Page 92 of Death Deals

Oh, and stop the apocalypse. That was kind of important, too.

“So, where’s Hector and the rest of his posse?” I asked. I hadn’t seen the Perezes at the fight with Monnie, only the Omaris.

“They took another plane back home yesterday after I refused them mine,” Andre replied.

“Doesn’t that look bad for your treaty and whatnot?”

Cupping his hands behind his back, he shrugged. “They’ll get over it. And besides, you scared them pretty good and found a friend in Queen Imani, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry about them retaliating in any way.”

“Ah.” I tried to stop a smile from forming at the mention of scaring Hector, but I couldn’t help it. It slipped. “So, what now Andre Léon? World peace?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Hardly. I’m sure a trip to Louisiana is in my near future to speak to King Geoffrey about my part in this. He’ll want to know.”

“Louisiana?”

“New Orleans.”

“Of course.” Where else would the most important DeMonte vampire be thanThe Big Easy? “Do you think he’ll be angry that you went behind his back?”

“It’s likely,” he said.

Despite how things ended with us, worry wormed up my spine. I didn’t want him to die, but I also didn’t want him to die over something as important as bringing the three families together and saving his kind. That should be celebrated, not reprimanded, but something told me vampires viewed disobedience as a high offense.

When I glanced at Andre, I caught him side-eyeing me, too.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I knew the consequences before doing this. I knew the risks. But then the lives of many always seems to outweigh the life of one, doesn’t it?”

He was asking me directly because he knew I’d understand more than anyone. Like him, I’d sacrificed myself to Monnie for Kay initially, and then for Cole after.

“Jade,” he whispered and moved to stand in front of me. His hand came up to my cheek, and his thumb ran along my bottom lip. “You’re free from the demon and you’re free from me. Our blood link has been severed.”

As his gaze roamed my face, sorrow laid like a rock in the bottom of my gut. Yeah, I didn’t want to drop trou right now and jump him, but I also didn’t want him to go.

“I’m sorry if I caused you any more turmoil,” he said. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“You did what was best for your family and your kind,” I replied.

He paused. “Is that what you think? That everything I did was for them?”

“I heard you talking to Hector and the others. You didn’t exactly protest when they wanted to make me into a vampire slave.”

His hand fell, and his gaze drifted away, back toward the plane. I waited for him to deny it, argue, or claim it’d been all an act for them, but he didn’t say anything. And that somehow hurt even more.

When his weighted gaze swung back to me, I got my answer. Unspoken words hovered on his lips, too, but instead of saying them, he forced himself to smile.

“Those creases between your brows… I’m going to miss them.” His voice was as light as a whisper but heavy with concealed emotion.

I didn’t respond. Couldn’t. My voice abandoned me.

“It’s been fun, my beloved. Until we meet again.” Then, he turned and walked toward the plane.

As I watched him go, light flared at my side. I didn’t even need to look to know it was Eli.

“Do you trust him to get your friends back to Fairport?” Eli asked me.

Rubbing my lips together, feeling the way they tingled from Andre’s touch, I wondered if our blood connection really had been cut. And if so, when had it happened? Before the sex? After? Had I been acting entirely on my own?

“I do,” I muttered.

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