saw two large mirrors that ran behind the bartenders and revealed the room to me. That must have been his plan, for me to watch him in the mirrors.

“What’s the signal?” It was all so familiar. Achingly so. My heart raced as doubt crept in. Was it his way of leaving me again? The thought sent bile into my mouth, and my need to vomit grew.

“You’ll know it when you see it.” His eyes held mine for a brief moment, and I saw no doubt, only resolve. It was enough for me to put my complete faith in him. He would get us out of here—both of us.

His arms dropped away from my side, and then he sidestepped me without another glance, but with fear on his features. Although I wanted to know what had caused his panic, I’d just finished telling him that I trusted him. If he didn’t want me to stay by his side, there must have been a good reason. With great difficulty, I followed his instructions and walked away despite my raging curiosity. He spun in place to follow my path as I walked by. I met his eyes in the bar mirror, and he gave a nod so understand it was almost imperceptible.

With my eyes still locked on the mirror as I approached the bar, the reason for his stress became evident. My steps faltered as Clay’s sister, dressed in a short pink cocktail dress, approached him from behind. Her mouth barely moved as she spoke to him, but her eyes never stilled—flicking from person to person without stop. The weight of her stare was palpable as it passed the place where I stood. I dropped my eyes away from the mirror as she assessed my back. When I dared to raise my gaze back up to the mirrors ahead of me, she had moved on. I straightened my shoulders and back, lengthening my neck, and stepped up to the almost-empty bar.

One of the bartenders was in front of me almost as soon as I slid onto a barstool. He asked me for my order with a smile that I was certain worked for him more often than not. I smiled politely back, but my eyes were trained on the reflection behind him.

“What’ve you got?”

He rattled off a few different cocktails, but I had no idea what any of them were. I ordered the one that sounded the least suggestive as I focused on Clay and Louise in the mirrors.

I took a moment to examine the changes in Louise since the last time I’d seen her. Her hair was still platinum blonde but had grown out into a sharp bob. Her dress clung tightly to her athletic frame. Whatever had shaped Clay’s body so well had undoubtedly helped Louise too. The pink material of her outfit was cut into angular segments that showed off large patches of skin even as it accentuated the severe line of her jaw and cheeks.

Watching as the two of them interacted, it was as hard as ever to believe that they were related—let alone twins. Clay’s face was round and soft in all the places Louise’s had grown sharp and hard. She wasn’t unattractive, quite the opposite in fact, but there was something about her that screamed unapproachable.

The bartender placed my drink on a napkin in front of me. I panicked as it hit me too late that I didn’t have any cash on me. My purse was in my bag, which was sitting in the garden outside of the hotel. Even if I’d had it, it was empty. Instead of showing any outward fear, I moved the clutch Clay had given me to my lap on the off chance he’d had put money in it. He seemed to have planned most of the details fairly well so far, so I was willing to go on faith.

“How much do I owe you?” I asked. Before the bartender could respond, I opened the bag and breathed a sigh of relief that there were a few bills stashed in it.

He held his hand to stop me. “Everything’s on the house tonight.”

“Thank you.” I slid a bill across to him regardless. “For your trouble.”

He grinned. “Thank you, Miss.”

When he didn’t leave but continued to stare at me instead. Figuring he wanted to know I was happy, I took a sip of my drink. I wasn’t entirely sure about the cocktail. My one night with Brian was the extent of my alcohol drinking experience—something I wasn’t readily willing to relive. With the little money I stole, buying food and shelter was more important. Still, I raised my glass and nodded to let him know I was happy.

With my gaze back on the mirror above the bar, I watched as Louise and Clay continued to talk. His eyes scanned the room, just like Louise’s, only his seemed to settle on one person more regularly than any other. Me.

I took small sips of my drink so that I didn’t look out of place, but my gaze remained glued to the scene going on behind me, watching their hushed discussion. Neither of them seemed overly comfortable beside each other. Clay asked something, and Louise nodded in response, and I longed for the ability to read lips. Louise shifted closer to Clay and showed him something in her palm.

I shifted in my seat, trying to get a better view, but all I could see was a flash of light glint off whatever was in her hand before it disappeared again. I was tempted to turn around for a better view, but a tiny shake of Clay’s head stilled me. His fingers tightened into fists and released, repeating the same cycle over and over. Watching him carefully, it appeared that his discomfort was growing with every passing second.

