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“We will be ready,” Tobias murmured so huskily it sent shivers down my spine.

“We need to relocate everyone. Get them away from us. She wantsmedead. I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.” I stopped and took a deep breath. His sweet scent filled my nose and the warmth in my belly responded. “Can you do me a favor?”

He remained silent, his gray eyes scanning my face.

“I am worried about accepting, without knowing what it is. I will do anything for you, Catalina, except put you in danger.”

“Please, make sure Peter is safe, no matter what happens to me.” I could already see the denial forming. “It’s not like I’ll not be protected. I’ll make sure to always be around one of the others. If something happens to me?—”

“Nothing will happen to you,” he said fiercely.

“Protect Peter. Please, Tobias,” I croaked.

He stiffened and a moment later, finally exhaled.

“I will do as you ask.”

I would trust his word.

FORTY-TWO

catalina

I laidwith Jax on the couch of the lounging room next to the kitchen. After Corbin’s, we were all on edge. They’d even begun to plan where to send everyone away from here tomorrow.

Jax curled around me like I would float away. I combed my fingers through his hair, and he did the same to me, albeit hesitantly. He was terribly sweet, and I hadn’t expected him to be.

Baron flounced passed carrying a medium sized box she’d collected from the front porch.

“Catalina, you got a delivery,” she sang. “I think it’s the Jimmy’s.”

I was off Jax in the next heartbeat.

“Really, you’re leaving me for shoes?”

“Blasphemy! They’re not justanyshoes, they’re Jimmy’s,” I shouted back, reaching the dining room where Baron popped the top of the box open. She froze, her eyes widening. They were beauties, I knew it.

Dark curly hair, opened, glazed eyes, a mouth open in a silent scream . . .

I’d seen this human before. She was the one that Asher talked to at the club in the pink room. Part of my brain couldn’tcomprehend that I was staring at a head inside the box. I just couldn’t compute it.

Baron’s hand shook and she scooped out the jar tucked next to their cheek.Amira& Robertawas scrawled across the front. She screamed and at the same time a loud bang exploded from the direction of the front door.

The familiar sound of a machine gun accompanied an explosion of glass.

“Go, Catalina. Get somewhere out of the way.” Baron shoved me and ran toward the cacophony.

I sagged against the wall. No, I couldn’t just go and hide. I needed to make sure Peter was okay. I rounded into the hall and slammed into someone. I screamed, slapping out, but Ren gripped my wrists.

“Cat,” he breathed and swept me into his arms as he strode the opposite direction I was going.

“Wait!” I thrashed in his arms. “I need to get Peter.” He didn’t listen, carrying me into Bastien’s lab.

“Cat,” he shouted and squeezed my biceps. The pressure dragged me out of my desperation. “Stay here. I will find him.”

“I’m not leaving without my brother,” I screamed.

“Catalina,” Ren roared. “Enough.” I clamped my lips tight, yanked out of my panic.