Page 103 of Twilight Destiny

“Saintcrow said he thought being a prisoner was so painful because it reminded you of being caged by the vampire who turned you.”

Kincaid frowned, and then he nodded. He hadn’t made the connection at the time, but he could see it now. He had felt weak, vulnerable, helpless while he was the vampire’s prisoner. Drakos had humiliated him, humbled him, broken his will, and he had killed him for it. He had wanted to kill Luca, too. Instead, he had almost killed Rosa. Saintcrow had said he never would have bitten Rosa if he had known it was her. And he was right. Half out of his mind with pain and desperate to replace the blood he’d lost, he would have attacked anyone or anything that came near him. He grinned, thinking Saintcrow had a lot more insight than he gave him credit for.

“What are you smiling at?” Rosa asked.

“You.”

Brow furrowed, she stared at him. He looked different, she thought. The tension had drained away, his beautiful dark eyes had lost their haunted look.

“Rosa, my little virgin, will you marry me?”

“What?”

“Will. You. Marry. Me?”

“I … what happened?”

“You healed my soul, if I have one,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ve done a lot of thinking in the last few days and I realized I’m not as lost or irredeemable as I thought I was. And it’s all because of your faith and trust in me. And Saintcrow’s, too. You both know me better than I know myself.”

“Well, it’s good to see you smile again,” Rosa murmured, still confused.

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“Yes, Jake, I’ll marry you.”

He swept her into his arms, his mouth covering hers in a kiss that threatened to steal the breath from her body. She clung to him, desperate to hold him closer, closer, until there was no space between them. This was where she belonged, where she wanted to be. She melted against him, felt as if her whole being was turning to liquid fire, when, abruptly, he lifted his head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“How badly do you want to be a virgin on your wedding night?”

The question put out the fire.

“I’m an old-fashioned guy,” he drawled. “I don’t want to defile you. You’re aren’t just a one-night stand. You’re going to be my wife.” He took a deep breath. “And I’m going to ask for your father’s permission.”

Rosa blinked at him. “Are you serious?”

He nodded, his expression solemn.

Shoulders slumped, Rosa fell back against the sofa. Her father might give them his blessing. After all, he wouldn’t be alive if not for the vampires in the family. But her mother?

Rosa sighed. She wasn’t so sure about her mother.

Chapter Forty-Three

Paul Rhinehart stared at his reflection in the mirror. Why was he still seeing Luca’s face day after day? The necromancer was dead. He had seen what was left of the body.

You have not fulfilled your end of the bargain! The vampire Kincaid has not been destroyed!

Rhinehart clapped his hands over his ears as he heard Luca’s voice shriek in his mind. “Stop it, dammit! Get out of my head!”

If you cannot destroy the vampire, I will destroy your family.

“You’re dead!” he screamed. “I saw your body!”

The image in the mirror laughed and the sound of Luca’s evil cackle filled the room. He covered his ears again, but the laughter went on. And on. And then Luca’s voice whispered to him.

The baby. She’s asleep. Kill her now.