He doesn’t reply.
“You stopped Alden today. That’s a good thing. And you almost stopped Rip.”
“But does killing the bad guys make up for all the bad I’ve done? Does it avenge the lives I’ve taken?”
“The lives you…” I tilt my head, confused. He’s not talking about the people he’s killed trying to control his thirst, is he?
“I killed them, Ev,” he says softly. “I was the one who started the fire.”
My brows furrow. “What are you–”
“I lit a candle before bed and forgot about it,” Jericho says. “It was my fault our house… That my parents… And now—” He lifts his hands, as if they’re the things that literally took his parents’ life. “It feels like a curse more than a gift.”
I cover his hands with mine. “You made a mistake, Jericho. An honest mistake, which is something any ten-year-old could have done. You can’t blame yourself for that, or your parents’ death. But youcanblame Foxx for all the shit he’s done, and now you have the literal power to stop him.” I lean in. “You can stop him. You. It won’t bring your parents back, but think of all the other people you can help.”
He sighs, linking our hands together. “I know. I just…” His eyes seem like they’re looking right through me. Is he thinking about his parents? The fight in the field? Justice? “It felt like I was right back there today. Like the house was literally crumbling around me and I could hear my mom screaming for help. So I… I wanted to help them again and couldn’t.”
I brush a thumb over the back of his hand. “I’m sorry you lost them, but you can’t stay there, Jer. You can’t.”
He finally lifts his gaze to me, smiling a little before kissing me. “Thank you.”
My eyes widen. “For what?”
“Being here. Being you.” He kisses me again. “I don’t know if I could do any of this without you.”
I scoot closer. “You could, but I’m really glad I get to be here for it.”
When Jericho glides a hand over my ass, I wince.
“Sore?”
I smirk. “What do you think, Mr. Monster-Sized Dick?”
He snorts. “You liked it.”
“I really did. Seriously. I don’t know how we didn’t do all of that before, because it feels so right to me. I mean, it always has. To be with you. I just didn’t see the whole picture, you know? Like, how much deeper this is. And I’m glad I do now.”
He pulls me in for a long kiss just as someone knocks on our door.
We both groan then sit up. “Yeah?”
Red enters the room. “Forest just talked to Merebeth. He thinks you guys need to hear this.”
We exchange a look, then head downstairs.
Forest and Grant are at the table, talking to Jasmine, Rowen, and Ivy. Sage is pacing near the window, looking like he wants to put his fist through a wall.
“What’s up?” Evan says.
Forest takes a deep breath before addressing us. “Merebeth and three other shifters have been taking our shifts at the apartment this week since we need to stay closer to home.”
Jericho and I both nod, already aware of this.
“They’ve picked up on something that is, quite frankly, very alarming.”
“Okay?” Jericho says, folding his arms over his chest.
“Three nights ago, they counted over a hundred guests entering the club. We’ve been keeping tabs on the numbers, as best we can, so we know if the outgoing number is any less than the ingoing.”
