“You hear me, Sophia? Don’t leave his side under any circumstances.”
“I’m not leaving you!”
“I’m not asking you to,” he said. “But I’m leaving you. It’s time.”
What?
Adam grabbed my arms as Lucas took my chin in one hand and planted a hard kiss on my lips.
Wait, no!
“I’m trusting you,” Lucas said to Adam. “If something happens to her, I’ll come for you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Adam said, and Lucas slipped away from us.
“No. Wait. Lucas!” I fought against Adam.
He held me tighter, pulling until his thick arm wrapped around my waist, and I struggled so hard my feet left the ground.
Lucas melted into the fight.
“Wait!”
“Let him hunt, Sophia,” Adam said. “This is what he does best!”
“No—” My heart throbbed against a wave of panic.
“If Miller lives, he’ll never stop chasing you. Let Lucas end this.”
“Let me go!” I wasn’t aware tears had fallen until the wind blew and the tear tracks grew cold. My struggles eased, and I coughed a few more sobs, then straightened. Fear and betrayal merged into a film of numbness.
He left me. He did the one thing he said he wouldn’t do.
Until he died.
Did he think his time was finally up?
Something wrenched hard inside my chest. “I can’t believe he left,” I whispered.
“He’s trying to save your life,” Adam said and released me. “What weapons you got?”
Still numb, I showed him the knife and mentioned the three rounds in the pistol tucked into the waistband at my back.
“Don’t use those unless you need them. And don’t leave my side.”
“Yeah, you’ve both been pretty clear about that part,” I said, all bitterness. “Is your side immortal or something?”
“Yep, follow me.”
He stepped out from behind the statue. Beyond the fight, the gazebo rose, and at the top of the steps stood Miller, searching the crowd like he knew we were in it. Revulsion boiled beneath my skin, and the cuts on my back zapped with electricity.
As if my hostility called to him, Miller’s gaze sliced up, and his eyes locked on mine. The world fell away as we stared at each other. The melee between us ceased to be, and his evil face broke into a joyous smile.
He spoke to the guards without looking away from me, and three of them slipped from the gazebo, eyes on me.
“Adam.” I tugged on his wrist.
He glanced at me.
