“You shouldn’t be here,” I say as I get in the backseat—alone. Ryder isn’t here.
“Same can be said to you,” Leo quips. “What the fuck happened?”
“I saw a guy run into oncoming traffic,” I simply explain, knowing they heard the gist of this already.
“And they took you to the station for questioning?” Antonio’s brows go up as he looks at me. “Why weren’t you questioned at the scene?”
“Because I’m a Malus,” I offer with a shrug. “Why are you here? You guys should be leaving town. I can’t…I…” My voice dies in my throat but I don’t have to say the words for my brothers to know: I can’t stop Xavier, Theo, and Ezekiel from seeking revenge.
“We wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Leo presses. “That’s what we wanted to do last night. Look…this whole situation is messed up and you were right about Mom and Dad knowing this whole time. The deal with the vamps, it’s beyond fucked, okay?”
“That still doesn’t change things,” I tell them and anxiety starts to form deep inside my chest. They need to get out of town.Out of state. It’s the best chance they’ll have until I can convince my new family to leave my old family alone. “Ryder shot a person. If the Malus family doesn’t come for you, the Order will. Shooting a bystander isn’t allowed.”
Leo and Antonio exchange looks.
“What?” I ask.
“The Order is hailing him a hero,” Antonio says apologetically.
“Hero?” I echo. “He shot a person and almost killed him.”
Antonio shakes his head. “That’s not how the story is being told. As far as the Order is concerned, Ryder is the first person in a long time to come close to taking out a Malus vampire.”
Chapter
Nine
“I’m waiting for you to tell me you’re joking,” I say when I’m greeted by silence. “Devon was alive. Very much so. And Ryder shot him.”
“But he’s a vampire now, isn’t he?” Leo asks, tipping his head to his side. “Or did he die?”
I close my eyes, opening my mouth and having to force the words out. “Xavier said he was going to turn him. I haven’t seen him yet.” I open my eyes and rake my fingers through my hair. “Even if he’s a vampire now, it doesn’t change that he was a human when he was shot. There was a whole ambulance ride and surgery and everything.”
“No, not on paper.” Antonio glances at Leo again as he’s talking. “We checked it out, thinking the Order had something to do with it, but it wasn’t them. They’re not that fast.”
“What are you talking about?”
“On paper, Devon Malus died in a boating accident on this day ten years ago. There is no record of the 911 call, the ambulance dispatch, or that he was ever a patient at the hospital.”
I lean back, chills going down my spine. I knew Xavier had power beyond vampire strength and the ability to hold people spellbound. And I knew he had connections; that he paid people off to work for him or turn a blind eye. But realizing he’sthatconnected, is in that deep with whoever it is who can make someone disappear in less than twenty-four hours…it’s impressive and terrifying at the same time.
And it’s making me realize that running away isn’t going to keep my brothers safe. If Xavier can make Devon disappear, he can make anyone disappear.
“Ryder shouldn’t have shot him,” Antonio says. “Even when we thought he was a vampire, I told him not to shoot.”
“You did?”
Antonio looks at me incredulously. “He could have hit you. And messing with the Malus family is a death wish.”
I tip my head. “Wait, you’re telling me you had no idea what Larissa was up to?”
“We weren’t aware of what she was doing until she was already doing it,” Leo says, brows pushing together. “It was fucking stupid. We weren’t just going to save you?—”
“And let’s be honest,” Antonio interrupts. “You’ve never needed saving.”
“I do tend to save your asses more than you’ve ever saved mine,” I chide modestly. It’s the truth.
“We were going to stop Larissa. You got there first.” Leo shakes his head. “That blonde vampire…is she…is she okay?”
