Page 95 of When Darkness Calls

“Shit…”

“What’s wrong?” She stands up from the bed, a blanket draped over her and I’m not sure what hurts more, the fact she’s hidden her body beneath it, or the idea that I have to leave her.

“I have to go. I’m needed for something. I’m so sorry, sweet girl.” I reach for her, my hand cupping her cheek. She leans into my touch, looking up at me. “I wish I didn’t have to go.”

“It’s important, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“Then you shouldn’t feel bad. I understand. You’re a hero. Whatever it is you’re doing I know you’ll be helping people. That’s more important than staying here.”

“I don’t deserve you and the faith you have in me.”

She shrugged, the corner of her lip lifting. “You have to believe in the demons too if you want to have faith, Shadow. You can’t only pray for the good. They are one in the same.”

I shake my head in disbelief. This girl. I’ll never understand her mind. And I wouldn’t want to.

“You astound me in every way.” My thumb runs across her cheek bone.

“Good astound or bad astound?” She smirks.

“Didn’t you say they’re one and the same?” I raise my brow.

“Touche.” Dani pauses, eyes raking over me. I quickly put my hoodie on, lifting the hood on my head.

“Be safe.” Her eyes pause on the ripped pocket, and she tugs on it.

“This better be the only thing wrong with you the next time I see you, understood?”

Becketts and their fucking demands.

I grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “You should worry about the other guy.”

There’s a knock at the door and I curse. Dani jumps, eyes wide. She begins rummaging around her room looking for her clothes as I slip out her balcony door.

I haven’t done this before. I always just come through the front door when I need to get in.

By the glass door, there’s a pot with a dark red flower and a pumpkin. I chuckle.

Her and her insane love for Halloween.

I have to admit the gothy little flower is cute. It suits her. I think it’s called a dahlia if I remember right.

I wonder where she found it.

“You could probably slice some of the skin off his upper arm, if you want this to last awhile,” Keegan chimes in, surveying the guy tied up in the warehouse.

He’s still knocked out, head rolling back against his shoulders. I got here right as Nick and Keeg were dragging him through the back entrance.

“I mean, yeah, if you want to play with your knives.” I turned to Nick. “But I could play with him for a bit before you get all ‘slice and dice’-y.”

He shrugs, twirling the blade. “Doesn’t really matter to me. What’re we supposed to be finding out again?”

Keegan pulls out his phone, concentration etched on his face. “Uhh, we’re supposed to be asking about the missing girls and the pickup place. Cay said Alex’s guy got a few hits on that van you chased,” he glances at me. “The van was found; plates were in the back along with blood and the girl’s phone and purse. Plates have this guy as the owner. He was already flagged for previous distribution. So…”

“And he looks familiar…” I paused thinking where I had seen his face before. “I remember seeing him and Jerry talking outside of a gas station a while back. So…what? We think it’s connected?” I leaned back against Cade’s desk, arms folded in front of me.

I wasn’t expecting that. When I suggested it to Cay, I was mostly talking out of my ass just to give him some hope, but maybe I wasn’t far off.