Page 110 of Twilight Destiny

Kincaid stared at the cage. Remembering another cage centuries ago, and the one he had recently occupied, he thought he would rather be dead than locked up again.

Chapter Forty-Six

Rosa stared at Jake. “You left him in a cage?”

“You got any better ideas?”

Try as she might, she couldn’t think of even one. If the necromancer’s spirit still resided in Paul, then he was dangerous, not only to himself, but to anyone who came in contact with him.

“Izabela said if Luca can’t work his magic while inside Rhinehart’s body, killing Rhinehart will kill them both. If Luca retains his power, he’ll just leave the hunter’s body before it dies.”

“So there’s a chance you’d have to kill Paul to kill Luca? That’s murder.”

“I don’t know if Luca is capable of practicing his magic, but he’s already controlling Rhinehart to some extent. He tried to get the hunter to kill his family.”

Rosa stared at him in horror.

“Think of it as self-defense. If Luca still has the ability to practice his magic, he’s going to keep coming after us. And like Saintcrow said, if it comes down to Luca or us … ” Jake shrugged.

Rosa bit down on her lower lip. It seemed wrong to kill Paul when he wasn’t responsible for whatever violence he might do, but what other choice would Jake or Saintcrow have?

“We talked to Izabela. She said if Luca still has his magic, the best way to destroy him might be to catch him between host bodies. Or maybe trap him in a new one.”

Seeking comfort, she went into his arms. “Is this ever going to end?”

“I hope so.”

Maybe it never would, she thought bleakly. Jake and Saintcrow might spend weeks, months, years, trying to destroy the necromancer before they found a way to defeat him. Did she want to wait that long to be Jake’s wife? And what if something happened to him? Wouldn’t a few hours of forgetfulness in his arms be worth whatever happened next?

“What are you thinking about?” he asked when she looked up at him, her beautiful dark eyes filled with love and desire.

“Do you still want to marry me?”

“Is that a trick question?”

She smiled faintly. “Is there any place where we could get married tonight?”

“I haven’t asked your father’s permission yet.”

“You have my permission. That’s all you need.”

“Reno?” Pulling his cell phone from his jeans, he did a quick search, and smiled.

“The license bureau is open until midnight. No blood tests required. Are you game?”

Was she? She gazed into Jake’s eyes. The love she saw there turned her insides to mush. He loved her, he wanted her, and oh, how she wanted him. “Let’s do it.”

It was six o’clock when they arrived in Reno via a little vampire magic. It didn’t take long to procure a license. A quick trip to the nearest mall provided a simple white dress and heels for Rosa, a pair of black slacks, a crisp white shirt, and a black jacket for Jake. They found a set of matching wedding rings—far more expensive than she would have chosen—and they were ready to go.

They had to try half a dozen places before they found one that was open and available. The venue was clean and neat, if not particular fancy, but Rosa only had eyes for Jake.

The ceremony was brief. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears she hardly heard the words of the official who pronounced them man and wife. And then Jake was holding her in his arms, his gaze warm with love as he kissed her tenderly.

They left the wedding chapel hand-in-hand, their marriage license in Jake’s pocket. “I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone a lengthy honeymoon until this mess with Luca is cleared up,” Jake remarked. “But we can spend our wedding night anywhere you want.”

“I don’t care where we go,” Rosa replied, feeling her cheeks grow hot, “as long as it has a big bed and clean sheets.”

Jake grinned at her, and the next thing she knew, they had checked into a fancy hotel and Jake was carrying her down a carpeted hallway and into the most beautiful suite she had ever seen.