“Why?” I asked.

Jared shifted in his seat. “It wasn’t exactly planned. I feel like I ambushed you.”

“That’s the kind of ambush I don’t mind,” I smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

Jared cautiously smiled. “You’re okay, then?”

“I’m better than okay. I’m looking forward to the next ambush, actual y.” I leaned over to kiss his neck, making my way to his ear.

Jared chuckled. “We might not leave the loft for the rest of the summer with you behaving like that.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” I whispered, grazing my tongue along the edge of his ear.

“And when do you plan on getting your things from Andrews? Your mother is expecting you to move back home this weekend. I have quite a bit of work to do, taking down the tech from your room, the hal ….” he trailed off, distracted by my mouth on his ear.

I pul ed back and stared at him for a moment. Before I could verbalize the ingenious idea that popped into my head, a broad smile spread across my face.

“What?” he asked, smiling as wel .

“Since we’re moving my things…why don’t we just bring them here?” I said, searching his eyes for a reaction.

Jared’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “You want to move into the loft?”

I shrugged, unsure what his reaction meant. I wasn’t exactly confident that the offer was stil open. “If it’s okay.”

“If it’s okay? Do you know how happy you just made me?” he said, scanning my face with unconditional devotion in his eyes.

“So that’s a yes?”

Jared laughed out loud, shook his head, and then kissed me enthusiastical y. “That is a definite, without a doubt, absolutely yes.”

I giggled with excitement as Jared pul ed me over to his lap, kissing me with every bit the joy that I felt. In the course of just twelve hours, the last six weeks dissolved as if they’d never happened. Before the nightmare had ended, we’d gotten our miracle. It had turned out that it was up to us al along.

We spent the rest of the weekend moving boxes and smal pieces of furniture. Jared insisted on doing most of the lifting, and I hummed along with the stereo as I unpacked my things. We seemed to only get a few boxes unpacked at a time before we were celebrating my homecoming upstairs, only to come downstairs, unpack a few boxes and start the process over again.

After a heated weekend inside, Jared decided that we should get some fresh air. Monday morning I walked outside to perfect weather. The air smel ed of freshly cut grass and sunshine. I lifted my head towards the cloudless sky, closing my eyes and smiling as the sun filtered through my eyelids.

Jared climbed onto his Vulcan and smiled. “Lil ian wanted me to ask you to dinner. Before you say anything,” he hedged, seeing my shocked expression, “she suggested we meet in a restaurant. She doesn’t want you to feel obligated, but she would like to see you again. She misses you.”

I sighed. “How can she miss me? I assumed the undeserved partial treatment would end after she heard what happened.”

Jared tucked my hair affectionately behind my ear. “She knows what you’re going through, and you’re the only one that knows what she went through. You have a lot in common.”

“We don’t have to go to a restaurant. She can come to our place or we can go over there. I’m not afraid.”

Jared’s eyes poured over my face, wearing a perfectly content expression.

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

His eyes turned soft. “Our place.”

He started the engine and I slipped on my sunglasses, climbing on behind him. The summer air whipped around us as Jared flew down the streets, and I pressed my cheek against his back, feeling happier than I ever had.

We came to a stoplight and Jared rested his hand on my knee. “We can get the rest of your things from Cynthia’s in the morning. And if you want to get some paint, we can do that, too,” he said, trying too hard to sound casual.

I peered around to see his face. “And why do we need paint?”

Jared shrugged. “The loft doesn’t exactly scream cohabitation. If you want to make it your own, we can get you what you need.”

“Aw!” I lilted, making Jared cringe and shake his head.

I tightened my grip and then rested my forehead on his back. He stiffened and I raised my head to see what had caused him to tense. Samuel stood in front of us, massive and dark as night. His arms were crossed over his chest, making him seem even more ominous. I cowered behind Jared, my heartbeat instantly pounding in my chest.

“Hel o, Nina,” Samuel spoke. His expression seemed to soften but his features were so severe it wasn’t as comforting as he might have meant for it to be.

“You must have news,” Jared said.

“I do,” Samuel said, breaking his stare from me. “Shax has received information that Jack had the book secured in a bank that you and Nina alone have access to.”

“This is bad,” Jared said in a low, portentous tone.

“They also know that Nina’s ring has a code embedded in it that they need. There is talk, Jared. They’l be coming for her soon.”

Jared sat for a moment, lost in thought. His head jerked up to look at Samuel. “Not if we give it to them.”

“Jared!” I cried.

He turned to me and touched my face. “Nina, I don’t know why Jack has the book. But it’s not worth your life.”

“You’re assuming Shax wil stop once he has the book,” Samuel said, his voice matching his frightening features.

“How did they come into this knowledge?” Jared growled.

“How else?” Samuel narrowed his eyes. “Humans.”

I began to ask Samuel what he meant, but just as before, the space he occupied lost any memory of him.

Jared revved the engine and flew to the loft. He dismounted and pul ed me off the seat, barely letting my feet touch the ground before ushering me up the stairs.

He kicked the door shut and held my shoulders. “I’m going to figure this out, Nina. No one’s in danger. I’m going to end this, okay?” His words were so fast they blurred together, and his eyes were stormy and tense.

“Okay,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his lips.

He watched me warily when I pul ed away. “Okay?” he asked.

I touched his face lightly with my fingertips. “I couldn’t stay away from you even when I thought I had to. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Jared’s eyes turned soft, and he lifted my hand with his ring stil in place. “And you keep your promises.”

Chapter Eighteen

Shax

The next morning I awoke in the same state I had the five days before: tangled in sheets, muscles aching, eyes tired, stomach hungry, and everything else in an utter state of bliss.

Jared tightened his arms around me as I stretched. “Why don’t you go back to sleep?” he said, kissing my neck.

