“Tell me what happened,” said Zach. “When the phone cut off last week, I was sure you were dead—sure I’d be too late.”

Lexi prayed he couldn’t see the guilty flush she could feel spreading over her face. That phone call last week had been one hundred percent theater, designed by the Defenders to get Zach to come running. She’d pretended to be in trouble, calling him for help. Her frightened voice, the pounding on her motel room door, the way she disconnected the call. It had all been a carefully devised lie to trick Zach into coming for her.

And it had worked like a charm.

He ran his hands along her arms as if checking for injury, or maybe trying to convince himself she was fine.

She didn’t know what to make of it, and it left her reeling in confusion.

“Were you attacked? Did you get hurt?” he asked.

Lexi knew he’d have questions, and she had practiced her lie over and over, but with his hands running over her, so warm and caring, she could hardly remember the line. “No. I was in a cheap motel room. It was just some drunk guy looking for his cheating girlfriend. I shouldn’t have called and bothered you, but I was scared.”

Zach’s eyes closed in relief for a brief moment, and she saw his mouth move as if offering a silent prayer of thanks.

“Excuse me,” said Gus. “I hate to interrupt your little reunion, but this floor isn’t going to mop itself.”

“Sorry, sir,” said Zach. “But Lexi’s—Alex’s—days of mopping are over. She’s coming home with me.”

Gus’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “That true?” he asked her. “You leaving with this guy?”

Best to just get it over with and get out of here before anyone else could get hurt. The longer she put off the inevitable, the worse it would be. “Yeah, Gus. I’m going with him.”

“You’ve been running from something,” said Gus. “Is he it?”

“No,” she lied. “I’ll be fine.”

Zach still hadn’t let go of her. His hand was splayed across her lower back, holding her close to his warmth. He looked down at her, and his leopard green eyes practically glowed with anticipation. “Time to go, honey.”

Honey. He always called her that, like he cared about her. Like he wasn’t planning on brainwashing her and killing her for her blood.

Then again, Lexi figured turnabout was fair play. Her trunk was packed with explosives, thanks to the Defenders’ plan. Once Zach took her back to the compound where he lived, and she got Helen out, she was going to detonate all that C-4 and kill every one of the Sentinels she could. Including Zach.

Chapter 2

Lexi was safe. Zach could hardly believe it, even though she stood right there in front of him, so beautiful it made his eyes sting. He’d nearly collapsed with relief when he’d cleared the bar’s entrance and seen her safe and sound. The doorframe kept him from falling, and he stayed there for a full minute, just watching her move, soaking in the sight of her whole and safe. Whatever trouble she was in, whatever he’d heard over the phone last week hadn’t hurt her.

He’d found her in time.

It took Zach another minute to steady his breathing and get enough control over his emotions to even think about approaching her. He couldn’t screw this up. He couldn’t scare her away. Not again.

When he was sure he wouldn’t hurt her with his desperation to get her in his arms, he finally allowed himself to go to her. And now here she was, pressed up against him, right where she belonged.

He stroked her arms, trying to rub away the chill that roughened her skin. He wasn’t sure whether the goose bumps were from cold or fear, but either way, he was going to take care of it for her. Whatever she wanted, whatever she needed, anything in his power to give would be hers.

She felt good under his hands. Maybe too good. His fingers closed around her slim arms and he had to remind himself to be careful. Go slowly. Don’t scare her away again.

Zach had planned for this moment for weeks—every day since he’d met her on June 27, a day he’d always celebrate as the beginning of his salvation. He’d gone over their reunion again and again—a million different permutations filling up his brain until it was clogged with possibilities. In every single one, she’d stayed by his side because that was what he wanted.

Based on the way she held herself stiff in his arms, apparently reality wasn’t going to be quite so easy.

He’d lost her once. She’d run away. The bloodmarker he’d left on her hadn’t worked right and he couldn’t find her. Even though it was supposed to be impossible, she’d managed to find a way to hide from him. It could happen again if he wasn’t careful.

Zach planned on being really careful.

“I brought you something,” he told her. He dug in his back pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch. It took some doing to open the thing one- handed, but he wasn’t about to let go of her with his other hand. If he had his choice, he’d never stop touching her again.

He pulled the delicate gold chain from the bag and dangled it in front of her. The bar’s neon signs glinted off the links, giving it a tacky sparkle.

“What is that?” she asked.

“A present. For you.” One that would make sure he didn’t lose her again.

“I can’t accept it,” said Lexi. Her dark eyes were locked onto the thing like it was a poisonous snake.

“Sure you can. I had it made just for you. You don’t want to hurt my feelings, do you?”

She lifted her chin and looked up at him. Those bittersweet chocolate eyes were full of questions and more than a little apprehension, but Zach would take care of that soon enough. All he needed was some time alone with her to explain and everything would be fine.

