Page 39 of Death Raiser

“Oh, you guys.” I let out a long, quivering breath. “Why did you have to fucking scare me like that?”

Brandon laughed and pulled me into a hug, squishing my face into his solid chest. “Did you actually think we’d leave you alone, Sunshine? You’re stuck with us, babe.”

“At least until you find someone of your own who will put up with your shit,” Logan answered.

“That comment is why I love Brandon more than you,” I mumbled into Brandon’s sweater, blinking away unshed tears. How dare my eyes prickle right now. I was a badass necromancer.

I pulled away from Brandon and winked at Logan so he’d know I was just joking. Sort of. He shook his head while Brandon, the traitor, chuckled.

Normally, my knee-jerk reaction to Logan’s comment would be to throw my upcoming date in his face, but Kang was different. Everything felt so fragile but also monumental. Like I’d arrived at a crossroad and one way led to pure happiness and the other to utter ruin.

I didn’t want anything to mess up this date.

But what if the date was awful?

Oh god.

What if I had to keep seeing him after the bad date?

Sure, I could be professional, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t feel awkward.

Oh god.

What if it was great? What if he knocked me off my feet and I never managed to stand up again without him?

“Why does it look like you just tried to do some mental math?” my brother asked.

“It’s nothing.”

Both men perked up.

Ugh. Definitely not the right choice of words.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I held up my finger to delay the inquisition and pulled my phone free. Kang’s name appeared on the screen.

“Saved by the bell,” Brandon muttered.

“I loved that show,” I said absently. Growing up, we’d watch the reruns on repeat all the time.

The boys shared a look and spoke in unison. “Zach.”

Brandon lightly whacked Logan’s chest and nodded in the living room’s direction. Logan grinned and they walked away to give me some privacy.

They better never leave me. I’d be ruined.

I accepted the call. “Hello?”

“We identified the body from the second scene,” Kang said as a greeting. “Her name is Amelia Mills.”

“And you're calling me to celebrate?”

Kang grunted. “No. The deceased lived around the block from you. We’re going to search her apartment. Would you like to come along?”

I didn’t have to think about it. Of course, I wanted to go. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

Kang didn’t respond right away. I could just picture him, standing off to the side of some crime scene frowning at his phone.

“Oh, Lark,” Kang practically purred into the phone. “It looks like I have some things to teach you, too.”

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