Page 32

“I understand,” I repeated, cutting her off. My eyes dipped to her lips, wanting nothing more than to claim them in a bruising, possessive kiss that told all of the other males present she was mine and mine alone. But…she wasn’t. At least I didn’t think she was. “But now isn’t the time to talk about it.”

Her face scrunched together in confusion before she glanced at the watching crowd and nodded, blushing. She scrambled off of me, her body still trembling from her fight with the monster, before extending a hand for me to take. I accepted it, allowing her to help me to my feet, and pulled her into my arms.

“It’s okay, B. It’s okay. I promise you it’ll be okay. We’ll get out of here. I promise you, we’ll make it out of here alive. All of us.”

I should have been exalted at the thought of coming home, knowing that all of these horrors would be nothing but distant memories, knowing that we would be safe. Instead, inexplicable trepidation and dread unfurled in my stomach.

What more would we have to face before we found our way back to the living?

As I stared over Bianaca’s shoulder at the four guys watching us intently, my mind lit up with a new epiphany. If I had to protect her on my own, I didn’t know if I would be able to keep my promise to her. But with the five of us, we would get her through this. Or die trying.

I didn’t know how I felt about the others, except for the fact that Aiden was an asshole and I didn’t trust Heath, but if they helped me protect her, then I’d get along with them. Surprisingly, I felt no jealousy as I stared at their faces over her head, all of them regarding her with the same reverence and wistfulness I imagine I did.

I was almost positive they weren’t all in love with her the way I was, at least not yet, but that was okay.

As long as they protected her with their lives, we wouldn’t have a problem. But the second one of them betrayed us…

My eyes narrowed on Heath.

…I wouldn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done.

I’d killed once before, at least I suspected I did, and I would kill again in order to keep Bianaca Steal safe.