around them. James reached for the cards, let out a curse when they recoiled. “They are mine. They were always meant to be mine.”
He spun, raising the knife over his head. Claire realized what he meant to do and screamed a warning.
“Simon!”
Simon didn’t have time to do more than stand as James lunged forward and drove the knife into Simon’s chest.
“No!” Claire took James down, kidney punched him until he stopped moving. She tossed him aside and crawled over to Simon. “Oh, God—”
“Claire.” He opened his eyes, the once sharp, green depths now darkening. Death already gathered him in its arms, and she couldn’t stop it. “Don’t let him—get away.”
“I won’t. Simon—” Tears choked her. “I can’t lose you.”
“Take the knife,” he whispered. Horror shot through her. “It will destroy the deck. I—saw its power. Felt it.”
She couldn’t—God help her, she couldn’t—
“Mom.” She jerked at Zach’s raw voice. Somehow, he crabbed across the ground to them. His right hand pressed against the wound in his side, so hard his arm shook. “You have to—nothing else we have will stop the deck. Hell—” He curled around his hand, his skin grey under the hair sticking to his face.
“Zach—” He nodded, and she let out her breath. Tears slid down her cheeks as she turned back to Simon. His hands gripped the knife, but he no longer had the strength to pull it free. She would have to do it for him. Leaning over him, she kissed him, tasting blood on his lips. “Thank you, for everything.”
“Right—back at you.” He coughed, more blood pouring out of the wound. “Do it, Claire.”
“Oh, God.” She eased his hands away from the knife, closed badly shaking fingers around the hilt. Heat roared up her arms. The heat of need, of vengeance. She blinked her eyes clear, looked down at him. “I love you, Simon.”
He smiled. “Claire.”
“What?” She leaned in as his voice faded, expecting to hear a dying wish, a last request.
“Don’t get dead.”
She let out a choked laugh. Leave it to Simon. Kissing his cheek, she met his eyes. “See you around.”
“Yeah.” His eyes slid closed and she panicked.
“Simon!” He looked at her, every breath a struggle now. “Put in a good word for me.”
“Already did.” He swallowed. “Do it, Claire.”
She took in a shuddering breath, braced herself. God help her, she wasn’t ready for this—
“Mom!”
Zach’s warning cry whipped her around. Just before James slammed into her.
*
A nnie clutched the headrest of the driver’s seat as Eric squeezed the car around the accident. Too long—it was taking too long to get there.
“I’m not losing you again, Claire,” she whispered. “Not like this.”
“Annie.” Eric reached up and took her hand. She held on to him, and glanced over Marcus. He stared out the window, his face grim, determined. “We’ll get to her. She has an advantage now, one James can’t match.” He swerved around their last obstacle and punched the gas. “We won’t lose her this time, sweetheart.”
“Damn right.”
“And you’re staying in the car.”
“Eric—”
“You can’t do anything. And I don’t want either of you near him.”
She let out a sigh. “Fine.”
Flashing her a smile in the rearview mirror, he squeezed her hand and let go. A wicked turn was coming up. “Good answer.”
“Keep smiling, handsome. I’m saving the earful for later.”
“There’s my Annie. I promise you, we’ll bring your best friend home.”
*
C laire hit the ground. Hard.
Something pulsed in her right hand—and she realized she had taken the knife with her when James attacked. Her gaze found Simon, his body still, his eyes staring up at the sky.
Rage and grief had her surging forward. James let out a shocked cry and dropped his jacket, tripping as he avoided the flashing blade. He caught his balance and kept retreating.
“No more.” Claire stalked him.
He spun, raising the knife over his head. Claire realized what he meant to do and screamed a warning.
“Simon!”
Simon didn’t have time to do more than stand as James lunged forward and drove the knife into Simon’s chest.
“No!” Claire took James down, kidney punched him until he stopped moving. She tossed him aside and crawled over to Simon. “Oh, God—”
“Claire.” He opened his eyes, the once sharp, green depths now darkening. Death already gathered him in its arms, and she couldn’t stop it. “Don’t let him—get away.”
“I won’t. Simon—” Tears choked her. “I can’t lose you.”
“Take the knife,” he whispered. Horror shot through her. “It will destroy the deck. I—saw its power. Felt it.”
She couldn’t—God help her, she couldn’t—
“Mom.” She jerked at Zach’s raw voice. Somehow, he crabbed across the ground to them. His right hand pressed against the wound in his side, so hard his arm shook. “You have to—nothing else we have will stop the deck. Hell—” He curled around his hand, his skin grey under the hair sticking to his face.
“Zach—” He nodded, and she let out her breath. Tears slid down her cheeks as she turned back to Simon. His hands gripped the knife, but he no longer had the strength to pull it free. She would have to do it for him. Leaning over him, she kissed him, tasting blood on his lips. “Thank you, for everything.”
“Right—back at you.” He coughed, more blood pouring out of the wound. “Do it, Claire.”
“Oh, God.” She eased his hands away from the knife, closed badly shaking fingers around the hilt. Heat roared up her arms. The heat of need, of vengeance. She blinked her eyes clear, looked down at him. “I love you, Simon.”
He smiled. “Claire.”
“What?” She leaned in as his voice faded, expecting to hear a dying wish, a last request.
“Don’t get dead.”
She let out a choked laugh. Leave it to Simon. Kissing his cheek, she met his eyes. “See you around.”
“Yeah.” His eyes slid closed and she panicked.
“Simon!” He looked at her, every breath a struggle now. “Put in a good word for me.”
“Already did.” He swallowed. “Do it, Claire.”
She took in a shuddering breath, braced herself. God help her, she wasn’t ready for this—
“Mom!”
Zach’s warning cry whipped her around. Just before James slammed into her.
*
A nnie clutched the headrest of the driver’s seat as Eric squeezed the car around the accident. Too long—it was taking too long to get there.
“I’m not losing you again, Claire,” she whispered. “Not like this.”
“Annie.” Eric reached up and took her hand. She held on to him, and glanced over Marcus. He stared out the window, his face grim, determined. “We’ll get to her. She has an advantage now, one James can’t match.” He swerved around their last obstacle and punched the gas. “We won’t lose her this time, sweetheart.”
“Damn right.”
“And you’re staying in the car.”
“Eric—”
“You can’t do anything. And I don’t want either of you near him.”
She let out a sigh. “Fine.”
Flashing her a smile in the rearview mirror, he squeezed her hand and let go. A wicked turn was coming up. “Good answer.”
“Keep smiling, handsome. I’m saving the earful for later.”
“There’s my Annie. I promise you, we’ll bring your best friend home.”
*
C laire hit the ground. Hard.
Something pulsed in her right hand—and she realized she had taken the knife with her when James attacked. Her gaze found Simon, his body still, his eyes staring up at the sky.
Rage and grief had her surging forward. James let out a shocked cry and dropped his jacket, tripping as he avoided the flashing blade. He caught his balance and kept retreating.
“No more.” Claire stalked him.
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