Page 93 of Wicked Bonds

“True.”

He leaned against the door, facing her. “Should we stay here? I don’t want to risk Jay, Lizzie, and little LJ.” He desperately wanted to know what was happening between him and Leela, but not at his best friend’s expense.

“It’s only been a few hours, and I didn’t even know where we were going when I misted us here. There’s no way they followed us. I really don’t think they’ll find us this quickly. But on the off chance that they do, they’ll try to capture us when we’re alone and away from the humans.”

“They won’t realize it’s a false chase and mist to Hydria?”

“They’ll realize it was a false chase and demand answers for it. From me. Which means they’ll focus first on taking me in for questioning, then continue their pursuit of Lizzie and her child.”

He considered that for a moment. It meant if the Seraphim caught them, they’d have time to warn the others, and it might still prolong the inevitable because the warrior and tracker Seraphim would pursue Leela for answers before continuing their hunting mission.

“Can they keep you from misting?” he wondered out loud, considering the possibility of stretching this chase another day or two, if caught.

“Only if they’re able to temporarily subdue me,” she replied. “Like by shooting me in the head or something.”

He frowned. Well, there went that suggestion, then. “We should stay here.”

Balthazar wasn’t going to risk her getting shot in the head again. And not just because she was his escape route, but because he cared about her well-being.

“No, we should go out,” she countered. “And find out what’s happening between us. Enjoy ourselves a little. I’ll sense them if they’re near, and I’ll mist us out of Venice.”

“Your wards failed in Japan, and we only sensed them because of Luc’s alarms.”

“True.” She nibbled her lip. “But I don’t want to just hide here. I’m… I need to understand this. To follow the lead in my mind. It’s… There’s something here, B. And I hate that I can’t define it.”

“It’s like someone messed with your head, yeah?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And you hate it, right?”

“Of course I do,” she said, sounding frustrated. “I feel violated.”

“Hmm.” He arched a brow, waiting for her to realize what she’d just admitted.

It didn’t take her long, her eyes widening. “Shit. Okay, I know. Yes, I should have at least tried to talk to you. It was wrong. I… I put Stas first. I shouldn’t have told Vera to remove your memories. But I never expected it to lead to this.”

“You never expected me to find out.”

“Exactly.”

“So whoever did this to us expected the same,” he pointed out. “Yet we can sense it now, whatever this is, and it’s frustrating as hell.”

Her jaw clenched. “Yes. It is. Do you need me to crawl now? Beg for forgiveness?”

His lips curled. “Maybe after dinner.” He needed to feed her after the day they’d experienced. Taking care of a lover was one of his favorite parts of the experience. And he very much wanted to take care of Leela.

She blew out a breath and shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, B. I’m sorry I—”

He pulled her into a kiss, silencing the apology he could hear echoing in her mind. She continued voicing it in her thoughts, causing his hand to clamp tightly around her nape.

This had never been about holding a grudge or seeking revenge, or really even about having her crawl. He’d merely wanted a way to move forward, a path to navigate toward a mutually beneficial future.

Because there was no question in his mind that he and Leela were destined for something. They were too much alike for there to be any other alternative.

His tongue skated along her lower lip, dampening it before he grabbed hold with his teeth. She startled as he bit down, leaving his mark for all to see.

At least until she healed.