Page 45

Right. Home. With him. Fuck.

‘Anyway,’ I said, backing away. I hoped it looked like I was just eager to get back to my dying friend and not that I was running from him. The last thing I wanted was for him to take chase. Monsters did that, right? Chased their prey?

Like hell was I going to be his prey.

‘I need to get back. Something’s wrong with Rhodes.’

He looked like he wanted to argue, but then he pasted on his most agreeable smile. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘Oh, that’s not necessary,’ I tried to protest, but he wasn’t having it.

‘No, if your friend is dying, you should have the support you need. I’ll be right with you from here on out, honey. I promise, I’m not going anywhere again.’

Fuck. Shit. This was not in the plan.

But what choice did I have?

‘Okay,’ I agreed, shooting him what I hoped came across as a sad but grateful smile.

‘Lead the way,’ he said, ushering me out the door. When he locked up behind us, just before the door closed, I saw something. Just a glimpse. It could have been nothing, but it could have been everything. Scuff marks on the floor by a large bookcase that covered an entire wall. Floor to ceiling. But it was a little too big for the scant number of books and trinkets that lined its shelves.

Had he pushed it in front of something? Was that where he was hiding the detective?

Was that where he killed them?

When Blake took my hand in his, it didn’t feel like the romantic gesture it used to be. It felt like he was holding me in place, his grip the shackles around my wrist that kept me an unwitting prisoner. Those same fingers that sliced into people, that stole their lives, and god only knew what else, felt like burning coals of doom. It didn’t bother me before when he was just a surgeon, but now…

I shuddered.

He tugged me closer, wrapping an arm around me and rubbing up and down my free arm to create heat from the friction. It was a fruitless effort. ‘You’re still cold.’

I snuggled into him, hating the way my body relaxed against his, even if it was just out of habit. ‘It’s been a long day.’

‘I’m here, honey. I know I went a bit MIA, but you have me. I’ll always be here for you.’

The promise in his words was meant to be reassuring, but after everything I had learned, it took on a menacing tone.

When the glowing red eyes peered out at me from the shadows of the trees, I couldn’t decide which monster was worse. The creatures of the night that stalked me every move, or my husband.

Chapter 20

Rhodes

Iwas drifting.

It was calm here. Peaceful. Quiet.

I wanted to stay.

The switch-up was immediate. Once that decision was made, everything changed. I felt the snap of the string that tethered my soul to my body. I felt the sheer relief of releasing my hold on the living realm, and the warm acceptance of the realm of the dead as it welcomed me home.

More importantly, I felt strong again. No longer did my sickness drag me down. No longer was I bound to my bed, unable to move. I felt lighter. Brighter.

I knew it was so cliché to say it, but even though I had just died, I had never felt more alive.

Sounds rushed through my ears with startling clarity. Scents invaded my senses with a strength that almost knocked me off my feet. I could feel the warmth of the sun as it cast its rays over my skin. I could taste the sweet cleanliness in the air. And the sights werespectacular.Colours so vibrant and full that it took my brain a moment to process the sheer beauty of it all.

Yet, when I looked around, it was to see the familiar sight of my bedroom. I was still home, but things weren’t as I left them.My body lay empty and unmoving beneath me, surrounded by people bustling about. Davey was in the corner speaking with Jessica. Mikey was there, too, but he looked tense. I saw why when my gaze caught on Dakota. She had been such a blessing in my last moments, caring for me in a way no one had since before my parents got sick. But it was the man standing beside her who made me freeze.