Page 66 of Infernal Hearts

Her voice sounds surprised. “I was just about to call you.”

“Funny how that works. What about?”

She starts talking at lightning speed. “So there’s this belief that creatures can’t only be made, but their powers can be stolen from them. Have you ever heard of anything like that?”

I shoot up off the couch. “No, but now I’m really worried. You think someone tried to steal Dane’s powers?”

“Maybe. And then he might have gone into hiding somewhere, like, I don’t know, the middle of fucking mountain town nowhere.”

It doesn’t add up. “Incubi are almost impossible to take by surprise, which is the only way someone would try to take something from us. How exactly do you steal powers anyway?”

“I have no clue. I got this info from a witchdoctor in the UK, but he only knew so much.”

Unbelievable—and she harps on me for going to psychics. “Yeah, because that’s reliable.”

“Hey, they aren’t just all dolls and needles and chicken parts. He’s one of the biggest names in the magical historian community. Do you know how hard it was to get ahold of him? A little thanks would be nice.”

No matter how little it helps, the fact that she’s trying makes my heart full. She’s making a huge effort. “I appreciate it, but this time I don’t think it’s very useful info. But I’ll keep an eye out for any soul suckers while I’m here.”

“Suit yourself, asshole, just trying to help. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.” She hangs up on me without another word.

I lay back down, my mind jumping from scenario to scenario—none of the pieces matching together.

Chapter Eleven

Jason

I get up and make my morning coffee, thinking about the conversation with Rhodes. What would my dad be doing in the Middle East? The only thing of significance out there is the vampire lore saying that’s their origin.

Suddenly, a thought hits me—Mr. Aranda may be human now, but five thousand years of life? He’s bound to know more about what my dad could be doing there, especially if it’s connected to vampires. He could be a great resource if we can convince him to talk to us, maybe even point us in the right direction. And I’m sure Levi won’t mind making another deal if Aranda wants something in return.

A pang goes through my heart at the idea of Levi kissing him again. That was incredibly hard to watch, but I can’t put my finger on why. What is this feeling I have? Unsettled? Irritated? Jealous?

No, it can’t be jealous. I’ve never been the jealous type, so why would watching Levi make a business transaction bother me?

No. Not possible. I can’t be falling for him this hard this soon.

But honestly, I think back to my relationship with Michael. I never felt heat like this with him. A whirlwind romance that came in the dead of the night, despite all odds. There’s a problem with strong feelings like this, though—they burn bright, they burn fast, and they burn out.

It’s all the convincing I need to realize that this is bound to end eventually, as much as that thought hurts. I’m not prepared for that. I just hope I can push through it when the other shoe drops.

In the meantime, I still have him in my life, and I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. What I really need to focus on—what both of us need to focus on—is finding our people. After all, the only thought scarier than him leaving is him dying.

At least if he leaves, there’s a slight chance I’ll see him again. I can’t do that if he’s no longer alive. My pulse quickens as dread fills my heart—the stakes have never felt so high.

After some deep breathing and a fair amount of compartmentalizing, I calm down enough to get dressed and head down to Levi’s house. Wow, just listen to me.Hishouse. I barely even consider it mine anymore.

It’s still early, so he’s most likely still sleeping. I take care to knock quietly in case he is, but I’m hoping there’s an off chance that he’s up anyway. After waiting for a few moments, I knock again to double check. Finally, the door opens.

Levi, in his underwear, stands in the open doorway, rubbing his eyes. He takes a giant yawn. “Good morning. What’s going on?”

My heartbeat picks up at the sight of him nearly naked again as I get flashbacks of what we did in my office the night of our forest trip. His smell. His touch. The feeling of being in him. All intrusive thoughts, not totally bad, but inappropriate for right now. I brush them away and clear my throat.

I shift my feet beneath me, unsure if he’ll agree with me. “I had an idea. I think it might be worth going to see Mr. Aranda again and seeing what he thinks of this whole situation.”

He yawns again but nods without hesitation. “If you say so. Let me get dressed, and we’ll head out. Wanna come in?”

Great, so maybe it’s not a stupid idea. “Sure.” I follow him into the cabin as he disappears into the bedroom.

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