Bloodshed (Order of the Unseen, #1)(70)

They say nothing.

The silence between us is eerie.

Suddenly, a black crow missiles through the air right in front of the Jeep, barely missing the windshield.

“Holy shit,” I nervously babble, and the sound of the cawing in the distance sends a disturbing feeling through me.

“Relax,” Micah says, resting his hand on my knee soothingly. “It’s just a bird.”

“You’re right, baby,” Jensen speaks up from behind me, reaching around my seat to gently massage my shoulders. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s a prank.”

“Do you have to go home right away?” Damien asks.

Reaching into the back seat, I place my hand in his. “I told my mom I’d be home later tonight,” I reply, grinning sheepishly. “Or sometime tomorrow morning.”

“Perfect,” he murmurs, planting a soft kiss on the back of my hand. “Let’s grab some lunch.”





DAMIEN





“Watch your step,” I warn, grasping her bicep tighter.

She begins to stumble over the curb, but I make sure to keep her steady. With a laugh, she wraps her arm around my waist. “What would I do without you?” she asks playfully.

“Clumsy girl,” Micah teases.

“We’re always here to catch you if you fall,” Jensen promises.

Although that was corny as hell, she smiles wide. “I’m a lucky girl,” she tells us.

Quiet chatter echoes throughout the diner as we step inside. Once Micah and Quinn slip into the booth, Jensen and I exchange silent stares.

“We’ll be back,” Jensen states, locking eyes with Micah.

Micah nods.

“What? Do you mean you’re leaving?” she pouts. “We just got here.”

“We have something we need to dispose of,” I answer her, forcing a crooked grin.

“Before it starts to reek,” Jensen adds, humorously, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

“Gross,” she mumbles, wrinkling her nose with a look of disgust. “Sorry you guys have to deal with that.”

“Don’t be, Love. See you soon,” I say, pressing my lips against the top of her head.

Jensen and I make our way outside the diner with great urgency. Suddenly, it’s all business. We hop into the Jeep, and I grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white.

There’s silence between us.

We’re both filled with complete fucking hatred.

In my head, I play out acts of violence of slaughtering every goddamn member of the Hallowed Divine. We will destroy them.

They will never touch her.

We will make sure of that.

They are dead.

“The symbol carved into the pig,” Jensen mutters, his voice low. “It’s them. They’re back.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I roll my neck, trying to relieve the tension. Gripping the steering wheel more forcefully, anger consumes me. The horn blares loudly as I slam my fist onto the center.

“You know what this means,” he begins, in a rage-filled voice.

My breathing hitches. I know exactly what this means. We all do.

Displaying the head of a pig on the doorstep of their target is a ritual for the Hallowed Divine. It’s a sign that they are coming. They have chosen their next victim.

“The next full moon is exactly one month from today,” Jensen says between clenched teeth. “We have one month until—”

“They come for her,” I finish for him, looking him straight in the eyes. “They’re coming for her, Jensen. They know who she is.”





EPILOGUE





QUINN





ONE WEEK LATER





The atmosphere is magical as I watch the snowflakes falling steadily from the sky through the windshield. A white blanket of glittering snow covers the ground. Jensen looks into the rearview mirror, and our eyes lock briefly.

He smiles contently.

“We have a surprise for you,” Damien announces from the front seat. “We’re taking you away for Christmas.”

“What?” I gasp, smiling wide as he turns to face me. “Wait. Really? Are you serious? Where?”

Jensen laughs. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if we told you,” he says, glancing at me for a moment before looking back at the road.

“Exactly,” Micah agrees. “We don’t want to ruin the surprise, princess.”

“You guys really don’t have to take me away for the holiday,” I tell them. “You don’t have to spoil me. I’ll be happy anywhere, as long as I’m with you.”

Damien reaches into the back seat and takes my hand, pressing his lips to my knuckles. “Anything to make our girl smile,” he says.

My heart grows ten sizes as the Jeep comes to a stop at a red light. Each one of them makes me feel some type of way. The sex between the four of us is mind-blowing, don’t get me wrong. But it’s the way they make me feel cherished that matters most. They make me feel like I belong here. Belong with them.

Finally, I’m no longer lost.

I am found.

Suddenly, something outside the window catches my attention and draws me from my thoughts. My gaze locks on a crow resting on the bare branch of a tree nearby. Goosebumps rise on my skin, and a shiver travels down my spine.