Page 126 of Bloodhunter

“I will.” I leaned over to kiss his cheek, but he turned hishead and pressed his lips against mine.

I lingered, because I’d almost lost him.

“When I come home,” he said, when I finally pulled away, “I’llgive you a proper kiss.”

I smiled. “When you come home, I’ll let you.”

“You’ve been in my dreams,” he told me. “In the woods, whenyou tried to molest me…” He smiled. “I haven’t been able to get that out of mymind.”

My face heated. “I…” Then I shrugged. “I’ve got nothing. Iguess I did try to molest you.” My laugh sounded more like a sob.

He sobered. “Sweetheart, they won’t break me. I promise.”

And I had to get out of there, before I broke down and madeeverything worse, if that were possible. “I’ll bring the kids,” I whispered,and then I fled.

I grabbed my weapons from Shaun and hurried from the policestation, my heart breaking for the big, proud supernatural man who lay brokenand alone in a human’s jail cell.

Chapter Forty-Four

Two weeks later, I stood outside in the back parking lot ofthe RVPD, my nails biting into my palms, my face wet with tears, and watchedfour heavily armed guards and six cops prepare to load Angus into thereinforced supernatural transport van.

I hadn’t allowed the children to come. They’d said theirgoodbyes the day before. They didn’t need to see him hauled away.

Shane, Miriam, Clayton, and Rhys stood beside me, grimlysilent. Miriam laced her fingers with mine, and though her eyes were shadowed,they remained dry. Miriam was a supernatural. She’d seen bad shit before.

“Angus,” I called. “We’re here.” Because I couldn’t let himthink he was going off alone.

He listed in the big wheelchair, somehow diminished and paleand something more human than the huge, forceful shifter he’d been before thehumans got their hands on him.

“Angus,” I called, my voice cracking. I started toward him,but the cops immediately created a barricade with their bodies. They wavedtheir cruel batons and stared at me, waiting to see if I’d dare.

I held up my hands, for fear they’d hurt Angus, and I backeddown.

It was only because of the captain’s insistence that we werepermitted to watch him leave. To keep him company as they loaded him into thevan and shipped him to the prison where he’d spend the next five years of hislife.

The humans believed he was getting off easy.Five years,they’dscoffed.That’s nothing.

But to those of us who loved him, it was everything.

To the ones who existed there, it was everything.

Only to the humans was it nothing.

“Come on, honey.” Miriam squeezed my hand and urged me away.“Let’s go home. He’ll be out before you know it.”

But I refused to move until the van was out of sight andAngus was gone. Really gone. It was as though they were giving him the truedeath.

“Bay Town won’t be the same,” Rhys murmured. Then he turnedand walked away, Shane at his side.

“We’ll visit him,” I said, watching them go.

“Supernaturals aren’t permitted to visit,” Miriam said,crisply. “We’ll take care of his kids, his home, and his business, andeverything will be ready for the big dummy when they kick him out.”

“Iwill visit.” I thumped my chest, angry and fierceand determined. “Let them try to keep me away.”

She nodded. “You’re our champion, Trinity. The humans mightthink you’re theirs, but we know you’re ours.” She stared up at me, soberly.“You’re ours.”

“Yes.” I managed a small smile. “I belong with thesupernaturals. You need me more than the humans do.” And I neededthemmore than I needed the humans. Much, much more.