There was a movement in the air beside me, and I shifted my gaze along the mirror as a man slid onto the barstool beside mine. There was something familiar about him, even from the quick glance I’d risked, but I couldn’t place what it was.

Heat prickled my fingers, and the hairs on my arms stood to attention at his proximity. I shifted my body as far away from his as I could and turned my attention back to Clay and Louise. My gaze was certain to be a weight on Clay as I watched carefully for any signal he might give. I was shocked by his new stance. His back was ramrod straight. His eyes no longer searched the room.

Instead, his gaze was settled fiercely on the spot between the man on my left and me.

“Nice night,” the man said after the bartender had given him his drink.

“Yeah,” I said quietly, not trusting my voice too much. I tipped my head forward so that the blonde wig fell forward to cover my face.

He turned in his barstool, apparently taking my one word as an agreement to start a conversation.

“Here for anything interesting?” he asked.

Keeping my eyes fixed on my drink, I shook my head. “Just passing through.”

“You here for business?”

I lifted my eyes back to the mirror, glancing at Clay as furtively as I could. “Nah, I’m just visiting an old friend.”

Clay shook his head when he caught me looking at him. He mouthed something, but I couldn’t make out the words. His eyes darted between the guy sitting beside me and me.

“So you’re not here for the convention?” The words were heavier than the previous ones my neighbor had uttered, weighted down with an intention that was almost impossible to miss.

For the first time since he’d sat beside me, I looked properly at the man through my curtain of hair. His dark-brown hair was cut short, and the edges were graying. The growth of his closely shaved beard hid the almost familiar shape of his face. His eyes, in the instant I dared to look at them, were such a dark brown that they looked perceptibly black—just like Clay’s. His lips, although not as pink, were a very similar shape to Clay’s and sat in the same permanent pout.

Realization dawned on me dangerously late. I’d been too focused on Clay and his sister that I hadn’t noticed the danger that had sidled into the seat beside me. I was making small talk with the man who killed my father—who would kill me without thinking twice. My first instinct was to stand and run, but that would only make the situation worse.

His gaze turned to me, and I had to remind myself not to react—my eyes were blue for the moment not purple. I took a quick breath to steady my voice and looked back at my glass, pretending with everything I had, that I hadn’t just made the startling discovery about who was sitting next to me and how dangerous he was for me.

“Convention?” I asked, playing dumb. I figured Clay’s father could probably spot bullshit a mile away, but I was adept at lying—I’d learned from the best.

He chuckled. “Don’t tell me that you just happened to be walking by dressed like that?”

Taking another swig from the drink in my hand, I quickly thought of a new lie.  “Actually, I’m meeting an old boyfriend,” I whispered, hoping half-truths would be convincing enough. “He asked me to meet him here. If I’m honest, I’m a little nervous.”  After smoothing the material on my lap, I ran my fingers through the end of the blonde wig. “It’s been a while since I saw him last.”

His gaze burned into the side of my face. I pretended not to notice and drank the dregs of my drink. I could sense him weighing my words in his mind, no doubt turning them over and assessing the truth.

Placing my empty glass on the bar, I picked up a napkin and tore tiny pieces from the edge.

His gaze trailed over my body, violating me without touch. His tongue brushed forward over his lips when he reached the neckline of the dress. “I think he’ll be happy with what he sees. I know I would be.”

I resisted the urge to shudder as my stomach churned. With some effort, I forced the corners of my mouth into a smile.

“Excuse me,” I said after struggling to find my voice. “I’ve just got to go to the ladies’ room.”

He nodded and turned back to the bar. I slid off the barstool and glanced around for the restrooms. All I wanted to do was run, but I fought my instincts. With slow steps, I walked toward freedom yard by yard.

As soon as I was in the safety of the restrooms, I collapsed against the vanity and took some deep breaths. My anger at the situation rose quickly. Clay had promised he’d get me out of the hotel, but instead, he’d forced me into even worse circumstances. Part of my mind, the part that was focused first and foremost on keeping me safe, whispered that I couldn’t be certain it wasn’t intentional. Maybe it was all a ruse to capture me; maybe Clay was the bait.

I didn’t believe that, but that didn’t mean it was easy to push the thought aside.

My hands shook as they tried to support the weight of my upper body. The marble beneath my fingers warmed as my anger flowed through me.

He had you alone upstairs, he could have killed you then. It would’ve been easier than bringing you to a public place.

