Addict (Hunter #2)(107)

The queen choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around her husband.

I wasn’t as ready to give up as Marcus was.

I’m here to tell you that I have seen some bad shit. Seriously bad shit. I’ve seen things that would make your toes curl, your stomach churn, your brain want to fry. And there is one and only one truth to every situation.

As long as you are alive, there is hope. Full stop. No arguments or questions. Sometimes hope is all we have but until the deed is done, it’s a gift given to each one of us.

“He must have taken down our wards,” Dev said, cradling his wife. “I had wards against violence placed here long ago.”

“Abbas Hiberna would leave nothing to chance,” Marcus stated grimly. “I would assume several of your security team were likely turned weeks ago. They infiltrated the club, and our own people are the ones we must fear.”

Donovan made it to the dance floor. It seemed wrong. It was a cheery thing with lights going off in crazy patterns. It was a place to party, but now it was the agreed on stage of an execution.

Winter and Donovan were saying something to one another. I couldn’t hear them. I turned back to Gray, who really needed to get his prophet on. I was a bit surprised to see Jacob standing beside him, watching the proceedings.

Hey, two prophets are better than one.

Marcus was consoling Quinn and the queen, but I wasn’t giving up yet. There was that crazy hope thing.

I turned to the prophet with the most experience. “Jacob, I need to know what to do.”

He sighed, a smile on his face. “Be yourself, Kelsey.”

I was ready to smack him. “Dude, it’s not a date. The King of all Vampire is about to lose his head and I’m the only one left conscious. We had to freaking tranquilize everyone else, so look through all those cool potential outcomes and get me a good one.”

“I’m not a slot machine, Kelsey,” Jacob complained.

“I can’t focus.” Gray’s fists were at his side, a sure sign of his frustration. “I’m trying, baby, but it’s too much.”

“You have to be calm.” Jacob stepped up to the railing. “Trust that things will play out as they should. You can’t have any control of the lines of fate if you’re too emotional. Take a deep breath and you’ll see what I’ve seen.”

Marcus took my hand. “Kelsey, I believe we need to prepare for the worst. Once the king is gone, you’ll have to get Lee and we’ll run. The nearest entrance to a sithein is outside of Austin.”

“We’re not going to a sithein.” I was sick of Debbie Downer. I loved Marcus. I really did, but all that negativity was getting to me.

“Prophet, it is so good of you to make an appearance,” Winter proclaimed.

When I looked down, there was a crowd of demons. They’d come from Hell to witness the death of the king. They were in all various forms. Some were red skinned, with scales showing and horns aplenty. Some were in their human forms, including one well-known politician, and didn’t that explain a whole lot. I counted two satans, with their cherubic cheeks and ever-present notebooks. Satans are the law clerks of the demonic world. They would ensure the king’s death was completely legal by the standards of all contracts.

Jacob nodded. “You know I bear witness to history’s interesting events.”

Donovan was looking at his son. He said nothing to the demons, simply spoke quietly to the boy in Winter’s hold. I had to wonder how he felt. He was the single most powerful man in the world and because of Winter’s hands, he was utterly helpless. Had Winter laid those hands on the king himself, Donovan would have frozen and then broken free and come out twice as pissed as he’d been before.

Lee was human. Lee would simply die.

It occurred to me that family was a true weakness. Unfortunately, it was also the only thing that made life worthwhile. These people we love, they can destroy us. But without them there is no person to destroy. I am the sum of the people who love me, who I love. The alpha and omega of my soul rests with who and how I’ve loved. Yes, it is weakness, but there is no strength that isn’t balanced by weakness.

I loved Gray and Marcus. I’d seen myself love someone else. I’d seen myself lose. I’d seen myself laid out and aching on the floor because I’d lost the men I loved.

So I would fight harder to keep them. I was done being a coward.

If Donovan was willing to risk his life for his kid, I was willing to put mine on the line to save him.

“Your Highness, I myself obviously can’t wield the sword, so I brought in an ally.” Winter nodded toward the crowd, and a man I’d never seen before stepped forward.

“I’ll want my reward.”

I might not have seen the body he was occupying, but I knew the voice. Matthew.

“Brother, don’t!” Gray called out.

Donovan snarled Matthew’s way, but stopped when Lee cried out.

“Not so quickly, Your Highness. I don’t think I would like you killing my chosen executioner. I think that might make my hands slip,” Winter promised.

“I’ll want my payment,” Matthew said.

“You can have the wolf. He’s being held right now for you.” Winter had both hands on Lee now as he watched Matthew take the silver sword one of the others handed him. His hand was gloved or it would have smoked at the faintest touch.