When The Grave Calls (The Veil Diaries #9) - B.L. Brunnemer Page 0,32
me, but … “Rory, you have the best chance of protecting them. You have to go too.”
His eyes squinted as his jaw worked back and forth.
“They’re talking about attacking Jadis. To stop her before she’s ready. I don’t know what that means, or when that is, but it’s probably sooner rather than later.”
He scrubbed his hands down his face as we sat silent in the dawn light.
“I don’t want you to go, but I don’t want to lose you guys,” I said through a tight throat. “And I don’t want you to lose Tara.”
His haunted eyes met mine. “You’re my kid too, Lexie. You may not biologically be a daughter to me, but you’re my kid.”
My heart threatened to break as I looked down at my mug. “Even more reason for you to leave.” My eyes filling, I focused on the mug. “You’ve done so much for me that I can’t stand the thought of something happening to any of you.”
“You’re a good girl. You deserved more than the mother you had.”
Tears slipped from my eyes and rolled down my face. It was a relief. Hearing those words patched a crack in my heart that had been there so long, I hadn’t even noticed it was there anymore. My mother may not have wanted me, but Rory did. My tears continued to fall.
We sat there in comfortable silence collecting ourselves.
It was a while before Rory cleared his throat. “You may be right. We have to leave.”
“The guys are staying, I’ll be safe,” I promised.
He met my gaze. “Maybe you and the boys should go, too.”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “The guys won’t go, and even if we did, I think the witches would just follow me. It would be a hell of a coincidence that they came here after Louisiana.”
“Not if we could keep a low profile, hide you.” He leaned forward onto his elbows. “It may be the answer to keeping you safe.”
I thought about it. For the first time, I really thought about running, but in the end I dismissed the idea. “Here I have back up, protection. I know the area. We have the advantage.”
“It was worth a shot.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more.
“Sorry.”
“What about the boys? They’re human,” he said as he met my gaze.
I shook my head. “Not so much anymore. Asher is a shifter, Isaac developed some kind of sixth sense about people, and who knows what Ethan is.”
“But Zeke and Miles still are.”
My heart ached at the thought. “They won’t go. I already tried this morning. Miles says he can hire an army of bodyguards if he has to, and Zeke is just plain stubborn.”
His eyes ran over me. “Which one of them are you dating?”
My heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“Which one are you dating?” he asked again. “I’m not blind, Lexie. It’s got to be one of them.”
I turned my mug on the table. “That’s not why. They just won’t go.”
He sighed. “Asher will need to have Jessica get into online classes.”
“He’s already talking to her about it,” I admitted. “We’re hoping you guys could be off tomorrow.”
“Maria’s not going to want to leave the twins.” He took a drink of coffee.
I cringed. “Yeah, about that. I was kinda hoping you’d talk her into it.”
He set his mug down leveling me with his gaze. “So, I’m the sacrificial lamb?”
I held my fingers up less than an inch apart. “A little bit.”
“You brats.”
“You’re the only one she might not kill,” I countered with a grin.
He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that.”
To be honest, I wasn’t so sure either.
“Just make sure you have your vest on when you go.”
Asher
“If this is about Lexie, I already told the others last night. I’ll leave her alone and not tell anyone about your … arrangement.” Jess scowled at me before reaching up to grab the box of cereal out of the cabinet.
“Jess,” I said, my voice firm. “This isn’t a discussion. You’re leaving.”
She slammed the box onto the counter and turned around to face me. “You’re my brother. And the guys are close enough to be family. I’m not going anywhere. I belong here.”
I shook my head. How the hell could I make her understand? “Jess, they could kidnap you, torture you, change you in ways we can’t imagine. Control and manipulate you. This isn’t a game.”
She scoffed. “If I go, you go.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. This is my fight, not yours.”