That didn’t mean that his family hadn’t closed the jaws of a trap around us without his knowledge. Turning on the tap, I ran my fingers beneath the cooling spray. There was a momentary burst of steam before I could calm myself. I held my hands under the water to take away the worst of the sting and left them under the stream until the pinpricks left my fingertips. Afterward, I splashed a little of the water onto my face and took another deep breath.

Flicking the tap off roughly, I reached for the paper towels and yanked a handful from the dispenser, using them to dab my face dry.

Just as I was about to turn away from the mirror and leave, three women entered the room. They were all laughing with each other and joking. I was about to walk past them without a second thought, when one of them whispered to the others, “Do you think the Priestess is right about this place being protected? There’s going to be a crowd in here tonight.”

My mind reeled at her words. Was she a witch? Were they all witches?

I was certain the girls thought I couldn’t hear their conversation when they continued it in hushed whispers. “The priestesses have done what they can, but there’s never a guarantee when it’s a public place.”

I wanted to warn them about what was going to happen, but I wasn’t sure that I should. Maybe Clay had been right when he said that there were evil things in the world. Perhaps some of them masqueraded as sweet young girls.

Wasn’t that precisely what the Rain thought about me?

“There are quite a few strangers out there.”

They didn’t look evil. They looked like regular girls of my age. Girls I was even a little envious of for their ability to have simple, uncomplicated lives.

“You worry too much. It’s safe.”

They didn’t sound evil. If anything they seemed afraid. If they were powerful creatures who could wreak havoc on the human world, why would they worry about strangers?

Knowing I couldn’t stand pretending to dab my face with the paper towel any longer, I threw it in the bin and turned to leave.

One of my hands was on the door when a girl called out to me. “Excuse me.”

I held my breath and turned around, unsure what to expect.

She smiled at me and held out my clutch. “You left this behind.”

Releasing the pent-up stress in a sharp exhale, I thanked her. Just as she turned back to the rest of her little crowd, I reached out to touch her arm. “You might want to be careful,” I said as I glanced around. “There’s a good chance of rain tonight.”

I hoped that even if she was a witch, she was as unassuming as she appeared. It was possible I had betrayed Clay by issuing the warning, but I couldn’t have their deaths on my conscience. Not if there was something I could do to avoid it.

The end result would have to be up to fate.

Once I’d left the bathroom, my eyes darted around the room quickly to locate Clay. Instead, I saw his father still seated at the bar glancing in my direction with an unreadable expression on his face. Regardless of Clay’s plan, whatever it might be, I couldn’t wait any longer to find out. Every instinct told me to flee; I was way too close to the very danger he’d helped me escape from years ago.

I stepped out of the ladies’ room and saw a man who looked just a little older than me waiting by the stairs that led up from The Library. A plan blossomed to life in my head. I couldn’t simply walk out of the hotel alone, not after what I’d told Clay’s father. It would be far too suspicious, and I had no doubt he’d follow me to see if his original assumption was correct. There was a way to cement my story in his head, but I would need to use that man by the stairs to carry out my ruse.

Walking as quickly as I dared, I approached him. “Can you please help me?” I asked, infusing my voice with desperation. I had learned that few men could resist helping a damsel in distress.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s a man at the bar, he keeps hitting on me, and he won’t take no for an answer. I told him I was meeting my boyfriend, but I’m not. I’m here by myself, and I’m worried about what he might do if I leave alone.”

“I’m waiting for . . .”

“Please?” I begged. “Just walk me outside.”

Turning to look at the bar, I plastered a smile on my face when I saw Clay’s dad watching me and the stranger interact. As I faced my potential savior again, I forced my features into a look of horror.

“Please?”

The man looked around me to look at the bar. “Is that him?”

I nodded.

“Maybe I should just talk to him,” the guy said. “Tell him to back off a bit.”

“No, please, I don’t want to cause a scene. I just really want to get out of here.”

The man’s eyebrows knitted together as he examined my face. I held my breath and tried not to crumble under his scrutiny.

“Okay,” he said eventually.

I exhaled heavily in relief. “Thank you.”

He held out an arm, and I linked mine with it. As we walked to the doors outside, I turned quickly to Clay’s dad, giving him a wink and a thumbs-up.

“You’re really warm,” my savior said as we hit the crisp air. “Are you coming down with something?”

“It’s just the alcohol,” I said, hoping that was a valid reason for being a little warmer than most people. Usually I avoided touching people at all costs and would use the illness excuse. I didn’t want my savior to mention my heat to anyone else though, which was always a risk when fevers were discussed.

