and took another step away. Fox closed the distance between them, not letting Winter escape.
“They were happy to tell me horror stories about you. Winter, the Varik executioner. Winter Varik is death. Winter the cruel murderer.”
“You knew?” Winter’s voice cracked.
Fox’s heart broke at Winter’s surprise. Had he thought he was keeping some great secret from Fox? He could see Winter’s shame over the names. It was clear that this was not who Winter wanted to be.
But Fox needed to use it now. If this was going to work, they had to sell it completely. He’d never find his way to Winter’s arms again if Paavo’s man didn’t believe he’d escaped.
“You gonna go spineless on me now? Over a witch? You’re going to choose a worthless witch over your family?” Fox snarled. “You’re supposed to be this heartless killer. I thought all the vampires feared you. But you’re nothing. You’re going to let your entire family down, let them die—”
Winter’s hand was a blur, the back slamming into Fox’s cheek and jaw with enough force to stagger him into the warm hood of the SUV. Pain exploded across his face and it felt like his damn brain had been rattled. Fox moaned and slowly flexed his jaw, just making sure everything was still connected.
The vampire was at his side in a heartbeat. Fox blinked and could see Winter’s hands hover just inches away from him, as if he were afraid to touch the witch. Fox couldn’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t want to feel Winter’s reassuring hands holding him tight.
Fox stepped right into Winter’s open arms, pressing his uninjured cheek to Winter’s shoulder. “I’m okay. I swear.”
Winter’s arms closed around Fox, still holding him as if he were made of glass. “Please don’t ask me to do that again,” he whispered. He sounded so broken on the inside, as if Fox were in danger of pushing him too far.
“I’m fine. When this is over, you can take me home and cover me in bubble wrap.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Winter said, but there was something of his old self in his voice again, as if he’d regained his bearings. He released Fox and took a step back. “Get going. We need as many nighttime hours as possible.”
With a final nod, Fox darted away from Winter and started jogging in the direction of Luke’s house. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he glanced over his shoulder to find the SUV still parked in the nearly empty lot but no sign of Winter. He smiled and picked up his pace. Winter was with him. He couldn’t see him, hear him, or even sense him magically, but Fox knew it in his heart. Winter Varik was jogging alongside him in the world of the dead. Winter would not leave him to face this insane plan alone. His own guardian angel.
After four blocks, Fox’s shirt was sticking to him, and he was starting to pant. Had he really gotten this badly out of shape? He’d never been a runner, but he thought hiking in the Rockies had kept him in shape. Well, maybe it had been a few months since his last hike. Work had been busy, and he’d been spending a lot of time with his gaming systems.
“Okay,” Fox huffed. “After this, we’re getting a treadmill. Or maybe one of those stationary bikes with the tablet. This is ridiculous.” Fox wanted to smile, part of him dying to know what Winter thought of him making plans for the loft.
There wasn’t any sound other than the rushing cars and trucks, but Fox imagined Winter was chuckling beside him.
By the time he was less than a block from Luke’s place, Fox’s face was throbbing in time with his pounding heart, and he was covered in sweat. The air had stayed warm and sticky that night, helping him to look an utter mess when he reached the vampire outside the plain-looking house with heavily covered windows.
For a second, Fox wished for some sign that Winter was still right there. Just a noise or a little touch. Something to reassure him, but Winter couldn’t risk it. Fox only saw the one vampire, but they couldn’t be sure there wasn’t another keeping watch.
Pushing for one last burst of energy, Fox waved one hand in the air at the vampire standing guard outside the front door. “Damon! I ha-I have to get back to Damon!”
The vampire was a huge monster with broad shoulders and thick chest. His dark hair was