The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things #1)(69)

Yes, Leo was right. Her tail was burning. It hurt as if she were drying out or something.

Luke scooped her into his arms and rushed with her to the side of the vessel.

“Stop.” Mina stared up at him. Luke. His face was so hard and handsome. His eyes—I could get lost in them. “I don’t want to leave you.”

He was on the edge of that ship, his arms tight around her.

“I couldn’t even remember you moments before.” Fear flashed through her. “Why? What happened to me?”

His expression was tender as he stared down at her. “That’s the way it is for your kind, love. You know only joy. That’s why you are one of Leo’s creatures. There is no pain or darkness in your world. Mermaids know happiness so the ocean takes away all other memories. No more flashes of pain or regret. The ocean comforts you by only letting you live in the moment.”

Her arms tightened around him. She didn’t like the sound of that. “I don’t mind my pain.” She needed him to understand this. “I would take any pain to stay with you.”

Torment flashed on his face. “Mina…”

“You are joy for me.” As impossible as it sounded, her words were true. The Lord of the Dark made her happy. “I don’t want to forget again. I can’t forget.”

“You’re meant for more than me. I will destroy you if you stay with me.”

Mina shook her head. He was wrong.

“Your kind can’t live without the ocean. It’s your breath. Your life’s blood. Look at your own mother. She couldn’t survive without it. She had to leave you. If I try to keep you with me, the same thing will happen. The water will keep calling to you. It will drive you mad.” He bent and pressed a kiss to her lips. “That can’t happen. I can’t let it happen. You will be happy. I swear, you will be.” He lowered her until she was in front of him. “Good-bye, Mina.”

No, no, he couldn’t do this.

She grabbed his hand, held tight. “I love you.”

His eyes widened. Her fingers were around his, and she felt heat lance her from the Eye of Hell.

And then a gunshot blasted. She saw shock register on his face…shock and pain and then…

He let her go. She scrambled, her fingers sliding over his, reaching frantically for him, but it was too late. She clawed at him, trying to stay—

I don’t want to forget! I want to be with you!

And right before she fell into the water, Mina yanked the burning-hot Eye of Hell right off his hand.





Chapter Nineteen


He’d been shot in the back.

Only a coward shot another man in the back. A bastard attacked when another’s back was turned.

For an instant, Luke wondered if he’d truly been duped by Leo. Had his brother been working with the humans all along, waiting for this one moment when Luke had been distracted? Because it wasn’t an ordinary bullet that had burrowed near Luke’s spine. He didn’t think it had been a bullet at all.

There had been a blast when it fired but…

He reached around and yanked the arrow from his back. An arrow, not a bullet. Slowly, he turned to face the threat.

He saw Leo, eyes wide with shock. Leo had one of his hands on Garrick’s throat and his other hand was around Madeline’s shoulder.

He didn’t fire. Leo had been too busy with the humans.

Luke looked to the left, to the little stairway that led below deck. A man stood there, a man with dark hair and bright green eyes. A man holding a crossbow. A loaded crossbow.

“Do you remember me?” the man asked.

No, Luke had no f*cking clue who the guy was. He was about to reply, but the poison in that arrow had seeped into his spine. Luke’s legs gave way and he fell to his knees.

Leo didn’t fire, but the arrows are his. They are poison itself, death to dragons.

As Luke slumped, the mysterious man turned the crossbow on Leo. “I came to you,” the stranger continued, voice almost wooden. “Begging for your help. You were supposed to give my sister back to me, but you said there was nothing you could do.”

Leo stared at him in shock. “Michael? Michael Kinley? Y-you’re Rose’s brother. She was a vampire. Dark, so I had no dominion over what happened to—”

“I begged you, but you wouldn’t help her. And soon I realized what had to be done. You were right. She was no longer the woman I’d known. She was dark, a weapon to be used.”

Fucking hell. Luke clenched his teeth against the agony rolling through him. He had to push the poison from his system. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the fastest process. It literally had to bleed out from his pores.

“I’ll use her, I’ll use Mina James, I’ll use every paranormal that I find. They will be my weapons.” The dark-haired man smiled. Michael. Leo had called him Michael. “I will be the one to rule. You and your twisted twin? You’re both done. Hope you enjoy hell.”

And he sent an arrow hurtling toward Leo.

Leo shoved Madeline aside and he yanked Garrick in front of him.

Luke roared his fury as the arrow sank into Garrick’s chest. That kill should have been mine!

Garrick sucked in a deep breath, then his body stiffened. He was dead instantly. No human could ever last against that paranormal poison.