He nodded as if it was actually a thing, and I thanked him for helping me. Once I was away from the bright lights of the entrance to the hotel, I ducked around the corner and headed for the receiving bay where Clay had dropped my bag earlier.

As much as I wanted to flee as far and as fast as I could, I wasn’t ready to leave Clay. He’d warned me that there would be others from the Rain there—it just happened to include his family. I had no real reason to doubt him; he’d proven that he was different time and time again.

The cool night air helped me clear my head, and I gained control away of my heat from the confined space of the bar. If I was attacked in my hiding place, I would easily be able to defend myself.

Leaving my bag where it was for the moment, I headed back toward the corner and peered around to see the hotel entrance. As I watched, the door opened again. The light of the hotel entrance highlighted Clay’s face as he quickly looked left and right. He ducked away quickly and moved toward my side of the hotel. He just reached the corner when a man rushed up behind him. I watched from the limited shadows, not daring to peek my head out from around the corner, as Clay moved to greet him.

Straining my ears, I was just able to make out their conversation.

The man clapped Clay on the shoulder. Risking one quick glance, I could just make out Ethan. With the image of his Hummer barreling down on me in my mind, my heart beat so loudly that I was certain they’d both hear it.

“Hey bro, what’re you doing out here?” Ethan asked. “The party’s inside.”

“Just taking a breather. Lou’s being her usual self in there tonight, and I needed a minute.”

“You can’t blame her for being enthusiastic about tonight. I mean the last time we encountered witches—”

“I know, Eth, but I just can’t take it. Her constant smugness and the way she looks down on me for wanting to be certain that they pose a threat. Ever since . . .” Clay’s voice trailed off.

His brother sighed. “Yeah, ever since you betrayed the Rain for a piece of tail.”

“It’s not—” Clay cut himself off. “It wasn’t like that.”

“I know, I know, you were in love,” he dragged the word, and his voice was dripping with disdain. “And she wasn’t like the others.”

Risking another quick peek, I saw Clay’s whole body begin to shake with tiny tremors, and even with the distance between us, I could see the tiny muscles along his jaw tensing.

“Take a moment if you need to, bro, but we’ll need you in there. Dad said he’s expecting at least three dozen tonight, and you know they’ll put up a good fight.”

My stomach twisted sickeningly to hear Ethan’s ability to speak so calmly about murder. When Clay had told me what his family did, his words appeared to weigh heavily on his conscience. Ethan seemed to treat it almost as a game; he appeared somewhat excited by the prospect of a mass execution.

Clay nodded vaguely as he slowly swept his head from side to side. I couldn’t help hoping that he was trying to locate me.

Ethan finally noticed Clay’s anxiety. “Why don’t we go get a drink together after all this goes down?”

Clay looked around before scrubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, sure, I’ll, um, see you inside in a minute,” he said.

I froze as Ethan’s footsteps filled the night; the memory of his pursuit and the knowledge of how little killing affected him chilled my blood. My back was pressed firmly against the hotel until I was certain he was far away.

Clay breezed straight past me as he made a beeline for the white fence that enclosed the receiving bay. Almost instantly, I stepped forward to follow him. He’d already grabbed my bag by the time I reached him—picking it up and hugging it to his chest momentarily before slinging it onto his back.

I took another step, and he spun around quickly, ready to defend himself against whoever had spied him.

“Who’s there?” he asked, his hand instantly shifting to the small of his back. The moment he turned though, recognition instantly lit his eyes.

In two steps, he was holding me and his lips were pressed against mine. He pushed me back and pinned me against the wall of the hotel. He peppered my mouth with soft kisses between his words. “I. Was. So. Worried.”

I pulled away from his hold, not wanting to lose myself in his attention.

“Your family, they killed my dad.” I’d known that simple truth for years, but hearing how little they regarded the lives they’d taken made my body tremble and my heart ache all over again. “They killed him, and they don’t even care. They would have killed me too.”

He clasped the side of my head and pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m so sorry.”

The tears that I’d hidden for so long spring to my eyes again. Taking a number of deep breaths, I tried to calm myself; it wasn’t the time or the place to lose my cool. As if he’d read my thoughts, he stroked my hair lightly and waited for my breathing to steady.

“I thought we’d have a little more time before they arrived. They were going to leave this early part up to the local guys. I thought we’d be able to slip out unnoticed.”

He released his hold and took my hand in his. “Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here.”f