Renegade (Heven and Hell #4)(51)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Yet the words still meant something.

They meant I wasn’t alone. They meant I never would be. And they gave me hope that when all the dust settled from this war that raged between me and hell, Sam would still be there—we would still have each other.

“I don’t think he wants me dead anymore, Sam,” I whispered. “If he did, they’d be coming for me.”

“He wants something.” Sam agreed. “He wants you.”

Why? The unanswered question hung in the air. Neither of us asked it because we didn’t yet know the answer.

I tipped my head back and looked up, noting there was a molten gold lightning storm in Sam’s eyes. “Too bad for him. I’m already taken.”

His lips were possessive when they covered mine. He wasn’t rough or mean, but it was as if he wanted to embed some kind of territorial mark within me, that he wanted to leave no doubt to anyone exactly to whom I belonged. I kissed him back with equal passion. I didn’t mind being owned by him. If there was one place I belonged, it was in his arms. Being with him didn’t feel like binds or chains. It felt free.

He pushed the cardigan off my shoulders, sliding it over my arms until it fell away, and he tossed it on the bed. He reached up to unwind the scarf draped around my neck as my hands when to the zipper on his hoodie.

Then the door to the room opened.

Light from the hallway flooded the room and Sam and I pulled apart to see Kimber sweep into the room followed by Cole and Gemma.

We’re going to have to move to Switzerland to get some time alone, Sam said through our Mindbond.

Apparently, I replied.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your make-out session,” Kimber said, but it was without some of her usual snark. “But I wanted to tell you the cops are gone.”

She looked tired and pale. Her aura was subdued—even the black color that marked her as a witch seemed smaller—and I knew tonight’s events weighed on her. “Are you okay?”

Riley stepped into the room as I spoke, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Peachy,” she replied.

“How suspicious are the police?” Sam asked.

“They aren’t.” She sniffed.

“Not at all?” I asked.

“They were, but I took care of it.”

I glanced at Sam to see if he understood what she meant and I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t.

Riley snorted. “She used her magic to influence how they viewed tonight’s events.”

My eyes shot to Kimber. She turned around and glared at Riley. “Don’t think I didn’t see you snooping around out there, watching.”

Riley yawned.

“Kimber,” I began and she twirled back around, her hair falling over her shoulders.

“I did what I had to do, Heven.” She sighed. “I didn’t exactly lie. I just made sure none of us were going to be suspects.”

“Thanks, Kimber,” Cole said from behind her. “We appreciate you handling it.”

She turned to face him, completely ignoring Gemma. “Did that fog touch you? Where were you when it started spreading.”

“I wasn’t near the house when it all started. We didn’t know about it until the wind started howling and I thought it might be you. I got close enough to see that stuff being blown away and then those bats showed up.”

“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt,” she told him, pink blooming in her aura.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too.” Only when he said that did Kimber acknowledge Gemma’s presence, almost as if she wanted to be certain she heard that Cole had been concerned about her.

“I don’t think Beelzebub will be back tonight,” Gemma said, ignoring Kimber’s stare.

“Me either,” Sam agreed.

“Good. We can talk about all this doom and gloom stuff later. I’m exhausted and I want a shower,” Kimber said, walking toward the door. I wondered if all the magic she used had somehow drained her energy and that’s what made her so subdued. Then she stopped and said, “You guys remember where everything is, right?”

I nodded and so did Cole.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

On her way past Riley, she stopped and looked at him. “You’re staying?”

I was surprised he was invited.

He glanced at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he smirked. “Depends. Are the sheets a high-quality thread count? I can’t possibly sleep on anything less than six fifty.”

She snorted and the colors in her aura actually brightened. “Like you know anything about thread count.”

“You’d be surprised the things I know,” he said slyly.

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, then. I’ll show you to your room. It has a shower. You should use it. You smell.”

They disappeared from the room. I could hear them bickering all the way down the hall.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Gemma said.

“I’ll walk you out,” Cole called and followed her from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

“I didn’t think they would ever leave,” Sam said.

“Right?”

“Now where were we?” he asked, a smile pulling at his lips, and he grabbed hold of my scarf and slowly began towing me forward.

“Right about here.” I unzipped the hoodie and slid my hands beneath both his shirts.

He made a sound in the back of his throat as we proceeded to pick up exactly where we left off.

*     *     *

“The discovery of three more bodies during this last weekend of October have left the police more desperate than ever for any kind of lead that will shed some light onto the death epidemic that seems to be spreading over what was once considered a sleepy Maine town.”

The voice of the female newscaster was the first thing that Sam and I heard when we left the bedroom and wandered into Kimber’s sprawling upgraded kitchen. Her grim report had the warm feelings of spending the night in Sam’s arms evaporating into the chilly morning air.

As we turned the corner, I could see Kimber standing at the granite-topped island, cupping a latte in her hands and staring at the TV mounted on the wall. Behind her, Riley sat at the island, a huge bowl of cereal in front of him as well as a steaming cup of coffee.

“Late last night, police responded to a call from one of the upscale homes that bordered one of the many lakes in our area. What they thought would turn out to be a teenager’s Halloween prank ended in two body bags and added to a death count that just won’t stop rising.”