I slid my bare leg over his hip. “Why would I want to waste time sleeping when you’re awake?”

He grinned as he ran his hand up my thigh. “Because you’re human, and you need more than two hours of sleep a night. Not that I’m complaining, I just need to quit being so selfish and make sure you get to sleep earlier than six A.M.”

“Don’t you dare,” I yawned.

“You’re hungry. I’l make breakfast,” he said, pushing himself off the bed.

After a long shower, I dressed and trotted down the stairs. I grabbed the newspaper and sat at the table with my coffee, freezing mid-sip as I saw the headline.

Local Banker Found Dead, Mutilated “Jared?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” he replied, distracted by the pan of eggs in front of him.

“Have you seen this morning’s paper?”

“Not yet, what’s up?” He turned when he felt my fear as I read over the article.

I swal owed nervously before meeting Jared’s eyes. “James Stevens from the bank…the man that let us into the vault…he was found dead yesterday.”

I handed the paper to him and watched his eyes scan over the words.

“What does it mean, Jared?”

Jared’s irises were clear and his features smooth. “He must have been one of the humans Samuel was referring to. I would have to see the body to be sure if it was Grahm or….”

I nodded, realizing where he was getting at.

“Oh, no,” Jared said.

“What?”

Jared handed the paper back to me, pointing to what he’d read.

Local Jeweler Robbed, Assaulted Police Say String of Crimes Coincidence “Vincent!” I said, looking up at Jared. “Do you think he’s okay?”

Jared’s eyes darkened a shade. “It just says assaulted, so I’m assuming he’s alive,” he said, sitting in the chair beside me.

I fidgeted. “What do we do?”

Jared shook his head, sliding his fingers in between mine. “You and I wil get the book, and then I’m going to return it to Shax.”

“You mean we’re going to return it to Shax,” I said, squeezing his fingers between mine.

Jared shook his head. “I’m sorry, Nina, it’s too dangerous.”

“Jared….” The fear choked off my objections.

Pul ing me into his lap, Jared shrugged his arms around me. “Nina, I’m going to take care of this. Claire wil stay here with you. I promise you’l be safe.”

I pressed my cheek against his and closed my eyes. “What about you? Isn’t that like walking behind enemy lines?”

“I have something he wants. As long as you’re here, safe, I’l be fine. Trust me?” he said, holding me at arm’s length to search my eyes.

“I do. Just…be careful.”

“Oh, I’l be careful. I’ve got plans for you.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “Your eggs are getting cold. I’m going to cal Claire…get this over with.”

Claire walked through the door less than an hour later, her casual expression matching Jared’s. She also seemed significantly more relaxed around me, even smacking me on the backside when she walked by.

“We’re going to have fun, Nina. I brought movies.”

My face slowly morphed to disgust. “Movies? You think I’m going to be able to watch a movie while Jared is in a room ful of demons?”

Claire rol ed her eyes and a smirk sharpened her features. “Don’t you know what Jared is capable of? I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be, either.”

Jared’s mouth turned up a bit, shoving a handgun in the back of his jeans. “You’re overdoing it, Claire.”

Claire shot an expression of chagrin at her brother, and they traded glances.

“She doesn’t want me to freak out and leave again,” I said. I looked at the floor and then back at her. “You’re stuck with me, Claire.”

She pul ed one side of her mouth into an appreciative smile. “Good. Because I’d just track you down and bring your butt back here.”

Jared walked toward me and kissed my forehead first, and then my lips. “You ready?”

My fingers involuntarily gripped his jacket. “What if they’re waiting for us at the bank?”

“Then I’l protect you. Claire is coming with us…if anyone should be afraid it’s Grahm and his men.”

My body felt rigid from the moment we stepped out of the door into the al ey. Jared kept my hand in his until we pul ed up to the front entrance of the bank. Claire on one side of me, Jared on the other, we walked inside and across the lobby. An older gentleman in a dark suit and tie approached us.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we wil be retrieving our effects from the vault downstairs,” Jared said.

“Er…c-can I have your name, sir?” he stuttered, anxiously tapping the ends of his fingers against each other.

“Jared Ryel. Is there a problem?”

“No…no sir, there’s no problem. I’d be glad to help you.”

Jared’s eyes swept the room, and I noticed Claire was on alert, as wel . They kept close, both of them in contact with my arms as we walked. Just before the elevator opened to the sub-floor, I noticed a break in Claire’s breathing. It was completely silent for a fraction of a second until the doors slid open to a large, empty room.

Claire quietly exhaled and Jared gripped my arm, cautiously pul ing me forward. We went through the tedious procedure to gain access to the vault while Claire nonchalantly glanced around the perimeter. Her ice blue eyes would miss nothing.

“You put the paper in the safe, Jared,” I whispered. “We don’t know the combination.”

“I know it,” he said, shoving the key into the lock.

I looked over at Claire, whose eyes focused on the closing vault. Once it closed, she looked up and slowly scanned the ceiling.

“What is it, Claire?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Something.”

Jared kept the book under his arm on the return trip to the loft. He escorted me to the end of the al ey and then leaned down to kiss me goodbye.

Before our lips touched, he looked up as if he sensed something around us.

“I should go. It’s already attracting them.”

I clenched his jacket. “I don’t want you to go alone.”

“Claire needs to stay here with you. I can’t leave you unprotected.”

“What about Bex? Can’t he stay here with me?” I asked, searching his face as my mind raced to find an alternative.

“Bex is with Lil ian,” he said. I immediately understood his indicative reply; he was covering al the bases.

“Jared.…” I said, tightening my grip.

He pul ed me to him. “If we wait much longer, they’l come to us, and we don’t want that. This is our only option.”