Page 22

Bliss shoved him out of the way, barreling forward into the entry way, not even bothering to say hello to him in her haste to get inside. “Where is she?”
“Up here,” I called to her from halfway up the staircase.
She lifted her gaze, and instantly her face crumpled, her shoulders shaking.
“Oh, Bliss.” I hurried down the stairs and swept the taller woman into the tightest hug I could muster, ignoring the sting of pain from my injuries. “It’s okay.”
She dropped her face into the shoulder of my sleep shirt, crying hard enough that the wetness seeped through the fabric. “I’m supposed to be the one comforting you,” she wailed.
I rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back. “I’m not the one crying like it’s an Olympic sport and you’ve been training for gold.”
She sniffled. “Don’t make jokes.”
“She’s good at that,” Vaughn mumbled.
I gave him a pointed look. “Don’t you have a bad guy to go catch, Robin?”
Bliss glanced between the two of us, confused. “Isn’t his name Vaughn?”
I sniggered. “Long story. Has to do with a Halloween party. But come up to my room and I’ll tell you all about it.” I peered around her shoulder and gave a small wave to Nash, War, and Scythe, all standing in the foyer, looking stupid in their all black getups, balaclavas included.
My three weren’t any better.
“Wannabe stealth ninjas, much?” I gave my best martial arts yell. “Kiiiiiya!”
No one laughed at my teasing. They were all too busy with working out the logistics of how their little raid was going to go down. Scythe ran a blade through his fingers absentmindedly while Fang filled everyone in on the plan they’d come up with.
“Tough crowd,” I muttered. “Well, enjoy your Caleb hunting.”
There was a sincere hint of bitterness in my tone. I knew what was going to happen next. They’d go to Caleb’s, put a bullet in his head, or I guess a knife, if Scythe got to him first. Then they’d pat themselves on the back for a job well done.
If that got the woman out of Caleb’s basement, then it would be a good thing. She had to be the priority.
But there was a wounded part of me who knew it should have been my kill. Who knew I needed it if I was ever going to feel whole again. He’d stolen my power. The only way of getting it back was making him hurt as much as I had.
A bullet was too kind. Too simple and easy.
Too painless.
I wanted him to die in agony.
I should probably ask Scythe for a blade to play with, considering I was clearly as batshit crazy as he was.
Kian stepped in front of me and squeezed my biceps. “Your face is scaring me. Are you going to murder your friend if I leave the two of you here alone?”
“Of course not,” I scoffed. “That’s fucking insulting.” I side-eyed Bliss. “Unless she drinks the last of the milk before I get to put any in my coffee.”
Kian nodded. “Okay, good. Just checking.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over my forehead.
Vaughn paused on his way to the door too. “Don’t follow us, Roach. I know you want to.”
I gave him my most innocent expression. “I don’t know what makes you think I’d do that.”
He reached for my hand, wrapping his fingers around my clenched fist. Slowly, one by one, he pried my fingers away, revealing the contents I’d been trying to hide from him. He plucked the car key from my palm and let it dangle from his fingertips. “I’m taking your car keys with us.”
I glared at him. “I have the Uber app, you know.”
He shrugged. “Hey, if you want to explain this whole situation to your driver, good luck. I hope he doesn’t mind you making him an accessory to murder. Poor innocent driver. Just trying to make ends meet for his hungry wife and children left at home. I mean, they’ll probably all die from starvation while he’s in prison, but sure. Call an Uber.”