Page 79 of The Thief

He swallowed hard as he sat immobilized. “Say that again?”

“I’d reached rock bottom and couldn’t live with myself anymore. I left the name of the Vampire so I could reverse the memory wipe.”

Bear leaned in. “Give me his name. I’ll track him down.”

I shook my head.

“But those are your memories. Decades of your life are gone. You need them back.”

I put my hand on his, hoping he could understand what I felt to be true in my heart. “There was obviously nothing worth saving. I don’t want to know. If those memories drove me to forgetting everything or contemplating suicide, why would I want to know?”

“You’re not even curious?”

“I won’t just be remembering my life, Bear. It’ll change me. I’ll become that woman again, and that’s what I’m afraid of. A piece of me is missing—not only my memories but me. I’m not sure I want that piece back, and that’s why I’m bawling like a baby. I owe that girl a new start in life. That’s what she wanted for me—for herself.” Thinking about it made me tear up again. That was the root of my grief, realizing that I needed to let go in order to move on. “I want to build new memories. She didn’t want me living in the past. If I remembered every detail of how I’ve manipulated and hurt people who were my friends, it might destroy me like it destroyed her. And I have so much more to lose now. That old me was willing to die so I could be here. She erased herself.”

“You might change your mind.”

“Maybe we should let sleeping dogs lie. The future is all that matters, isn’t it? I don’t know how to fix this. It’s bigger than me. There’s more to it.” I glanced at the diamond on my bedside table and heaved a sigh. “That’s real,” I whispered. “And if Argento gets his hands on it, he’ll have enough money to start a war.”

Color bled from Bear’s face. “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’? That’s treason.”

“We have no proof. Only words I wrote to myself that I don’t even remember writing. That letter was hearsay. It would’ve hurt me more than it would him since it was an admission of guilt. Argento saying what he wanted and actually doing it are two different things. But that’s why he wants the diamond. Apparently, it costs a lot of money to build an army and prepare them for an uprising—one they can win. He’s a Mage, so he’s got all the time in the world to get what he wants.” I rubbed my eyes, wishing I could rewind the clock and do my life over again.

Bear turned away and bent over.

“What are you doing?”

He kicked off his shoes. “What does it look like? I’m staying with you tonight.”

“But you can’t. The others?—”

“Who? Virgil? He already knows about us. I don’t know how, but he keeps making innuendos. Archer and Krys went out. The only ones left are Salem and Joy, and they’re in the back hall. Lucian’s probably staring at his cameras by now.”

Bear crossed the room barefoot and entered my closet. When he emerged, he gave me a crooked smile while waving a black nighty. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and let him dress me, the room still smelling of burnt paper.

While lighting a scented candle, Bear said, “This is why you need a window.” When he left it on the vanity, candlelight flickered against the mirror.

He took his cell phone out of his pocket. Instead of setting it on the nightstand, he handed it to me. “Call the Mage.”

I gestured to the nightstand drawer, and Bear retrieved the business card Argento had left me. After dialing the number, I quietly waited, uncertain what to say—uncertain what Bear expected me to say.

“Who is this?” Argento answered.

“It’s Mercy.”

“Ah. So you have come to your senses. Tell me where you are, and we’ll end this.”

I sucked in a short breath and held it for a second before answering. “I’m done playin’ games. So you can stop following me around town. I’m not running, and I sure as hell ain’t giving you anything. If you want me, come and get me. I’m not cowering to your threats anymore.”

Bear took the phone away from me and held it to his ear. “Did you get all that? If you fuck with Mercy, we’ll eat you alive. You better think twice about trying to take her down. We’ll make sure the higher authority puts a blade to your neck. If you come after our pack, we’ll make good on that promise. A thief is criminal, but treason is a high crime.” Bear ended the call and set the phone on the nightstand. “That’ll give him something to chew on.”

I stared in astonishment that he had laid it all out on the table.

Bear pulled the cover back. “Slip your feet in there, honey.”

After fluffing the pillows and getting comfortable, I watched him remove his shirt and then sit on the edge of the bed. The scars on his back were brutal, and I gingerly ran my fingers over his skin as if they weren’t there.

He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Now comes the question: Do you want me or my wolf tonight?”

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