Page 68 of Flirting with Death

"It didn't look like nothing when you hung that painting back up."

I pulled in a deep sigh. "I was getting the ruby."

"Rai," she said. "We won't need that."

"But we should have it just in case. A bargaining chip to get you out of there."

"All of us will get out of there, not just me." Her tiny hands landed on my chest, and she pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "Have faith."

I rolled my lips together as she stepped back. Have faith. I would if faith had ever been kind to me. I'd rather trust myself.

She linked her fingers with mine and tugged me back out to the group. We both knew what I still had in my pocket. It felt like it was burning a hole in my leg with the constant reminder. I rarely had feelings about future events, but my very soul was crying out that we were making a misstep. Something bad was on the horizon.

The conversation went on without me as I tried to identify what was causing the feeling. It was like a premonition without snippets of what would happen. Just a feeling, a clear knowing. I rubbed the ruby through my jeans. It gave me solace that at least I had it.

They pulled me back to the present as Ty stood up. He shrugged into his jacket, making it clear he was going somewhere.

"I'll be just a phone call away," he said.

"Ty?"

"Work calls, not that you paid any attention to your texts coming through. I've got it covered. Carl has a family emergency." He threw us a wave on his way out.

At least he would be safer at work, one less Orion I needed to worry about protecting.

CHAPTER 38

Bellamy

I've never felt as content as I did at this moment. Everything was falling together. We would defeat the Leyak, and then I could broach the subject of the horde and having Samantha by my side. By our sides, I amended as I slid my gaze over each of them.

The only thing that was making me second guess about any of it was Raiden. His thoughts had been a swirling mess all day. I knew he had retrieved the ruby earlier, and it was weighing on him. But honestly, I would have done the same. None of us would fault him for wanting to keep our hunter safe.

I could feel the connection between all of us, a low-level pulse as if our hearts beat in unison. But the dragon's were off a beat. I narrowed my attention to him, trying to zero in on his thoughts. What was mental eavesdropping for if I couldn't use it?

Still, blackness. The hint of an underlying fear of failure. The taste of anxiety in the air. Absolutely nothing to cement those things in.

I would watch him. Those were the kind of feelings that made you do stupid shit. As if he heard my thought, he lifted his gaze to mine, holding my stare, unwilling to back down.

Just protect her, I sent the thought, waiting to see the light of acknowledgment in his eyes. I wasn't sure how people would receive my messages, so I rarely planted them. His eyes flashed, and he gave a slight tilt of his chin. And the conversation continued around us.

I wrapped my tail around Sam's ankle, and she glanced over, a soft smile for me on her lips. My heart swelled. I loved this hunter with my whole being, and I couldn't pretend otherwise anymore. I might be a demon, but it didn't matter.

My contentment didn't last long. The door blew in, smashing against a steel beam. All of us sprung to our feet, reaching for weapons we hadn't had close by. Chaos erupted as we moved, voices rising in a chorus of shouts to each other.

"Halt," a voice demanded. "Or your hunter dies."

That stilled me, and I slowly turned to face the demon that had her. A vampire. His teeth were bared and long, ready to rip out her throat. I sent a blast of my personal brand of magic at him. He didn't soften, only lifting his lip in a sneer at me. He fingered a necklace with his free hand.

"You have no power over me this time, Prince."

Recognition flared. It was the same vampire that walked me into a trap. Murderous rage took hold of my muscles, drawing them taunt, ready to pounce. Lex and Alastor stood at my side. Raiden had gone in the opposite direction and was across the room. Cerberus growled low, his three heads all focused on the vampire that held Samantha.

There was no fear in Samantha's face. She fought his hold on her throat as if he couldn't kill her in a second. Then I caught it. Her fleeting thought, she didn't think he would take her life. She was a tool to control us.

He's using her. I sent it out to all of them. I'd never attempted to communicate mentally to three people at once, but when all three of them jerked their attention to me, I knew they heard me. We have to work together.

It was a single vampire, we could do this. But he wasn't running, he wasn't demanding a single thing. It was as if he were waiting for something to happen.

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