Page 78 of Knight’s Absolution

Grace and Chaos strode over to join them, the rest of her crew standing back.

“We managed to get a couple more, but most got away,” Chaos said, looking as pissed off as the rest of them.

Grace scanned those assembled, then turned to her crew, the demi who fought beside her almost every night. “James?” she called out.

The demi all glanced around when James didn’t come forward, and several jogged to check the dark corners of the lot in case he was on the ground injured.

“Maybe he’s left already?” Brent said.

Grace shook her head. “James is my right hand, he wouldn’t leave without telling me.” A muscle jumped in her jaw. “Something’s not right.” She pulled out her phone and tried to call him.

No reply came.

Roc and Kryos took flight, searching from the sky. Gunner, Zenon, Laz, and Chaos joining them a short time later.

The others went back to search on foot.

Several hours later, James was still nowhere to be found.

Gunner walked into his apartment, anger and frustration still riding him.

Fuck.

He paced the small living room, trying to get it together.

It was quiet, but Luna was here, right where he’d asked her to stay. His pacing took him to his bedroom door, desperate to see her. He’d only been apart from her several hours, but he’d felt her absence the way he would a missing sword arm—the most vital part of him, or at least it had been until he’d found Luna.

His hands curled as soon as he saw her, itching to go to her, to touch her skin.

She was lying on her side, head on his pillow, fast asleep. Christ, he forgot how to fucking breathe every time he laid eyes on her. He wanted to climb in with her right then and there. Fuck, he needed her so badly he shook. But he was covered in blood, his own and the demons he’d killed. And the strength of his need for her right then, shit, it scared even him.

So he forced himself to walk past her, to close himself in the bathroom, and strip down.

His muscles and joints felt weary for the first time in a long time, so much so that when he climbed in the shower, he had to press his palms to the cool tile. Head bent, he let the hot spray wash over him.

He clenched his teeth as the rock in his chest kept growing.

James wasn’t a knight, but he was their brother. The demi had been with them for more years than Gunner could remember. Always there, always giving everything he had to the knights, to his people.

Not just training, but fighting, putting his life on the line every damn night for the greater good. He was their friend, their brother, and right now he was in the hands of their enemy. There was no doubt in Gunner’s mind about that. He was either dead or wishing he was, and they had no fucking clue how to find him.

Azel was behind this, he had to be.

They’d searched for hours, but James was just…gone.

Grace had sent word out, she had eyes and ears around the city, but there was nothing more they could do, not without a trail to follow.

He shuddered. Fuck. Grace was one of the strongest females he’d ever met, but tonight she’d been broken. James wasn’t just her friend, he was her brother-in-arms, her right hand, and like the rest of them, felt she’d somehow failed him.

Gunner groaned as that rock in his chest grew heavier, so heavy it was almost too much to bear.

“Gunner?”

He sucked in a sharp breath, head twisting to the female standing on the other side of the shower glass. She was wearing one of his shirts. It swamped her tiny frame. He tried to steady his voice. “It’s okay, love. I’ll join you in bed shortly.”

She stood there, those stunning violet eyes blinking at him through the water rivulets running down the glass. “Something’s wrong. You’re upset.”

“I’m fine. I promise. You head back to bed.” He turned away, unable to continue to look at her and not fall on her, not beg her to hold him, to let him have her. Because right then he needed her in an all-consuming way, and it was only growing stronger.