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“It was you,” I gasped, backing up another foot. “You took my memories. Didn’t you?”

I held up my hands when he tried to approach.

He chuckled, holding up his own hands in defeat. “Fine,” he said, his voice eerily steady. “Yes. I did this to you. You’re still coming back to the house with me. I think I’ll cut my errands short today.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said. “Back the fuck away!”

When I turned to run, he was at my back and fisted my hair, dragging me under the pier while I thrashed my legs. Julian slammed me against the wooden post holding up the dock. I placed my hands on his chest and blasted him across the sand until he hit the water.

Alright. My powers also do that.

What the fuck was I doing, though? I needed to run, but I just stood there like a statue.

Run, you idiot!

But I didn’t. Julian was still knocked out, and the water covered his face. He’d drown if I didn’t pull him out.

“Fuck,” I cursed out loud.

I’ll pull him up to the sand, then run.

I grabbed his legs and pulled him farther onto the sand. I wouldn’t be responsible for someone’s death, even if they were a piece of shit.

Once Julian was safe from drowning, I turned toward the parking lot to run, but I felt his grip on my ankle, and he yanked, pulling me down onto my stomach. I lifted my hands, but he was already at my temples, chanting.

Ah … not again.

CHAPTER 34

Caleb

IT HAD BEEN almost three weeks since Mercy disappeared. A week where we could still feel her within our own souls and subconscious, as if she had been calling to us, but we didn’t know where she was. It was as if there was another power blocking us, keeping our bond from truly connecting. The power that bound us was there, and yet, it wasn’t.

Melissa squeezed her arms around me, her head resting peacefully on my naked chest. I turned the television off and looked down. Melissa didn’t last an hour before she slipped into a slumber, and my mind drifted to the thought that Mercy might be suffering somewhere. Afraid.

Anger brewed inside me when I saw Maurice’s face in my mind. It had to be him, and I wished to God I would be the one to take him out.

I rubbed Melissa’s arm gingerly with the tips of my fingers, kissed her on top of her head, and slowly wiggled out of her grasp. After laying her head carefully on the pillow next to us, I pulled the blanket over her before heading toward the liquor cabinet. I poured myself a glass of whiskey right as Simon walked into the kitchen.

As a coven, we had decided to stay together at all times, given the circumstances. At Abigail’s mansion, there was plenty of room and a security system in place if anyone were to breach the walls again. I just had to remember to set the alarm.

“How about one for me, too, yeah?” Simon asked.

“Happy to oblige.” I poured him a glass, and we clinked our drinks together. “Cheers, brother.”

“I’m going by Melissa’s tomorrow to pick up a few more of her things,” I told him, taking a sip. “I’m not okay with her being alone until we can release Kylan from Cami’s body and the killer in East Greenwich is caught.”

“It’s been quiet,” he reminded me. “Like the fucker is playing with us now.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too.” I looked toward the stairs. “Is everyone else asleep?”

He nodded. “I can’t shut my mind off. It’s crazy that when you lay your head down, and your dreams appear, the first thing you see is her face. Like, she’s here, but not.”

I placed my glass on the counter and folded my arms across my chest. “I know what you mean.”

Even with Melissa in my arms, the image of Mercy’s face haunted all of us. I don’t even know if wherever she’s at, she even knows she’s doing it—but she’s there, silently reaching out to us to save her.

And we can’t do a fucking thing about it.

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