Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy, #3)(91)

Caterina stared at her outstretched offering. Based on everything I’d witnessed from the girl, I couldn’t imagine her taking it. But people were full of surprises. Caterina took her hand.

“Right then,” Ginger said. She marched through our group, pulling Caterina behind her and leaving us all gaping in her wake.

“Unbelievable,” Marna whispered.

Blake grinned. “I freaking love her.” He jogged to catch up to Ginger.

I smiled up at Kaidan, who still seemed dumbstruck, and I twined my fingers with his.

I’d always considered myself a forgiving person, but when it came to Caterina it was hard to see past the evil things she’d done, and to remember she was young and badly nurtured. It was humbling to see Ginger being more open-minded than me in this matter. I thought she understood the girl’s attitude in a way the rest of us couldn’t.

It was nearly six in the morning when we made it to the room. We were dragging, and covered in a layer of dust. I couldn’t believe we’d been in this room just five short hours ago, wondering if we’d live or die.

Caterina sat in a chair with her ankles crossed and her head down, looking nervous. Ginger tapped her shoulder and handed her a cola with ice.

“No need to be scared of anyone here. They know I’ll kick their arses if they mess with you. Got it?”

Caterina nodded and stared down at her drink.

Kaidan dug a T-shirt from his bag and tossed it to Kopano. When he came out of the bathroom, he seemed uncomfortable. The shirt was tighter than anything he usually wore. I peeked at Zania, who was sitting on the floor cross-legged and staring hard at Kope. When she met my eye she tried to hold back a smile, because yeah . . . he looked really good.

“You tryin’ to show me up, man?” Blake said to Kopano, flexing his lean biceps.

Everyone laughed and Kope gave his bashful smile, dimple and all, before he took a seat on the floor next to Zania.

Kaidan sat at the end of the couch and put his arm around me. I squished close next to him, taking his hand. This was weird. It was the first time ever that we could be affectionate without worry or fear. I smiled up at him. Wow.

We were all here. Alive. And our fathers were gone from earth forever. The quiet that settled over the room told me we were all thinking that same thing. It seemed unreal.

“So, what’s it mean, Anna?” Blake asked, his eyes dropping to the supernatural badge on my chest. “They’re all white.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I mean, I prayed that all Neph, alive or dead, would have a chance at heaven just like regular people.”

Blake nodded, then got up and walked over to the mini fridge, opening it and pulling out a couple small champagne bottles.

“Wanna celebrate?” he asked the room. I actually felt surprised when the dark urge stirred inside me and I longed to drink both those bottles and then some. Blake eyed me meaningfully. “Feel anything, Anna?”

I bit my lip and dropped my eyes, nodding. “It’s still there.”

“I could’ve told you that, mate,” Kaidan muttered, making Jay and Blake laugh.

“And I still see the bonds,” Marna said. Ginger agreed.

The auras and guardian angels were still there, too.

So our demon urges hadn’t left us—only the stain that made us damned. But we were strong. We’d proven that.

The room quieted as Blake put the drinks back in the fridge, and my mind switched gears. As much as I didn’t want to get upset, and as morbid as it may have seemed, I needed the details about what Patti had been through.

“Jay?” I said quietly. “What happened?”

He didn’t say anything at first. He rubbed Marna’s knee and thought.

“She knew something was coming. I don’t know how—intuition or something—but she made us separate. She kept hugging me and saying not to worry, she’d see me soon.”

He got choked up, and I felt my eyes burning all over again.

“So we separated. Then I got a text from Marna saying y’all were going to Vegas. That things were going down. I couldn’t get ahold of Patti, and I felt like I needed to be here, so I came. I’m sorry, Anna.”

I grabbed his hand. “You don’t need to be sorry.”

“I keep thinking if I didn’t leave her . . . if I made us stay together—”

“You wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” Kaidan said. “They would have killed you or tried to use you against Anna, as well. And if you’d been there, they would’ve seen your bond with Marna.”

Jay looked down and shook his head.

Marna put her arm around him and kissed his cheek. “I think it had to happen the way it did, luv.”

Her eyes darted to mine, a worried expression on her face about what she’d said. I nodded, because I no longer believed in coincidence.

Zania’s voice was soft when she said, “She is my hero.”

“Yes,” Ginger whispered.

I tucked my face in the crook of Kaidan’s neck, overcome.

“Hey, Kope,” said Blake. “What your dad did for you? That was awesome. You were gone, man.”

I lifted my eyes to see Kope incline his head.

“I cannot remember it. It was just . . . there was only pain and darkness, and then I was opening my eyes.”