She forced a smile. “I know I will. I’mjust…” her voice trailed off. She was just what right now? Shedidn’t know, she didn’t have time to figure it out and she wasn’tsure she ever would.
“It’s never easy to take a life,” he saidquietly.
He released her arm when Aiden and Brianstepped into the doorway. Ethan jerked his head toward the bedroomand the others followed behind him. Turning back to her father,Paige ignored his open eyes as she grabbed hold of his arms.Bending at her knees, she dragged his upper body over her shouldersand hefted him onto her right shoulder. As a human she would havefallen over, but she had no problem with his weight as she roseback up.
“You don’t have to do that,” Brian told herwhen he reappeared in the doorway with one of the other dead vamps.“I can carry them both.”
Paige shook her head and adjusted her holdon her father’s body. “No. This is my burden.”
She turned away to find Ian standing in thedoorway with two bodies thrown over his shoulders. She recognizedone of the bodies as the man who had first attacked them in theelevator. Ian’s eyes burned into hers, a muscle in his jaw jumped,she could sense his displeasure over her carrying her father but hedidn’t protest as she walked toward him.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“The roof.”
She looked past him to the room the man andwoman had been in when she’d first entered. “Where’s Ronan?”
“Working with David and Emma to change thememories of the rest of the people. They’re also going to bide ussome time.”
Paige didn’t ask how they were going to dothat; she didn’t really want to know right now. She tried not tothink about who she was carrying while she followed him down thehall toward the stairwell she’d used before. Emma stood in front ofit with the door open to the hall beyond.
She took an abrupt step back when shespotted the numerous beds and couches thrown into the stairwellleading to the floor below. The stairs were stacked from floor toceiling with furniture. She didn’t know how far down it all went,but no one would be getting up that stairwell any time soon.
“Ronan, David, and Emma threw them downthere to slow the police,” Ian explained when he saw thequestioning look on her face. “The elevator doors won’t be openingon this floor, and we’re going to block the other ways to get herebefore the police arrive.”
She glanced up and down the hallway. “Whatabout all the blood?”
“There are some things we can’t take careof. The people have been told it was a robbery gone wrong, and theblood belongs to some of the burglars. None of them can rememberwhat those thieves looked like or how they were injured.”
She’d known for years what vampires werecapable of, but all of this was still overwhelming and astonishing.Her head spun from everything that had happened as she followed Ianup the next two flights of stairs. Her legs began to ache from thestrain of the body draped over her shoulder, but she refused torelinquish her hold on him. She’d meant it when she’d said he washer burden; she would carry him for as long as it took and as faras she had to.
They’d climbed ten more floors and werealmost to the top of the hotel when crashes and bangs sounded frombehind her. The force of the crashes shook the stairwell and causedthe stairs to vibrate beneath her feet. Stopping, she turned tolook down the winding stairs to the floors below.
“It’s just Emma, David, and Ronan throwingmore furniture into the stairwell to block access from the floorabove where we were staying. Keep going,” Ian encouraged.
Finally making it to the top, Paige stoppedoutside of the metal door leading to the roof. “Won’t we set offthe alarm?” she asked nervously.
In answer to her question she heard morefurniture being tossed into the stairwell below them, blocking it.Ian slammed into the door, breaking the large, deadbolt lock. Thealarm above the door blared, red lights flashed when the door burstopen, but he moved swiftly out to the roof. Paige followed behindhim; they ran across the roof to the brick wall running around theedge of it.
Standing at the wall, the wind kicked uparound her blowing her hair back and bringing with it the scents ofthe bustling city beneath them. Immortal or not, the spectacle ofthe alley so far below made her stomach turn as dizziness assailedher. Heights had never been her thing; she’d never been one forroller coasters or climbing trees, not even as a child.
Taking a step back, she lifted her head tostare across the skyline of the city. Down below all of the lightsblocked out the stars, but up here they were shining orbs twinklingin the velvet darkness. She looked over the tops of the buildingssurrounding her, none of which were close. Flashes of red and bluefrom the police cruisers and fire trucks parked below reflectedover the windows of the hotels and casinos nearby causing them tocome alive with color. It would have been beautiful if she hadn’tfelt so trapped.
Jumping, she spun around when the doorcrashed behind her. David and Ronan stepped away from the door tothe hotel. An armoire the size of a small minivan had been placedbefore the door to block access to the roof. Ronan strode rapidlyover to join them. “We have to go,” he said briskly.
“Where?” Paige asked.
He pointed across the open expanse to theroof beyond. Despite her intentions to remain composed, she feltthe blood drain from her face as she gazed across the nearly thirtyfoot gap between the buildings. She was immortal. She could carry atwo hundred pound body up fifteen flights of stairs withoutbreaking a sweat, and with only a twinge in her lower back andlegs. But seriously, was he kidding?
“You’re going to have to give your father’sbody to Ronan,” Ian told her.
“What about you?” she demanded. “You can’tmake that leap with those bodies.”
“Yes, I can, and I’ll only be taking onewith me.” His tone was flat; his eyes burned into hers. Hisstrength and determination radiated through their bond. “Now giveRonan the body.”
Ronan stepped forward and gestured for herto hand her father over. This time Paige didn’t argue about givingthe body to the more powerful vampire. She wasn’t sure she couldmake the leap without a body, never mindwithone. “Arunning start will make it easier,” Ian told her.
Ian handed one of the bodies he’d beencarrying over to David and took hold of her hand. He walked backtoward the door with her. Turning by the door, she stood and staredacross the roof. “I’m not so sure about this.”
