Page 56 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

I cupped the back of his neck again and drewhim into my body. I needed him okay. “I’m not leaving you. I’ll beright back. I promise.” Something I’d never done before. Promise. Inever made promises because I knew keeping them was too great arisk.

He nodded against my shoulder and droppedhis arms to his side. I opened the door and helped him inside. “Didyou have anything else? Did you leave anything else in there?”

He opened his hand and a pair of ringsglinted in the soft streetlight, then he fisted them again. “Is hedead?”

“Yeah, he’s dead.”

“You killed him?”

The human mind was a fragile thing. Peopleoften made shit up when they couldn’t grasp reality. He’d seen whatI did to Jack, but his mind wanted to see something different.Maybe, he thought me incapable of actually killing someone. Maybe,he had believed I could be a good person.

I wasn’t.

And although I didn’t want to lie to Tomás,I also needed to pull back from wanting to comfort him. This had tobe like any other mission, and clean-up would be a bitch. Better hebelieved whatever made him comfortable right now. Reality wouldcome crashing over him later.

“Let me go check with Wren,” I said,ignoring his question. “Stay here.” I closed the car door.

Inside the house, Wren shifted out of theshadows like a ghost. The guy could be stealthy when the occasioncalled for it. I’m glad it had been him with me and not River orFox. River would’ve given me that look he always gave me when Iacted like a shit. And Fox would’ve killed Tomás withoutasking.

“There’s another body.” Wren pointed overthe kitchen counter.

I resisted the urge to rake my fingersthrough my hair. I didn’t want to leave any DNA evidence in casethe locals decided they’d investigate anyway.

“Let’s leave it. The sheriff will work it asusual.”

Wren shook his head, but he didn’t sayanything. This shit with Tomás wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

We locked the place up and headed to Fox’shunting cabin. With the snow-covered roads, that was the best wewere going to do until things cleared up. I drove Fox’s Jeepbecause Wren’s car wouldn’t survive this weather. Wren sat in thefront seat while Tomás sat in back.

Tomás slumped over, eyes closed, and I shookhis knee. “Hey, wake up.”

He jolted awake.

“You might have a concussion. Don’t go tosleep. River will check you up once we get to the cabin.”

Wren looked at me and I looked back.Ihope so. Despite the snow and the rough terrain, the Jeep drovesmoothly. When I didn’t take the exit toward the cabin, Wren glaredat me. “What are you doing?” he asked. Not where am I going,because I’m pretty sure he already knew the answer to thatquestion.

“We have always,always, abided byrule of Arcadia law. The sanctuary. The obol. The branding. I’mprotecting him.”

“Are you sure he wants protecting?”

I glanced back at Tomás who seemed asleepagain. He better not die. “I don’t give a fuck what he wants.”

That ended the conversation. I stopped theJeep just outside Knight’s Tattoo parlor. River usually did thetats at school, but Knight Walker was also an ally.

“It’s 4:00 AM. He’s going to pitch afit.”

I ignored Wren and got out of the car. Thiswas what would save Tomás. He didn’t know yet, but he would. I rangand a few minutes later a bear of a man swung open the door wearingnothing but basketball shorts hanging low on his hips. A rippedchest full of artwork stood before me and I had to remember toclose my mouth. Knight had turned his body into a canvas of art andI wanted to keep looking. He made a sound and I broke my temporaryinsanity to glare at him. He matched my glare. After a few seconds,he rolled his eyes and started back into the place. “I’ll get thecoffee running,” he mumbled.

“And put some clothes on, you freak,” Icalled.

He chuckled.

Wren and I helped Tomás into the chair.Knight had a solid place. Clean and organized. If I ever decided toget a tattoo, it’d be with him. He returned with a shirt on andcoffee. He didn’t offer Wren or I any.

He looked at Tomás as he sipped his coffee.“Look, I’m okay with this weird shit tradition you have, but he’sknocked out and bleeding on my damn chair.”

Wren got a towel and placed it gently at theback of Tomás’s head. The leak slowed. The wound hadn’t been thatdeep. “At least he’s alive.”

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