Page 115 of Racing Hearts

Someone thrusts a robe at me, and I struggle into it, confused, Clarissa’s screams still reaching me. “Trust us,” Alek murmurs as he pulls his hood up, covering his handsome face.

“Follow my lead, pretty boy. It’s time to end this.”

“You are one of us. It’s our duty to stop you,” someone calls—Autumn, I realize—as we climb to our feet and create a circle around Clarissa, who is panting, a bloody needle still clutched in her grip.

“You hurt one of ours and killed one of ours. Blood in, blood out,” Bones calls. “It ends tonight.”

She climbs to her feet, her eyes wild, then she lashes out. I gasp as Alek staggers back, the needle sticking from his chest. He plucks it free and tosses it away, but I know it had to hurt.

He’s been chased, stabbed, and almost shot, and now he’s bleeding again.

All for me, because of her.

Fury races through my blood, heating it as she stumbles backward, trying to find a way out. She might be a killer, but she isn’t smarter than all of us, nor is she stronger. In the end, she’s just a lonely, weak little girl.

I have an entire society.

Pushing my hood back, I step forward as I smirk at her in disgust. “You made a mistake,” I say. “This is my house, this is my society, and that is my man.”

I slam my fist into her face, knocking her to the floor as she gapes at me. “Evan?—”

“I’m not yours!” I yell as I hit her again, breathing heavily. I have no qualms about hurting her. She’s a fucking killer, a goddamn virus, and maybe if someone had looked beyond her gender to the truth of her before now, Tommy might be alive.

I hit her again, and she takes it, not even fighting back, just looking up at me before she smiles. “I told you that you’re like me.”

I silence her by slamming my fist into her face once more.

I am not like her.

I’m not.

“Evan.” A hand catches my bloody fist, and I look up, meeting Alek’s eyes. “It’s over.”

“She’s still breathing. I won’t let her hurt you again,” I warn.

The smile he gives me heats my blood, even here. “She won’t, but I won’t let you become a killer, not even for me, pretty boy.” He pulls me into his arms, wrapping one across my chest as I press against his body, his chin going to my shoulder as we look at her. “She’s done. It’s over.”

I can’t believe it.

It can’t be . . .

Tonight has been one long nightmare, so I can’t seem to relax, but when he turns me and presses his forehead to mine, I see the truth in his eyes.

“It’s over, baby. I promise,” he whispers. “You are safe, I’m safe, and Alice is safe. We are all okay. It’s over. It really is.”

I don’t know why, but I start to cry, and before I know it, I’m sobbing in his arms as he holds me. More arms surround me, and I lift my head to see Alice, Lally, Bones, and Sky. They hold me as I cry until I pull back and wipe my face, looking at Clarissa just as dawn breaks through the glass window, illuminating the space.

“Now what?” I whisper.

“Now we go home.” Alek kisses my cheek.

“He’s right, go home,” Autumn says. “We’ll take care of everything.”

I hesitate, and Bones nods. “The police are already on the way. We’ll tell them everything. They’ll want to speak to you, but our lawyers have already been contacted. Everything will go through them. This won’t touch your future, and we’ll control the stories that are released. We’ll take care of everything; it’s what we do. We are family. Now go home and rest.”

“He’s so hot when he’s in control,” Skylar whispers to me, making me choke and smile despite everything.

Alek picks my wrist up, frowning at the bleeding skin there. “Yes, and we’ll get you cleaned up and treated.”

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