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Talia yanked me down and slapped her palm across my mouth, cutting off my scream. His body crumpled forward and landed on the floor with a hard thud.

Imogen’s gaze settled on me, her eyes widened, then the corner of her lips twitched up—smug. The crowd stood, cheering and clapping like it was some show. My screams were swallowed by the hand over my mouth. Talia dragged me backwards and my body refused to work. The snap of his neck, the blank eyes. It wouldn’t leave me.

She moved so fast that my surroundings blurred, and my tears gathered at the corner of my eyes. The sounds of celebration sounded like a buzz. I regained control of my body as soon as the outside air hit me. I lurched forward, to get out of Talia’s grip, but she yanked the back of my clothes.

“Let me go,” I screamed and punched her right in the face. Whirling away, I smacked into another body. Hands grabbed at me and more joined. My feet went out from under me and the sound of an engine revved. I screamed, thrashing and hitting, ignoring the hisses of pain from whoever held me.

One breath later, and I smelled the sweetness I could no longer live without.

“Shh, Kitten,” Jax murmured in my ear. Another flurry of movement and my stomach dipped. Jax was running. I couldn’t see through the tears spilling down my eyes. He pulled me tight to his chest and the creak of leather told me we were back in the car.

Another body-shaking sob wracked me.

“We have to get out of here,” Baron whispered. I swiped the back of my hand across my eyes to glare at her. She stayed at the door, baring me from leaving.

“No, I can’t leave him,” I screamed, lunging for the opposite door. Ren blocked it from outside. Jax wrapped his arm around my waist, fighting to get me to his chest. He grunted, arms enveloping my waist to drag me back into his lap. I kicked out, slamming my heel into the back of the seats. Asher pushed past Baron and caught my calves.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,Älskade,” Asher said, his voice choked.

“Catalina, I will go get h—” Jax grunted from my elbow connecting with his stomach.

“No. Jax, you need to stay away from Imogen,” Tobias said sharply.

Ren opened the door he’d blocked and tossed in the keys.

“Go, take her home. I will collect the boy’s body.” Ren slammed the door. “You, come with me,” he ordered Baron.

His body . . . my stomach lived in my throat. The SUV roared to life, Jax hadn’t let my arms go.

Everything was a painful blur. I lashed out, thrashing and fighting to get out of the car.

I dragged my nails down his chest, ripping his clothes and leaving behind bloody gashes on his arms. The car revved, detaching from the curb, leaving Peter behind.

I cried. Jax held me tight, refusing to let me go.

THIRTY-EIGHT

jax

She had not stopped fightinguntil we’d returned home. Now, she lay curled on Asher’s lap on the bed.

He cooed to her in a way I didn’t know how to. I unclenched my hands only to fist them again. Her sadness physicallyached. I couldn’t handle watching her fall apart.

She was feet away, wailing and I just stood here, as lost as Tobias. Talia poked her head into the room and motioned for me to follow. I scrubbed my face and slipped out of the room.

I hastened downstairs.

“Was he easy to retrieve?” That was my main concern. They would have begun to deal with Wrenhaven’s punishment, and we didn’t want questions about why we wanted the body.

“They’d dumped him outside.”

I sneered. Bastards. If it was another human, I wouldn’t give a fuck, but this was Catalina’s blood. That made him part of us.

“Ren took him to Bastien’s lab.” I turned the corner into the kitchen. The three interloping vampires hovered near the table. Their curiosity came off them in waves. They should not be seeing any of this. They already knew Catalina was different, but they didn’t know the extent of it. An issue to deal with later. Ren and I could silently dispose of them, if the need arose.

Peter was stretched across the metal surface and Bastien hovered over his arm, setting up an I.V. connected to a bag.

“What are you doing to him?” The little human girl Cat seemed fond of, raced toward them. I grabbed hold of the back of her sweater, stopping her from reaching Bastien. Knowing him, he’d turn, snap her neck and return to doing what he was doing.