Undead Or Alive (Bad Things #3)(42)

Did I do this? When I grabbed for her, did I kill her? Because his touch never left so much as a mark on his prey.

Horror iced his heart.

Amber isn’t prey. Amber is everything.

Had he killed her? That first touch?

Or did Gregory hurt her while I couldn’t stop him?

Because Cass had failed to protect her. I should have f*cking killed Gregory at the hotel.

The ground shook. Lightning flashed, hitting a tree, and the air seemed to burn with the scent of ozone.

“Get away from her!”

Cass was crouched over Amber’s body. His hands were on either side of her. His mouth just above hers.

“Reaper…” That snarling voice belonged to Luke. Cass knew it without looking up. So he didn’t glance away from Amber.

More thunder rumbled. “Get your ass away from my sister,” Luke roared.

Away from his—

Sister?

Cass’s head whipped toward Luke. The Lord of the Dark’s wings were fully extended, the scales gleaming.

My mother was a fairy, but my father was the darkest of the dark…a demon. Amber’s words replayed in his head.

“I told you,” Luke gritted out. “I wanted her back alive. Alive.”

Lightning flashed down on the ground just inches from Cass’s right hand.

“She’s not dead,” Cass said because she couldn’t be. Don’t be dead, Amber. Don’t—

Because he needed her. He…

Loved her?

His chest burned as the fear spread within him. Did my touch do this?

Lightning flashed again—only this time the lightning slammed into Cass’s body. He jerked, his head whipping back as the pain blasted him, and then he found himself flying through the air and crashing into the side of the wrecked sedan.

Cass shook himself off and leapt to his feet. He ran at Luke—

But Luke was touching Amber’s face, his hand tender on her cheek. “I can bring you back.”

He could…Cass staggered to a stop. “Do it.” His words were ragged. “Help her.”

Luke lifted Amber into his arms. He held her so carefully and when he looked down at her, there was grief on his face.

Sister.

Cass couldn’t wrap his mind around that shit. Amber was the sister to the freaking ruler of the dark paranormals? No wonder she hadn’t said anything about that particular connection.

Luke has too many enemies…if the truth got out, they’d use her.

They’d hurt her.

Just as she’d been hurt before.

But if she was Luke’s sister…

Oh, hell, she’s tied to Leo, too.

Cass swallowed the lump in his throat. “I…” I need her. I have to get her back. Please, f*cking…bring her back!

Luke’s wings flapped. His eyes glowed with power—a bright light that seemed to consume him and Amber. The light pulsed. It grew. It…

“She’s not waking up.” Cass rushed toward them.

Thunder rumbled again.

“Bring her back!” He wasn’t pleading any longer. He was bellowing. The bastard had just said—

Luke’s head turned to the right. He stared into the darkness. “I know you’re there.”

Cass summoned his scythe. Luke still held Amber, but she wasn’t breathing. She wasn’t moving at all. Her gorgeous eyes were closed and her body was too still. He put his blade right against Luke’s throat. “Bring. Her. Back.”

Luke’s head turned toward Cass once more. The scythe cut him and blood trickled down Luke’s throat. “You think you’re going to kill me?”

“If you don’t bring her back…”

“You believe I’m not f*cking trying?” Luke’s voice blasted. The ring on his finger glowed as brightly as his eyes. “She’s not—”

“She’s not yours,” Leo said. The guy had just flown from the sky and landed right at Luke’s side. “She never was…despite what you tried to do to her.” He stared at Amber and grief sagged his shoulders. “She wasn’t yours. She wasn’t mine. And now she’s…gone.”

The hell she was. “Get her back.” It was all he could manage. The world around him was going dark. Fury was welling inside of him. Fury and fear and pain. He’d just found Amber.

She wasn’t supposed to be dead. She’d wanted them to run away, to start over together.

“Get her back,” Cass shouted. “Or you both die.” His scythe was still at Luke’s throat. He would slice Luke, and then he would attack Leo. They thought they were unstoppable. They thought they could play with the lives of everyone else. They were wrong. “She lives…or you both die.” Because he wasn’t some lesser paranormal who had to bow to them.

“You can’t kill us,” Leo snapped. “That’s not the end fate has for us. You aren’t our end—”

“Fuck fate,” Cass snarled. “She is the only fate I care about. Amber. I want her back. You will bring her back. Do it—now.” Because he couldn’t stand the thought of her growing cold right there.

Amber is warmth. She’s light. She’s life.

My life.

“Bring her back…” Leo gave a bitter laugh. “So…what? So you can kill her with your touch again? You did this, Reaper. You’re only made for death. You should have never been near her. You should have never hoped to have Amber as your own. She’s so much better than you can ever dream. You didn’t deserve her, you didn’t—”