She nodded again, then wiped her fingers on her pants. “We do this together. I won’t lose you, Brogan Gauge.”
I drew her in as I leaned toward her. “You have never, not for a moment, lost me. I’m not going to let that happen. And neither will you.”
Then she was there, everywhere, and I was lost in her, in the scent of her perfume, in the softness of her lips.
The kiss began as a question and warmed into memories, promises. It ended slowly, gently, withyes, forever, yes.
“Yay,” Abbi said, not loud, but right next to me. “They’re happy again. Good. Now we can go steal the little girl and poke the bad vampire.”
I felt Lula’s smile on my lips and opened my eyes. Her gaze was golden, sunlight and life, and I smiled as I fell again, always, helplessly in love with her.
“Wanna go poke a bad vampire?” I whispered.
She didn’t draw away, so close she was all I could see, all I wanted to see. “I want to save a child,” she said. She squeezed my fingers, and then gently unwove our hands. She moved her chair closer and sat back.
Her hand rested on my thigh, and I inhaled a full breath, finally feeling home again.
“You still like strawberries, right?” I asked her.
“I’ll always love strawberries.”
“Me too,” Abbi said. “I love strawberries.”
“Why?” Lula asked.
The door opened, exhaling a wash of heat and the scent of hot tar and dust. Cassia walked in, the heels of her boots matching the rhythm of the song playing in the background.
“Thank you for coming.” She wore practical clothing—denim jeans, a light tank top under a light overshirt. Her sunglasses were propped on her head. She pulled out a chair and sat with us at the table.
Her gaze lingered on the box on the table, but she didn’t ask.
“We plan to save Rhianna tonight.” She pressed her hand on the table, fingers splayed. “Dominick knows we will use the full moon to increase our magic. He knows we will come for Rhianna, so we don’t have much in the way of surprise.”
“You know where she is?” I asked.
“At his ranch, near Amarillo. It’s huge, though, with enough land around it, anyone can disappear out there. Lots of people have.”
The music rolled into a different song, something about rivers and lost loves.
Variance was suddenly next to our table. I flinched, then scowled, angry at my reaction to the vampire’s speed.
“I can take you to him,” he said.
“That sounds like a terrible plan,” I said. “He wants you there. Wants you close enough that he can kill you.”
“Neither of you know the layout of the ranch.” His gaze ticked to me, and the fury there was palpable. “I was there for three months.”
“Do you know where he’s keeping her?” I asked.
“She ismydaughter.” He didn’t raise his voice, but the words hit.
Vampire.
“Your daughter’s going to need a father to come home to.” I leaned forward. “If all you’re doing is getting yourself killed, nobody wins.”
Cassia cleared her throat. “We have an inside man. That is what we needed to tell you. He’s agreed to guide you in tonight.”
Variance’s pupils were pinpoint, a killer’s focus, and his face was stone. “Try and stop me from saving my child.”
