kill him, Vlad.”
The elder spoke without looking up. “Perhaps. But it is the only way.”
Laura marched into the kitchen and gripped Vlad’s arm. “Find another way.”
Shon was instantly there. “Easy, babe. Come sit with me.”
Guiding her around the bar, he pulled out a stool for her to sit on. His heart had nearly stopped when she’d grabbed on to Vlad’s arm.
Shon sat next to her and rested his hand on her knee. “It’ll be okay. Gina can’t kill me any more than I can kill her.”
Vlad pushed his hood back to reveal pale blue eyes that burned with determination. “True. But she can have someone else do it for her.”
Shon felt Laura stiffen next to him. He gently squeezed her knee for reassurance before meeting Vlad’s gaze once again. “I lure her out. You kill her.”
Vlad shook his head. “I cannot kill her without a trial by the elders.” He held up a hand when Shon would have interrupted. “Furthermore, I believe that she is the only one that can tell us where to locate the Seeker Society. We find them and knock out two birds with one stone.”
“Gina will be expecting a trap,” Shon pointed out. “Which rules out me showing up at her door, carrying a heart in a Walmart bag.”
Vlad’s lips twitched. “It would be such a waste to see you destroyed.”
Shon straightened in his seat. “I vote we not see me destroyed. So, the Walmart bag is out of the question. Help me out here, old wise one.”
“Unfortunately, Gina has fixated on you, young Shon. She cannot come after me herself, nor does she hold the power to harm Angelo. But you do.”
Shon shook his head. “Not true. Angel’s blood saved my life after my brother cut my throat.”
Vlad’s brows lifted. “You are bonded with Angelo?” At Shon’s nod, Vlad continued. “Gina is obviously unaware of that little detail. That might work in our favor.”
Laura suddenly threw up a hand. “Let me get this straight. Gina Calimari needs your heart in order to resurrect Lilith, but she can’t kill you herself, so she wants Shon to do it since he’s not bonded with you.”
“Why not bond with Vlad?” She directed that last part at Shon.
“Gina has my brother.”
“And my parents…”
Shon turned to face her. “I will not let anything happen to your parents. You have my word.”
Laura’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “How can you make a promise that you’re not sure you can keep?”
“Because I will offer myself to her for their safe return if it comes down to it.”
The tears standing in Laura’s eyes spilled over to track down her cheeks. She stumbled to her feet. “Either way, I lose.”
“Laura…” Shon began as she fled the room.
Vlad spoke up before Shon could go after her. “Let her be. She will come around once she has had time to think.”
“She’s going to be hurt, no matter how this turns out.”
“Yes,” Vlad agreed. “Perhaps you should have thought of that before you took her to your bed.”
Shon knew the elder spoke the truth. If Gina found out Shon’s true feelings for Laura, she would kill Laura without batting an eye.
Vlad interrupted Shon’s torturous thoughts. “The best thing you can do for Laura and her parents would be to get as far away from Miss Donovan as you can.”
Pain sliced through Shon’s heart at the thought of leaving Laura after years of waiting to have her in his arms. “She’ll think I used her,” he bit out.
Vlad nodded. “Yes. But it will keep her safe until Gina no longer draws breath.”
Shon ground his teeth in anger. He’d wanted Laura for as long as he could remember. After years of vying for her attention, she’d finally allowed him into her bed. How was he to leave her now?
If leaving Polk County would remove Laura from Gina’s radar, then he’d gladly walk away. No matter how much it hurt to do so. “Tell me what to do.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Laura stood beneath the hot spray of the shower, allowing the tears to fall freely
The elder spoke without looking up. “Perhaps. But it is the only way.”
Laura marched into the kitchen and gripped Vlad’s arm. “Find another way.”
Shon was instantly there. “Easy, babe. Come sit with me.”
Guiding her around the bar, he pulled out a stool for her to sit on. His heart had nearly stopped when she’d grabbed on to Vlad’s arm.
Shon sat next to her and rested his hand on her knee. “It’ll be okay. Gina can’t kill me any more than I can kill her.”
Vlad pushed his hood back to reveal pale blue eyes that burned with determination. “True. But she can have someone else do it for her.”
Shon felt Laura stiffen next to him. He gently squeezed her knee for reassurance before meeting Vlad’s gaze once again. “I lure her out. You kill her.”
Vlad shook his head. “I cannot kill her without a trial by the elders.” He held up a hand when Shon would have interrupted. “Furthermore, I believe that she is the only one that can tell us where to locate the Seeker Society. We find them and knock out two birds with one stone.”
“Gina will be expecting a trap,” Shon pointed out. “Which rules out me showing up at her door, carrying a heart in a Walmart bag.”
Vlad’s lips twitched. “It would be such a waste to see you destroyed.”
Shon straightened in his seat. “I vote we not see me destroyed. So, the Walmart bag is out of the question. Help me out here, old wise one.”
“Unfortunately, Gina has fixated on you, young Shon. She cannot come after me herself, nor does she hold the power to harm Angelo. But you do.”
Shon shook his head. “Not true. Angel’s blood saved my life after my brother cut my throat.”
Vlad’s brows lifted. “You are bonded with Angelo?” At Shon’s nod, Vlad continued. “Gina is obviously unaware of that little detail. That might work in our favor.”
Laura suddenly threw up a hand. “Let me get this straight. Gina Calimari needs your heart in order to resurrect Lilith, but she can’t kill you herself, so she wants Shon to do it since he’s not bonded with you.”
“Why not bond with Vlad?” She directed that last part at Shon.
“Gina has my brother.”
“And my parents…”
Shon turned to face her. “I will not let anything happen to your parents. You have my word.”
Laura’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “How can you make a promise that you’re not sure you can keep?”
“Because I will offer myself to her for their safe return if it comes down to it.”
The tears standing in Laura’s eyes spilled over to track down her cheeks. She stumbled to her feet. “Either way, I lose.”
“Laura…” Shon began as she fled the room.
Vlad spoke up before Shon could go after her. “Let her be. She will come around once she has had time to think.”
“She’s going to be hurt, no matter how this turns out.”
“Yes,” Vlad agreed. “Perhaps you should have thought of that before you took her to your bed.”
Shon knew the elder spoke the truth. If Gina found out Shon’s true feelings for Laura, she would kill Laura without batting an eye.
Vlad interrupted Shon’s torturous thoughts. “The best thing you can do for Laura and her parents would be to get as far away from Miss Donovan as you can.”
Pain sliced through Shon’s heart at the thought of leaving Laura after years of waiting to have her in his arms. “She’ll think I used her,” he bit out.
Vlad nodded. “Yes. But it will keep her safe until Gina no longer draws breath.”
Shon ground his teeth in anger. He’d wanted Laura for as long as he could remember. After years of vying for her attention, she’d finally allowed him into her bed. How was he to leave her now?
If leaving Polk County would remove Laura from Gina’s radar, then he’d gladly walk away. No matter how much it hurt to do so. “Tell me what to do.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Laura stood beneath the hot spray of the shower, allowing the tears to fall freely
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