He looked at Zane. “I need him conscious.”
“How long do we have?”
“Minutes, so whatever you can get me.”
Zane nodded then knelt on Russ’s other side, put his hands at Russ’s temple, and closed his eyes. A gold-tinted green glow ringed Russ’s head like a crown. Zane’s eyes remained shut, and his hands held tight as Russ’s lashes started to flutter. When they finally lifted, the dark eyes were hazy and unfocused.
“Now, Cass,” Grayson urged, knowing they wouldn’t have long.
Cass leaned in so she would be all Russ would see. “Russ, who cursed Sofia? Who took you?”
The dying man stared up at her, his confusion clear. His lips moved, but no sound emerged.
Cass tried again. “Russ, who cursed Sofia? Was it you?”
Awareness sparked at Sofia’s name, and Russ jerked, but the Zane’s hold didn’t budge.
Russ clutched Cass’s arm. “Sofia. You have to save Sofia.”
“I’m trying,” Cass said. “Tell me who cursed her.”
Russ grew agitated, yanking at her arm as he tried to escape Zane’s grip. “Not cursed, loved her. Stop them. Going to hurt her.”
Cass paled. “Who? Who’s going to hurt her?” she asked sharply.
“Get to her, Cass! Don’t let?—”
Cass let out a pained hiss as Russ’s fingers locked on to her arm and his body bent in an unnatural arc, his eyes widening and his mouth opening in a silent scream. When his body slammed into the ground, those wide eyes were empty.
Zane cursed, released his hold, and stated the obvious. “He’s gone.”
Cass scrambled to her feet, her face pale but determined, her eyes wild with panic when they met his. “We have to get to my parents!”
He rose with her, grabbing her hand, afraid if he didn’t hold on, she’d be gone. He looked at Zane. “You’ve got this?”
Zane nodded. “Go. Keep me posted.”
“Got it.” Without letting go of Cass, he headed out, trusting the Hunter to clean up the mess. Cass was tugging against his hold when Zane called his name, and when he stopped to look back, she made a frustrated noise.
Zane’s pitiless gaze met his and held it. “Make sure you take protection. You don’t know who or what’s lying in wait.”
He thought of his kit and the gun locked in the trunk of his car and knew which he’d be carrying. “I’m covered.”
Grayson had barely pulled up to the house before Cass had her door open and was halfway out of the car. He threw the car into park as she found her footing and took off.
“Gods dammit, Cass, hold up.”
She totally ignored him.
He grabbed his compact, lightweight nine-millimeter from the console, shoved his way out of the car, and rushed after her. He managed to catch up with her as she fumbled with the keypad lock on the front door.
“Come on, come on, come on,” she chanted under her breath as she lifted and reset her shaking finger against the keypad. The light turned from red to green, and she went to grab the knob, only Grayson got there first. She clawed at his hand. “Let go!”
With one hand on the door and one holding the gun, he went with the only option left to get her to take a breath—he crowded her up against the door, using his heavier weight to hold her in place. “Calm the fuck down, Cass.”
It came out mean, but it did the job. She stopped trying to get away and fell still, the only movement the rise and fall of her chest as she sucked in air.
She matched his tone. “Let me go, Grayson.”
