Page 118 of When Death Whispers

My own catches.

“But if you reach for me…”

I don’t know why I do it.

Maybe it’s the ache. The quiet. The need to not be alone.

I’ve spent a majority of my life alone, yearning for a place where fear didn’t rule my every decision, my every thought. Now I know that place exists. And it wasn’t at all where I thought it would be.

My hand moves before I can think and I place it in his.

His fingers close around mine—gentle. Steady.

Like a vow.

“I will always answer.”

43

Jenna’s bodyis cooling on the bakery floor. Donovan’s body is a crumpled heap in front of the door. And Parker—Parker is gone. The police still haven’t come. The blood hasn’t dried. The lights flicker like they’re mourning too.

I stand in the middle of the carnage, my breath sharp, ragged, hands clenched at my sides. My heart won’t stop hammering. Every nerve in my body is screaming at me tomove, to dosomething—but I don’t know what the fuck to do.

The demon watches me, arms crossed, a picture of infuriating calm. He stands out like a sore thumb against the cutesy pastry decorations. He’s too tall, his frame almost brushing the hanging lights. His eyes, too fucking similar to Parker’s, seem to cut through me like razors.

No one should look like that.Nothingshould look like that.

I hate him.

I hate that he’s juststanding there, like this is just another day. Like Parker isn’t gone and I didn’t just watch her get dragged into the fucking dark while I fuckingstood there.

Sirens begin blaring in the distance.

Shit. We need a plan. A way to follow her. Something.

I grit my teeth and turn to the demon, barely keeping my frustration in check.

“Alright, genius,” I bite out. “What the fuck do we do now?”

He doesn’t even blink. “Don’t look at me, human.You’rethe one who let her get taken.”

Red explodes behind my eyes. I don’t think. I just move. My fist flies at his smug, unbothered wolfish face but he dodges effortlessly, like I’m moving in slow motion.

“You wanna blame me?” the hairy fucker taunts, voice dripping with amusement. “Fine. You wanna throw hands?Alsofine. But it won’t bring her back. And it’s wasting time. Something mortals like you don’t have much of.”

I snarl and swing again, but he sidesteps, shaking his head.

“I’d say this is pathetic,” he muses, “but honestly? I expected this much.”

I swear toGod. No, not God, Satan? Who the fuck calls the shots when demons are involved?

I lower my fists, chest heaving, and stab a finger at him. “You’re a demon, right? That means you have connections. Favors. Call one in.”

The hairy asshole blinks, then snorts. “What, like I have somedemon hotline?”

I ignore him. “What about portals? Just—open one to wherever she is. That’s a thing, right?”

He actually laughs. “Oh yes, let me just dial up my contacts in the Evergloom—oh wait, I don’t have any.”

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