Liza smirks, and crosses her arms under her chest as though she’s proud. Now I see the resemblance between her and Dice.
“Besides,” Dray says while putting a cloth on my mother’s head, “Drackus didn’t like them coming after her. Alyssa swore Sadie was good. He believes her. He doesn’t like Sadie, but his hate rests more on Hilly. Sadie was just the unfortunate survivor left behind to incur everyone else’s wrath. We all have a past.”
This is all just too close and too messy. Everything seems to be weaving in together, and I don’t like all the unpredictable variables.
“Thad doesn’t protect someone unless he loves them,” Dray says randomly, and my stomach twists as a figurative knife jabs into my heart.
“He’s not protecting me,” I whisper. “I don’t need his protection. I’m stronger now.”
Dray smirks before putting another cloth over my mother’s neck, though I’m not sure what the wet cloths are for.
“You don’t seem to understand how strong Thad is. Something tells me everyone is going to be finding out soon, because he won’t hold back if he’s in love with you.”
Tears start to sli
p out, but I don’t bother explaining Thad can’t love someone he doesn’t know. I also don’t tell him Thad will want me dead when he finds out my sins are far worse than my mother’s.
We both jump at the sound of a window shattering, and my heart thumps in my ears when I hear a familiar voice.
“Outside, Roslyn. Now,” Thad says softly, even though it sounds like a threat.
My eyes go wide, and I look at Dray who cocks a confused eyebrow, letting me know he isn’t the one who sold us out. How did he find me?
“I’m guessing someone made a call?” the dark angel asks.
“Liza,” I mumble numbly, curling in on myself. “Didn’t you hear her?”
“My senses are a lot weaker when I’m healing wounds as substantial as your mother’s. How long was the call?
“Not long. She didn’t tell Dice where we were or even hint at it.”
“Word to the wise,” Dray tells me in a whisper as he wipes his hands off, “dark users can track any form of technology if they link to it. And Gage is one seriously powerful dark user.”
Chapter 33
THAD
I stand in front of the porch, clenching and unclenching my fists, ready for a fight. Roslyn will either try to kick my ass, or Reese will, considering I know that’s his car by the cabin.
And Liza’s here—not that I’m scared of a succubus. I learned to shake off their seduction tactics a long time ago. But I can admit I’m not expecting the person who walks out of the door.
“The hell are you doing here?” I ask Dray.
He leans against the doorjamb while holding up the rock I threw through the window.
“Resorted to desperate measures, I see,” he says, tossing the rock down. I can’t get close to the porch, and he knows it.
I can feel the protection spell from here.
When I don’t let him shift the conversation, he holds my gaze and answers me.
“I was cleaning up the mess from the unsanctioned and unprovoked attack you and yours did. Come to do more damage or damage control?” he asks while crossing his arms over his chest.
Bastard.
“Last I checked, we were friends, Dray,” I drawl, trying not to sound as confrontational as I feel.
“We are.” He steps off the porch, as though he’s making some grand fucking gesture to leave the safety of the protection spell. “But I’m also friends with Liza and Reese. More Liza than Reese. And Alyssa didn’t okay this attack, so you should be thanking me for helping out.”