Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(132)

It wasn’t true. It couldn’t happen. I’d made love with him a few hours before so he couldn’t be dead now. I sat there with my hands on that face I loved so much. He would wake up. Daniel’s blood would work and he would wake up and tell me he loved me. He would make me baby him for weeks after this, and I wouldn’t complain. I would give him everything he asked for. I would give him that sponge bath he’d wanted. I would wait on him hand and foot.

“Don’t go,” I heard myself saying. I saw a tear hit his face and slide down his cheek and off his strong jaw. It took a moment to realize I was the one crying. “Don’t go. Please. Please don’t leave me.” I hunched over because he was heavy and I couldn’t pull him up, so I leaned down to wrap myself around him. “I love you. I love you. Don’t go.”

I have no idea how long they let me sit there, pleading with whoever would listen to give him back to me. We’d gotten so close to what we’d dreamed of, a family and a home for the three of us. He couldn’t be dead when I had his babies inside me. He couldn’t be gone. I had led him to this. I’d walked into his club when I had no right to and begged him to love me when he shouldn’t have. He would be alive right now if I’d just stayed away from him. I would have given anything in that moment to take back that one decision.

I would have given up everything to know he was alive somewhere even without me. My green-eyed boy. How would I ever live without him?

“Cara, you have to let him go,” Marcus said.

“I can’t.” I held onto Dev. I sobbed against his chest because the look in Marcus’s eyes told me this was really happening. He was really gone and I had no idea where he was. I sobbed, my body heaving grief that felt like it would never end.

“Marcus, please help her.” I heard Marini say.

Marcus pulled me up, using his strength to drag me away from my husband’s body. “It’s over, cara. I’m so sorry but it’s over.”

Rage poured over me as I caught sight of that bastard Chad, who Daniel had trusted. He sat against the stone of the wall. He stared at Dev’s body, and I couldn’t tell if he was still with us. He didn’t move or say a thing, simply stared straight at my husband’s body. Obviously nothing mattered but whatever was going on in that f*cked up brain of his and I couldn’t stop what came out of my mouth next.

“He’s a traitor,” I screamed, pointing at the man who had killed Dev. I couldn’t stand the thought that he would walk the night filled with Dev’s blood. I wanted him dead in that instant and I didn’t care who it hurt. Marcus’s hands tightened on my body, but I didn’t heed his warning. I charged on recklessly, thinking only of my husband’s body cold on the ground. “Daniel turned him himself. He’s been a spy the whole time. Kill him.”

Marini looked at me and I could see he didn’t believe me. “You are unwell, Zoey. I’m sorry about the prince. I truly am, but Mr. Thomas is far too crazy to be a spy. It’s the nature of his class. Even if Daniel planted him, he long ago passed any effectiveness.”

Chad’s laugh sent shivers down my spine. “Yes, Daniel Donovan killed me. He shoved a knife through my heart and there was blood but the faery’s blood took its place. He lives in me now, Zoey. I have him now. You can still talk to him. Daniel killed me in your backyard and there were wolves that night. I fell in love that night when I died and now I have two people inside my body.”

Marini shook his head sadly. “You see, he’s insane. I would kill him to make you happy but I need his talents. They’re still useful to me. Perhaps after the battle with Daniel I’ll execute him to please you, but Mr. Thomas has just managed to take away my secret weapon, and now I’m going to be reliant on him.”

I fought Marcus now and Chad was back to his weird concentration, every bit of his focus on the dead body in front of him. Marcus let up and I fell back down to Dev. They were going to take him away. They would take his body and toss it on the steps of the Order’s headquarters, and that would be how Daniel found him. That would be how Daniel found out Devinshea was dead.

I felt Marcus pulling me up again and I gazed one last time on my faery prince’s face. “You wait for me. You promised. You wait for me.”

A great tide of grief overwhelmed me and I cried out again. I couldn’t leave him there. I couldn’t leave him lying on the cold floor.

“Marcus, please,” Marini implored the man he would soon place in a coffin.

“Zoey,” I heard Marcus’s voice, but it seemed to come from deep inside my brain. It was soft and seductive and it took over. “Sleep.”

The world and all its horror winked from existence.





I woke up in the grotto, surrounded by the sights and smells of home. There were always flowers blooming in the grotto. During the day, roses bloomed along the walls and at night, on the balcony, the flower beds came alive with evening primrose. I closed my eyes and could almost hear Albert walking through the kitchens, getting dinner ready. Dev would sit with me and his hand would brush mine as we ate dinner with Neil and oftentimes Lee. My wolf would wander up just in time for whatever Albert had prepared and look surprised to be asked to stay for dinner. He would always ask for seconds and thirds, and by the time dessert rolled around, I would be teasing him about being a walking-talking garbage disposal.