Chapter 1
Myles
“Premeditated murder should be applauded, not punished,” my deluded brother adamantly declares.
The lawyer’s eye twitches, giving Arson his full attention now. “Are you insane? In what world does that make sense? They plannedthe crime in advance. That’smultipledecisions to actively commit a crime; not one of passion or self defense.”
“Exactly,” Arson says, keeping the lawyer trapped in conversation he’s been futilely trying to escape for the last fifteen minutes. “Why are we punished harder for thinking things through and being committed? Heat of the moment crimes are worse; those people can’t control their emotions and are a bigger threat to society.” He dramatically gestures at his leg cast. “See?! Some people are just out here snapping bones willy-nilly and not thinking through how fucking annoying dealing with a cast is. At least when I planned to kill someone, I didn’t leave them to suffer for weeks. Days, maybe, buttheydeserved it. Which I knew because I took the time toresearchandplan.”
Ledger scrubs a hand down his face. “Clearly not on how to get away with it if you’re out hereconfessing your crimes to strangers.”
Arson cocks his head in confusion. “He’s our lawyer, everything we say to him is confidential.”
“He’sEver’slawyer, not yours,” Ledger says, the corner of his eye twitching.
“And my brother’s,” he replies without missing a beat. “That makes him myfamily’slawyer.You should really get on board with this so we can get the group discount.”
Daydreaming of ways to slip sleeping pills into my brother’s lunch, I glance at my watch, unease quickly making my stomach churn. Ever and Bell may have needed a break, but it’s been nearly twenty minutes and they still aren’t back. Bellamy is more than capable of taking care of her;logicallyI know that. He broke Arson’s leg, for fucks’ sake. If it wasn’t for Ever insisting she didn’t want to leave the city, he could have stolen her from us on day one. And if we want any hope of this bond group working out long term, we need to trust him.
But at the end of the day, he came to Mercy Ridge terrified of other supernaturals. And we promised we’d protect him, too.
My chair scrapes against the cheap carpeting as I shove away from the table. “Be right back.”
Ignoring Arson and Ledger’s gazes burning a hole in my back, I stride out of the room and into the hallway, that sense of dread spiking until I’m afraid I’m going to throw up.
They aren’t here.
Making quick work of checking the bathrooms, I shove open the emergency door at the end of the hallway, scanning the people out on the street for their faces. And that’s when I see it.
Bellamy’s shoe on the curb, and skid marks on the street from a car peeling out.
I think I’m going to be sick.
I’mthe one who convinced Ledger and Arson that they’d be fine.
I’mthe one that encouraged her to take a step away and regroup because of how overwhelmed she was.
I’mthe one that tried to treat Bellamy like he was Ever’s bodyguard instead of in just as much need of protecting.
It’s a blur as I rush back into the office, door slamming against the wall. The arguing cuts off abruptly, everyone turning to stare at me like I’ve lost my ever-loving mind. Which isn’t that far from the truth.
“Myles?” Ledger asks, brow furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he stiffens. “Where are they?”
My voice is little more than gravel. “Gone.”
Arson’s snarl sends a chill down my spine, shadows seeping out of his pores and angrily lashing as they spread out from his body into a haze of oppressive darkness. The others in the room stare wide-eyed as he snarls, “Over their dead fucking bodies. Where. Is. She?”
“How the hell should I know, I was in here with you!” I snap, running a trembling hand through my hair.
I swallow back a yelp as I’m suddenly yanked forward, Ledger fisting my shirt and lifting me off the ground. His eyes practically glow as his wolf rises to the surface. “Tracker.”
My heart skips a beat. In all of the chaos, I’d forgotten that I slipped one in her necklace after Ever’s last disappearing act.
Quickly bringing up the app on my phone, I watch the blinking dot fly across the screen at an alarmingly fast rate. Pivoting it around, I show them both.
Arson wastes no time, a shadowy tendril wrapping around both me and Ledger before he yanks us into the shadow realm with him, the lawyer’s and Mr. Nocturne’s shocked faces disappearing in a blink. It’s all a grey blur, the world speedingpast us as Arson uses his abilities to transport us far faster than anything I could have imagined. Suddenly, we come to an abrupt halt, thrown from the shadow realm and dropped in the real world again.
Right in the middle of the highway.
