Undead Or Alive (Bad Things #3)(46)

Two vampires fell, minus their heads.

A third yanked out a sharp blade, going for Cass’s hand—

Cass touched that vamp. He fell.

Then there was just one vampire between him and Gregory. Just one. “Do you really want to die for him?” Cass asked.

The vampire hesitated. Fear lurked in the darkness of his eyes.

“Were you there?” Cass demanded of that vamp. “When my family died?” Because he knew this vampire—just as he’d known the others.

The two vampires he’d killed with the scythe had been Reginald and Vince. They’d always enjoyed giving their victims too much pain. The third vampire had been McIntosh, an Irish vamp who’d seemed to keep to himself. And the vamp before him—Stevenson.

“I was,” Stevenson admitted starkly. He squared his shoulders. Lunged for Cass—

The scythe whistled again.

Stevenson’s body hit the ground. So did his head.

“Do you see him now?” Gregory called out. But he wasn’t looking at Cass. He was staring just beyond Cass’s shoulder. “See what he is? What I made him? You’ll remember this, won’t you? Even after I’m gone? You’ll remember that your lover is a vicious killer.”

A rustle sounded behind him. The faintest scent of honey and champagne reached Cass. His heart stopped.

Amber.

“He was born to kill. Crafted to destroy—I made him,” Gregory boasted.

The rustle came closer and then Amber—she was curling her hand around the scythe that Cass still gripped. “You don’t want to do this,” she whispered.

Cass turned and stared into her eyes. “There is very little I want more.” You. I want you more…will you turn from me when I take his head?

She smiled at him—a beautiful, but heart-breaking smile.

And then Amber yanked the scythe away from him. She moved fast—almost a blur—and she struck.

Gregory was dead in an instant. Even a vampire as powerful as Gregory had been could not survive without a head.

“I loved my wings,” she said as she stood over his body. “I love my brothers…and you tried to destroy them.” She let the scythe fall to the ground near Gregory’s body. “And I love Cass…so he will not be carrying the weight of your death on his shoulders. And you will never hurt anyone I love again.”

I love Cass.

Had she really just said that?

Amber turned back toward him. She stared at Cass. He tried to figure out what in the hell to say to her.

“You lived with him for so long…I didn’t want you to have his death on your hands.”

He looked down at his hands. Hands that couldn’t touch her.

“Oh, yeah, right.” She bent and yanked the gloves off Gregory. Then she hurried back to Cass and offered him the gloves.

He slipped them on, not looking away from her beautiful face.

“The stories have always said that Luke and Leo will battle one day—battle to the death. They’ve put off that fight, though they could have clashed years ago.” Her voice lowered. “Want to know their secret? Want to know why they don’t just end things?”

He didn’t really care about Luke and Leo. They could f*ck off.

I love Cass. He wanted to talk to her a whole lot more about that.

“They haven’t fought because neither of them want to carry that guilt. It’s different when you kill family. When it’s like cutting out your own heart as you make that kill.” Her hand lifted and touched his cheek. “And the little boy inside of you…I was afraid he’d still see Gregory as family.”

He didn’t. Gregory had killed his family. “I just see betrayal.” His whole life. His whole freaking life had been a lie. “I see pain.”

Her lips trembled. “I want to help you see something more.”

When he looked at her, he did see more. He saw everything. His head bent toward her.

And the earth literally shook.

Lightning crashed. Wind whipped against his body and—

Luke appeared. Luke…and Leo. Luke stood to the right of Amber. Leo was to her left.

“Are you seriously trying to kiss here in the middle of all these bodies?” Luke demanded. “Because that is both wrong and sad.”

Cass glared at him.

“He is the Reaper,” Leo put in. “Maybe death is some kind of aphrodisiac for him.” He placed his hand on Amber’s shoulder. “Yet another reason why you need to stay far away from the guy.”

The hell she did.

But Leo’s eyes were considering as he stared at Cass. “What did it feel like…” Leo asked quietly. “To kill someone who’d been like family?”

Cass glared at him—and Luke. As if he were the only one with a f*cked-up family—the terror twins could hardly judge him. “I wouldn’t know.”

Leo frowned.

“I killed him,” Amber said. “With Cass’s scythe.”

Luke stiffened. “We’re done here.” He pulled Amber closer and lifted her into his arms. “Good job, Reaper. You held up your end of the deal.” His wings flapped. “So I won’t be gunning for you.”

Amber was struggling to get out of her brother’s arms.

“Let her go,” Cass barked.