Page 40 of Vengeance and Vipers

He looks a little ashamed, but I don’t buy it.

‘Krase isn’t a danger,’ I say, changing the subject. ‘Look at him. Does he seem mindlessly deranged?’

Iron does what I say. I mean, Iamstill holding the gun.

I lower my arm as I let out a long breath. ‘I don’t want payback,’ I say. ‘What I want is for you to be nowhere near me.’

I see remorse in his countenance, but I’m not having it. I don’t want to see it. I turn away and put the gun on the bureau.

‘I just want to leave,’ I say quietly, glancing back at the two incubi.

Krase’s expression is barely readable, but he looks … disappointed.

Iron’s face is hard and unyielding, as usual. ‘That’s not going to be possible, Jules.’

‘Why?’

There’s a loud banging on the door next to me, and I jump, leaping away from it.

‘Because your little gunshot has brought the cavalry,’ Iron says as it bursts open, and four pairs of eyes lock onto me. ‘And they can all see you now.’

ChapterSeven

MADDOX

Iron and Krase are in front of me, but I hardly notice them, my eyes glued to Jules.

She’s alive. He didn’t kill her. I look for signs of distress, of pain, but there are just a few bruises. She looks remarkably well, her curves accentuated by the red dress she got from who only knows where. I try not to notice, but it’s more than a little difficult. Where the hell did that come from? Trust Jules to somehow trade her dirty clothes for a well-fitting and frankly dazzling ensemble fit for an evening soiree in a house no woman currently even resides in.

I swallow hard, finally able to rip my eyes away from her to look at Krase.

‘What were you thinking?’ I explode, my fearful anger rising to the fore. ‘What if you’d—’

My words die in my throat as I belatedly take in my friend’s appearance. I’ve spent the past few hours fearing the worst, but Krase looks … better. In fact, he looks normal. He’s cleaned himself up, rid himself of the tatty beard and dirty clothes.

I hide my relief and bury my confusion at this impossible outcome for now. Coming back from the brink like this is unheard of, and I can’t explain it. I glance at Jules again. Could she have something to do with it? I discount that ludicrous idea almost immediately. She’s human. I’m sure of it. What power couldshepossibly have to save him from the darkness?

I feel Iron’s eyes boring into me, and I can’t help my slight grimace. I should have known he’d suspect something wasn’t quite right.

‘What the hell is this?’ Daemon growls from behind me, his wide eyes going back and forth between Krase and Jules.

I grit my teeth and decide to start with Krase’s presence first.

‘I found him when we got back. I didn’t kill him, as you can plainly see. I know I should have, but he requested time to settle his affairs, and then we were taken to the Mountain before the time I’d allotted him was up.’

‘And you just let us believe he was dead?’

Axel’s words cut me.

‘Of course not! I left him in the fold with a pistol. I thought …’ I stalk to the bureau and take the gun in my hand, stowing it in the waistband of my jeans before I turn to face them all.

Krase tenses, but I roll my eyes. ‘If I were going to do it now, I already would have.’

From the corner of my eye, I see that Jayce has arrived now as well. He doesn’t see Jules at first because she’s not in his line of sight. He shakes his head at Krase and springs forward. At first, I’m afraid he’s going to wring his brother’s neck, but he pulls him into a tight bear hug, laughing.

‘You’re alive, you fucking cunt!’ He pulls back and laughs again. ‘Alive!’

Then he punches his brother right in the gut. Krase doubles over with a grunt.