“Mama?” Henry asked cautiously. “Are we leaving?”
“Yes, baby,” I said, sniffing as I wiped the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. “We’re going to go visit Ms. Dottie again, okay? Can you grab some of your favorite toys?”
He nodded, his eyes wide, and gathered up his action figures and teddy bear and put them in his puppy backpack.
I took his hand and pulled him with me into my bedroom, where I grabbed a few clothes that would still fit into the duffle, leaving the rest behind. “Let’s go, baby.”
He jogged along beside me. “Mama, is Daddy coming? Does he have his bag already?”
Stifling a sob, I wiped my cheek on my shoulder. “No, baby. Not right now.”
I snatched up my purse and pulled the strap over my head and shoulder, and took a step toward the door, but froze when I saw that Whit was now standing in front of it.
Henry let go of my hand and ran to Whit, who scooped him up in his arms. “Why aren’t you going with us?”
“I’ll be there later,” Whit told him. “I have to deal with a few things first. But you take care of your mama, okay? Keep her safe until I get there.”
Henry nodded. “Yes, sir.” Then he hugged Whit tightly around the neck and whispered, “Don’t let the monsters get you, Daddy.”
Whit’s eyes darted to me, held my gaze before he set Henry down. “Don’t you worry. I won’t.”
I was just opening my mouth to tell Whit not to try to stop us when he held out his car keys. “Take mine. It’s more reliable.” He gave me a quick, sad smile. “I’d planned to get you a new one as soon as you’d let me.”
I nodded and cautiously reached out to take the keys. My fingers brushed his, the same explosion of sensation and desire as I always experienced when we touched racing up my arm.
“I love you, Zellie,” he said. “More than my life.”
His expression was so full of emotion—love, sorrow, regret—it almost made me reconsider leaving.
Almost.
When I said nothing, he stepped away from the door. Without even sparing a glance his way for fear that I’d change my mind, I took Henry’s hand and rushed to the elevator.
As soon as we reached the ground floor, I had to force myself not to hurry toward the front door, not wanting to draw attention to us, but my stomach clenched in sudden fear when I saw Iris sitting at her desk.
“Now, where are y’all off to?” she asked with a grin, getting up and coming around the desk to greet us. It was the same grin she’d always had, but instead of welcoming and friendly, it now seemed sinister.
I forced a smile, hoping my lips weren’t trembling as much it felt like they were. “I’m taking Henry to the house in Charleston,” I lied. “Whit’s coming later after he takes care of some business.”
I took a step toward the door, but Iris deftly slid in front of me to block the exit, still wearing that chilling smile. “It seems an odd time of day to be making that trip,” she said, her voice louder than it had been, echoing off the walls. “Is everything alright, honey?”
“Yes, of course,” I assured her, trying to keep my voice light, registering movement in my peripheral vision. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Ms. Iris.”
I tried to take another step to go around her, but she moved with me, continuing to block our escape. “Now,Zellie,” she said, an undercurrent of warning in her voice, “I would hate for you to rush off without saying goodbye to the family.”
I pulled Henry closer, curling him into my body protectively, and turned my head slowly to survey the foyer. The other residents of Dawes House had exited their apartments and were drifting into the foyer, spreading out around the perimeter, effectively blocking any possible means of escape. As I looked at them, their eyes began to glow amber, their faces taking on a feral, savage appearance, their features stretched taut on their bones.
“Get out of the way, Iris,” I ordered, trying to keep my voice even but letting her know I was not about to go slinking back to my apartment to wait for…whatever it was they had in store for Henry and me.
Iris’s lips curled into a broad smile, her teeth extending to become a maw of horrifying fangs. She stretched her mouth wide, emitting an ear-splitting screech, then it was as if time had slowed to a crawl, my instincts instantly identifying a threat in that second Iris’s pupils dilated, and her shoulders rolled forward.
But before she could lunge at me, a booming voice bellowed something in that strange language I’d heard before, bringing her up short, and she jerked back, sending a startled glance up to the fourth-floor balcony. The predator had suddenly become the prey.
My head whipped around to where her gaze was fixed. There, crouching on the balcony railing was Whit, his own features distorted like theirs, his expression deadly.
Beside me, closer than she’d been before, June spat something back at him then darted toward me. I cried out as her fingers curved into long talons, and she growled—fuckinggrowled. But then something blurred between us, and her growl cut off abruptly.
I stared at her, my eyes wide with terror and confusion as she grasped her throat, gurgling as blood spurted between her fingers. And then I saw Whit, blooddripping from his own talons, a deep growl rumbling in his chest as his furious gaze slowly swept the room, daring the others to make a move.
