“I’m going to miss him,” she murmured.
“We all are. He was the kind of asshole youcouldn’t help but love.”
She snorted with laughter as he pulled outof the parking spot. “That he was.”
• • •
Aiden watched the red Ford slide into aparking spot across the street from the passenger seat of Declan’scar. He smelled Maggie before he saw her inside the car. His handfell on the handle, but he kept himself restrained from flinging itopen and going to her. A man in his late thirties or early fortiesclimbed out from behind the wheel of the car.
Maggie was already stepping out of thevehicle when the man arrived at her side. The wind whipped her hairforward, blocking Aiden’s view of her face. Behind him, he feltBrian and Killean leaning closer. Beside him, Declan hunched overthe wheel.
The man said something to Maggie and tookher arm as he led her toward her door. Something malevolent swirledwithin Aiden as they stopped outside her building and the manhugged her. When she embraced him back, red filled Aiden’s visionas the need for blood and death burst over him.
She’d made her choice, and it was anotherman.
A snarl erupted from him as all control andany sense of reason vanished. He was about to open the door whensomething smashed against his temple. Aiden spun on his attacker.His fangs sliced into his bottom lip as he lunged for Brian.Brother-in-law or not, Aiden would tear his throat out.
Brian recoiled from his attack as somethingelse bashed Aiden in the head. Stars burst in front of his eyes, aringing sounded in his ears, and pain lanced like lightning acrosshis fractured skull. The blow staggered him but didn’t stop him ashis fingers curled around Brian’s throat. When a third blow hithim, part of his skull caved in, and the world went black.
• • •
“Have you seen the man I was here with theother night?” Maggie asked one of the bartenders at the hotel whenhe walked over to speak with her. He’d served her and Aiden oftenenough she hoped he remembered them.
It was almost seven, she was beyond late,but by the time she’d gotten showered, changed, and feltemotionally capable of handling the T to make the trip here, it hadbeen after six. Now, she was one of the few patrons in the bar, andshe was acutely aware Aiden wasn’t one of them. Fresh tears prickedher eyes, but she fought them back. If she started crying againnow, she would never stop.
“He left a couple of hours ago,” thebartender replied.
“But he was here?” she asked.
“He was.”
“Okay, good.”
She sat and bought a drink in the hope Aidenwould return soon. At ten, she gave up hope. When the bartenderreturned to her, she paid him. “If he happens to return, could youlet him know I went home?”
“Will do,” the man replied, but he barelyacknowledged her, and she doubted he would remember to tell Aidenif he came back.
On her way home, Maggie stopped at a storeto buy a new phone. She called Aiden again and left a voice mailwith her new number, but by the time she returned to her apartmentbuilding, he hadn’t called, and he wasn’t waiting outside forher.
Holding her breath, she turned into herhallway with the hope of finding Aiden there, waiting outside herdoor, but her hallway was empty. He didn’t know the code to thebuilding, but she knew that wouldn’t stop a vampire from enteringthe building, and especially not him. Besides, Mrs. Mackey wouldprobably let him in and bake him an entire batch of cookies.
Maggie unlocked her door and entered herapartment. Slumping onto her couch, she gazed around the smallspace that no longer felt like her home. Her grief for Rogerswelled within her and tears slid down her cheeks as she waited forAiden to come.
• • •
The ringing of his phone roused Stefan fromsleep. He glanced at Isabelle to make sure she hadn’t beendisturbed. Then, he threw back his blankets and rose from the bed.He padded out to where he’d left his phone charging in the livingroom.
A chill of foreboding slid down his spinewhen he saw Brian’s number on the caller ID. Things were still alittle strained between them, but they’d been working onestablishing a new friendship. However, it was too late at nightfor this to be a friendly call. Answering the phone, he brought itto his ear.
“What happened?” he asked as he walked overto pull back the edge of a curtain. He scanned the snow-coveredfield and the other homes, but nothing unusual stirred and none ofthe alarms were sounding.
“Aiden,” Brian said.
Stefan’s hand clenched on the curtain. “Ishe dead?”
Brian hesitated before replying, “No, but hemight be better off if he was.”
CHAPTER 44
