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Words couldn’t express her gratefulness. Without Gabriella, Leah would’ve been in the dark, for probably the rest of her life. Julian wouldn’t have told her, allowing her to leave when her contract was up. She would’ve lived forever with a yearning for Julian without understanding why. What a life that would’ve been.

Gabriella stared at her outstretched hand for a lengthy second before shaking it. “Good luck. I hope you make the right choice.”

Choice, Leah mused on the word once she was alone, looking out of her office window at the neon-lit city below her.

Did she ever have a choice? With the Organization. Or Julian? Neither had involved her free will. The Organization, taking her from the foster care system. Training her. Giving her food and shelter while shaping her to serve its purpose. Julian, whom fate had thrown in her way.

What about what she wanted? What about a house in the suburbs? Kids?

Leah laughed at herself. She wasn’t in high school anymore, dreaming of creating a raucous family with her sophomore boyfriend, who’d been the oldest of six kids, and whose middle-class parents had taken them out to lunch. That life had disappeared the minute the Organization had adopted her. Though, for brief moments these last few weeks, with the lure of freedom, those dreams had returned.

What would Dmitri do with this knowledge? She hadn’t heard from him yet, which was surprising. Dread cramped her stomach. She leaned her forehead against the window as though its coolness would save her from Dmitri’s machinations.

Perhaps she could convince Dmitri to keep to the terms of their deal. After all, being Julian’s mate made seducing him easier, but how could she stop Julian from feeding from her for three months? Julian had resisted it so far, but how long would he last?

Her heart crumbled as the previous night’s memories returned to her in sharp clarity. How stupid she’d been, accusing him of taking away her free will.

He didn’t have a choice either. Fate had dealt them the same hand.

He’d done everything in his power to avoid her, to defy fate. And why did that thought hurt more than the bullets? Was she seriously contemplating becoming a vampire’s mate? If Julian completed the bond, he’d never let her go. She’d be out of the Organization, but under Julian’s control.

Either way, she wouldn’t be free.

Leah couldn’t think about this anymore, couldn’t decide. Could she even make the correct decision with Julian several floors above her? Gabriella’s words had opened a floodgate of senses within her. She shouldn’t know Julian’s exact location in the building, but she did.

Trapped in her office, with Julian’s presence tugging at her, whatever she decided would be unreliable. Tainted by fate’s hand. She needed to put some distance between them.

Her time in Vegas was ending. Five more days. Unless she convinced Julian to extend her contract. Regardless of the future, there were things she wanted to do, and there was no better time than the present. Leah let Lucy know that she’d be gone for a few hours. Lucy, as usual, was more than happy to take over.

Maybe by the time she returned, she’d have an answer.

Chapter Nineteen

Anhourlater,Leahgot out of the car. The parking lot at the Ruins was empty. It would’ve taken less time if she’d let the car run on autopilot, but driving had been an excellent distraction from her tormented thoughts.

The Ruins, which glowed with a warm, ethereal light in the night, looked similar to the others she’d visited. A lone tower, its base the size of a city block but thinning out to a point at the tip, reached into the sky. A few smaller buildings surrounded it, made of the same smooth ivory stone and smothered in the same soft glow. The architecture was a strange mix of classical columns with clean, modern lines.

While the Ruins were scattered across the globe, there were no records of the civilization that had created them or what had happened to it. No one knew what energy source lit up the Ruins at night, nor had anyone been able to enter any of the structures.

The various cultures of the world treated the Ruins differently. Some sit abandoned in fields while others, like the one in Vegas, were tourist traps with organized tours from the city.

Ever since Leah had visited one on a school trip, she’d found them fascinating. She preferred to visit them at night when their ethereal glow comforted her.

Considering the late hour, the place was deserted but for a few stragglers. Most people caroused in the city after sunset when vampires roamed the clubs and casinos.

Leah enjoyed the breezy desert air and the quiet of the night as she walked up to the closest building. She stopped next to the tower and placed her hand against the wall. It was warm like the others she’d touched. Every time, she marveled at how these Ruins were here long before she was born and would stay undisturbed long after she was gone.

Just like Julian.

Her life seemed insignificant in comparison.

The thought came unbidden. She wasn’t ready to think about him. This time was for her alone, but she wasn’t one to lie to herself. No matter what happened in the future, she would always be connected to Julian until one of them died.

Even now, miles away from him, his pull was undeniable, the need to see him unyielding.

A light cough sounded behind her, followed by a voice she recognized, small and uncertain. “Leah?”

Leah stiffened before turning around. “Emily?”