It had to be. Zach was nearly out of time.

“Please, Lexi. Just let me put it on you. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else.”

She looked at the bracelet again, licked her lips and pulled in a fortifying breath. Her chest vibrated with silent fear.

She was afraid.

Zach fought the urge to fold her in his arms again and hold her until she got used to him and knew he’d never hurt her. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way these things worked. She needed time. She needed him to prove to her that not only would he not hurt her, but he’d kill anyone or anything that tried to.

If things worked out, he’d have a lifetime to show her what she meant to him. Several, actually.

Pain pounded at his body, and the need to stake his claim screamed at him to act, but he held on. He still had a few more days—long enough to do this right. He’d already lived with the pain for decades; he could live with it for a few more days. Lexi was worth it.

Slowly, she held out her arm. Her fingers trembled, but Zach pretended not to notice. She was a little woman—only about five feet tall—but her independent streak was anything but little. Lexi was a fighter, and he still had the scar to prove it.

Every time he saw the small puncture wound on his arm, it made him grin. Once he’d calmed her and showed her how to use his power, she was going to be unstoppable. A fierce warrior maiden. Lexi the Avenger. The stuff of legends.

Zach fastened the bracelet around her wrist, loving the feel of her silky skin brushing against his fingertips. She had dainty bones, though he’d never dare say that to her face for fear of more scars.

He’d made the jeweler resize it twice so it would fit just right. And it did. It was loose enough to be comfortable, but didn’t dangle so much it would get in the way. More important, it wasn’t loose enough for her to slip it off over her hand.

He pretended to adjust it, straightening out the links while he pulled in tiny specks of power from the air around them. It hurt like hell to absorb any more energy, but he had no choice. He needed it to activate the magic Gilda had embedded in the bracelet—the magic that would make it impossible for Lexi to escape him again.

With a subtle click, he felt the sleeping power inside the gold links come alive, sending sparks cascading up his arm and down his spine.

So did Lexi.

Her dark eyes widened and she struggled against him, trying to pull away. “What did you do to me?” she demanded.

The barkeep looked up from his tallying. His weathered face darkened, and his body shifted. He was reaching for a weapon behind the bar.

“Time to go, honey,” said Zach. He took her by the wrist and tugged her along behind him toward the door.

“You hold on there,” said the barkeep. “She’s not going anywhere with you unless it’s what she wants.”

“Stay out of this, Gus,” said Lexi. “You’ll only get hurt.”

“I’ll show him hurt.” The man cradled a shotgun in his hands, looking comfortable enough with the thing that he probably slept with it at night. Not good. Birdshot hurt like hell, and buckshot could blow his arm off or worse. Zach couldn’t let himself become incapacitated now. Especially not when it meant that his blood would be spilled, the scent drawing every Synestryn demon from miles around, leaving Lexi unprotected.

Not going to happen.

He shoved Lexi behind him and held up his hands. “Easy, now,” he said. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

“Alex, come over here,” Gus ordered.

“It’s fine,” said Lexi. “Really. I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll just call the sheriff and let him sort all this out,” said Gus. “Make sure your beau here doesn’t have any unpleasant history.”

Involving human police was only going to make things messier. And he certainly didn’t have time to sit in jail while the last leaf on his lifemark withered and died.

“We’re in a bit of a hurry,” said Zach.

Gus reached for the phone, never once taking his eyes off Zach. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t, Gus,” said Lexi. “Just let it go.”

“He’s a big man, Alex. I don’t much care for the idea of you being alone with him.”

“I’m not going to hurt her,” said Zach through his teeth. “I’d die before I’d let something happen to her.”

“I want to be alone with him.” Lexi’s emphatic statement made Zach’s heart sing. He wasn’t sure if she meant it or if she was putting on a show for Gus, but either way, it worked for him.

“You sure?” asked Gus.

Lexi gave Zach a hard shove, pushing him aside so she could step out in front of him. Zach kept his hands to himself, barely. And then he saw the tattoo of a leopard on her shoulder and was shocked to stillness. Jungle vines and stylized leaves started at the point where he’d placed his bloodmarker on her right biceps and wound up her arm and over her shoulder. The leopard was peering out of that foliage, staring right at him from underneath the strap of her tank top.

Zach had seen his reflection in the mirror often enough that he recognized his own eyes when he saw them.

It was odd seeing them in the skull of an animal—like he was some bizarre kind of Slayer. What was even odder was the fact that Lexi would permanently mark herself with any image that reminded her of him. Last time he’d seen her, she’d tried to kill him. He liked to think that the few conversations they’d had on the phone since then had convinced her to let go of her violent urges, but he sure didn’t think he’d sweet-talked her enough for something like this.