Undead Or Alive (Bad Things #3)(36)

“But when you look at the gloves…”

She remembered what she’d lost.

“How did you survive without them?” His voice was gruff.

Forcing a smile, she said, “I told you…my mother was a fairy. My father was something quite different.”

He stared at her. Waiting.

“A demon.” Her confession came out as a whisper because it was her shame. “My mother was a fairy, but my father was the darkest of the dark. A demon. The baddest of the paranormals. My mother shouldn’t have loved him, it was forbidden. But she did. Light and dark blending together…”

“He said you were light and dark.” Cass raked a hand through his hair. “Luke said…he knew. All along, he’s known what you were.”

“Luke has always known.”

His hand fell back to his side. “What is he to you? Enemy? Former lover? What?”

“He’s someone who scares me. Someone I don’t want to ever face again.” And this was the moment of truth. “I told you my secrets.”

“Not all, not about Luke—”

“Tell me yours. What did he offer you? What did Luke promise you if you brought me back? How much did he pay you?”

His brilliant blue eyes glittered.

“Cass?”

“A mate.”

This time, she was the one who took a step back.

He lifted his hands and glared down at the gloves. “Someone I could touch with my own hands. Someone who wanted me and wasn’t repelled by the Reaper. That is what Luke promised—she is what Luke promised me, if I just brought you to him.”

Her hand lifted and pressed to her chest. For some reason, her chest was burning. “And you’re going to let her go? This…this perfect mate out there? Because if you betray Luke, if you don’t take me to him, you will lose her. I know Luke. He’ll make sure that you never find her.”

He just stared back at her.

They’d just made love—no, maybe they’d just f*cked—and now she was feeling completely blindsided. She’d believed him when he said Luke wouldn’t get her again. But now… “Were you lying to me?”

“Amber…”

She couldn’t run away from him. Not yet. Forty-eight hours hadn’t passed. OhmyGod. Had she really only been with him for such a short time? Because it was hard for her to see past him. He seemed to have filled her life.

Think, think! “Luke will be looking for us.”

“No.” Cass shook his head. “He will wait for me to deliver you to his island. He isn’t going to be searching for us.”

Yes, he will. Because I called out to him.

“He will be looking.” She exhaled and tried to think. To plan. “So he’ll probably spread the word to every paranormal he can find…telling them what you look like. What I look like. And they’ll report back to him as soon as they spot us.”

“You know him well.”

Too well.

“If all he had to do was tell the other paranormals to look for you…” A furrow appeared between his brows. “Then why didn’t he do that sooner? Why did he wait and have me look for you?”

“I don’t know why he’s suddenly so hot to find me.” To her, that just meant big old danger in big, bright letters. “But I do know why he didn’t turn to the other paranormals sooner. I’m…I guess you could say I’m Luke’s dirty little secret.”

Fury flashed on his face.

“Things have changed, though. I—” Dammit, tell him. “When the plane was going down, I called out to Luke. I was afraid and I screamed for him in my mind.”

If possible, his face hardened even more. “You and Luke must have one damn strong connection for you to be able to do that.” Jealousy boiled beneath his words.

She couldn’t look him in the eye. “We do. And because of that…because he probably thinks I’m hurt, he’s going to do everything in his power to find me. The secret will be out. He’ll use anyone and everyone to hunt me.”

His eyes were slits of blue fury. “Why don’t you just send him another psychic message? With that bond you two share? Let him know you’re alive and well.”

“Because if I do that, he’ll lock on me. Luke’s always been stronger than I am. If I give him the chance, he’ll grab hold of our link and take control of it. He’ll find me. He’ll find you.” And that wouldn’t end well. Briskly, she nodded. “We should go. Stick to the backroads and put as much distance between us and him as possible.” Because she knew Luke was close by…but she didn’t tell Cass that part. She’d already overshared enough. “If you…still plan on not turning me over, that is. If you plan—”

He grabbed her wrists. Held tight. “Fuck the mate I don’t have.”

What?

“You think I could go to another after being with you?” Then he was kissing her—so hard and wild. As if she were the only woman in the world. As if she mattered to him.

Maybe she did. Maybe…

“I don’t know her. I know you. I want you. I told you…Luke will not hurt you. No one will ever hurt you. Not while I’m near. I’m breaking the deal with him, and I don’t care what it costs me.”